Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2019

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1927 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1927

To amend title 5, United States Code, to clarify the nature of judicial 
     review of agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory 
                              provisions.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 27, 2019

Mr. Ratcliffe (for himself, Mr. Collins of Georgia, Mr. David P. Roe of 
   Tennessee, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Meadows, Mr. 
Gallagher, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Green of Tennessee, Mr. Yoho, Mr. Byrne, Mr. 
   Griffith, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Loudermilk, Mr. Walker, Mr. Gaetz, Mr. 
    Hudson, Mr. Johnson of Louisiana, Mr. Chabot, and Mr. Wittman) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to clarify the nature of judicial 
     review of agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory 
                              provisions.

    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 ``Separation of Powers Restoration Act 
of 2019''.

SEC. 2. JUDICIAL REVIEW OF STATUTORY AND REGULATORY INTERPRETATIONS.

    Section 706 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``To the extent necessary'' and inserting 
        ``(a) To the extent necessary'';
            (2) by striking ``decide all relevant questions of law, 
        interpret constitutional and statutory provisions, and'';
            (3) by inserting after ``of the terms of an agency action'' 
        the following ``and decide de novo all relevant questions of 
        law, including the interpretation of constitutional and 
        statutory provisions, and rules made by agencies. 
        Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this subsection 
        shall apply in any action for judicial review of agency action 
        authorized under any provision of law. No law may exempt any 
        such civil action from the application of this section except 
        by specific reference to this section''; and
            (4) by striking ``The reviewing court shall--'' and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(b) The reviewing court shall--''.
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