Social Cost of Carbon Transparency Enhancement Act of 2013

Social Cost of Carbon Transparency Enhancement Act of 2013 - Prohibits the head of a federal agency from using an estimate for the social cost of carbon until the completion of the rulemaking notice period and the receipt of public comment on such estimate.

Requires an agency head, after the completion of any cost-benefit or regulatory impact analysis used to promulgate rules or guidelines or to determine administrative actions, to: (1) submit to relevant congressional committees a report on the result of, and methods (including any method that determines the social cost of carbon) used to calculate, the cost-benefits or regulatory impact analysis; and (2) publish such report in the Federal Register. Prohibits the finalization of any cost-benefit or regulatory impact analysis for 60 days after the submission of such report and requires an agency head, during such 60-day period, to evaluate the potential benefits of each cost-benefit or regulatory impact analysis using specified criteria.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2886 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2886

To require agency notice and receipt of public comment before using any 
   estimate for the social cost of carbon, to require reports on the 
results of and methods used to calculate any cost-benefit or regulatory 
                impact analysis, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2013

  Mr. Hunter (for himself and Mr. Culberson) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require agency notice and receipt of public comment before using any 
   estimate for the social cost of carbon, to require reports on the 
results of and methods used to calculate any cost-benefit or regulatory 
                impact analysis, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Social Cost of Carbon Transparency 
Enhancement Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. NOTICE AND RECEIPT OF PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SOCIAL COST OF CARBON.

    The head of an agency may not use an estimate for the social cost 
of carbon until completion of notice and receipt of public comment with 
regard to such estimate.

SEC. 3. COST-BENEFIT AND REGULATORY IMPACT REPORT REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--As soon as practicable after the completion by an 
agency of any cost-benefit or regulatory impact analysis used to 
promulgate rules or guidelines or to determine administrative actions, 
the head of the agency, in consultation with the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget--
            (1) shall submit to the relevant committees of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate a report on the result of and 
        methods (including any key method) used to calculate the cost-
        benefit or regulatory impact analysis; and
            (2) shall publish such report in the Federal Register.
    (b) Interim Period.--
            (1) In general.--Any cost-benefit or regulatory impact 
        analysis that is the subject of a report submitted pursuant to 
        subsection (a) may not be finalized during the 60-day period 
        starting on the date of submission of the report.
            (2) Waiver authority.--The head of the agency concerned may 
        waive the 60-day period described in paragraph (1) in an 
        emergency situation or if required by law to act more quickly.
    (c) Valuation of Benefits.--During the 60-day period described in 
subsection (b)(1), the head of each agency shall evaluate the potential 
benefits of each cost-benefit or regulatory impact analysis through the 
following:
            (1) Providing an opportunity for public comment on the 
        results of the cost-benefit or regulatory impact analysis.
            (2) Consideration of public comments.
            (3) Publishing a summary of the public comments received 
        and the agency responses to such comments in the Federal 
        Register.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code, except that 
        the term does not include an independent regulatory agency as 
        defined by section 3502(5) of title 44, United States Code.
            (2) Key method.--The term ``key method'' includes any 
        method that determines the social cost of carbon.
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