To require an agency to prepare a household cost impact analysis before publishing a proposed and final rule, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced by Nancy Mace and 1 co-sponsor

Requires federal agencies to publish a Household Cost Impact Analysis before proposing or finalizing any rule, showing how costs affect households.

Introduced in House

Purpose and intent

HR 8617 would mandate that a United States federal agency conduct and publish a Household Cost Impact Analysis (HCIA) prior to releasing both proposed rules and final rules. The central aim is to inform policymakers and the public about how regulatory actions would affect the budgets and daily living costs of households, with an emphasis on transparency around the economic burden of rulemaking.

Key provisions and changes

Mandatory HCIA for proposed and final rules: Before an agency may publish a proposed rule or a final rule, it must prepare an HCIA that estimates the impact of the rule on average household costs.

Scope of analysis: The HCIA would assess direct household costs (e.g., compliance costs, fees, product prices, utility bills, etc.) and may consider ancillary effects on households such as administrative burden, time costs, and any potential mitigations or exemptions.

Content requirements: The HCIA would likely require:

Baseline cost estimates for typical households.
Range of cost impacts across different income groups or household types.
Timeframe over which costs would be incurred (short-term vs. long-term).
Identification of affected populations and sectors.
Potential cost savings or offsetting effects, if applicable (e.g., long-term efficiency or health benefits could offset upfront costs).

Publication and access: The HCIA would be attached to the rulemaking record and made publicly available to ensure transparency in the regulatory process.

Potential procedures: The bill may outline steps for agencies to develop, review, and update HCIA, including opportunities for public comment or interagency review, though the exact procedural details would be specified in the bill text.

Who would be affected

Federal agencies: Agencies proposing or finalizing rules would be required to prepare and publish HCIA documents prior to rule publication.

Household stakeholders: The general public, researchers, consumer advocates, small businesses, and other interested parties would gain access to quantified estimates of how rules affect household costs.

Regulatory process participants: Commenters and affected industries would need to consider HCIA findings when evaluating proposed regulations.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction and referral: The bill was introduced and referred on 2026-04-30 to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsors:

Primary sponsors: (Not listed in provided text)
Co-sponsors: Thomas Massie and Nancy Mace

Legislative path: As a House bill, it would need committee action, potential floor consideration, and passage by the House to proceed to the Senate. If enacted, the HCIA requirement would commence for rules published after the effective date specified in the bill.

Effective date: The text provided does not include an effective date; the bill would typically specify when the HCIA requirements take effect.

This summary captures the bill’s stated purpose, the core requirement (household cost impact analyses before rule publication), who is affected, and the general procedural posture. For a complete understanding, the full bill text should be consulted to confirm the exact HCIA methodology, data standards, timelines, exemptions, and any reporting or enforcement mechanisms.

Bill

To require an agency to prepare a household cost impact analysis before publishing a proposed and final rule, and for other purposes.

Summary of HR 8617 (Session 119)

Title

Purpose and intent

Key provisions and changes

Who would be affected

Procedural and timeline aspects

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