H.R. 8617: American Family Cost-of-Living Relief Act of 2026

This bill, known as the American Family Cost-of-Living Relief Act of 2026, aims to require government agencies to analyze how new proposed regulations might impact household costs before they are enacted. Here’s a breakdown of what the bill entails:

Impact Analysis Requirement

Whenever an agency is planning to issue rules that require public notice, it must:

• Prepare an initial household cost impact analysis, which includes:
  • A statement indicating whether the proposed rule will significantly increase household costs.
  • A description of how such an increase would affect households at different income levels.
  • A list of goods or services that may be impacted by the proposed rule.
  • Recommendations for alternative rules that would not lead to a substantial increase in costs.
• Make this analysis available for public comment by publishing it in the Federal Register at the time of the proposed rule notification.

Final Analysis After Public Comment

After considering public comments or holding a hearing, the agency is required to prepare a final household cost impact analysis. This final analysis must contain:

• The same information required in the initial analysis.
• A summary of significant issues raised by public comments or during the hearing.
• A description of how these comments or the hearing affected the assessment of household cost increases.

Restrictions on Rule Implementation

Agencies cannot issue final rules that substantially increase household costs unless:

• The rule is legally required, or
• The agency identifies the rule as necessary to address:
  • An imminent national security threat,
  • A major disaster declared by the President, or
  • An emergency declared by the President.

In such cases, the agency must also submit a certification to Congress detailing the imminent threat.

Annual Review and Reporting

Within a year of the bill's enactment, and annually thereafter, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must review major rules and publish a report that identifies:

• Any rules that have significantly increased household costs.
• Recommendations for amendments or repeal of those rules to reduce the cost impact on households.
• Recommendations for legislative action to address these cost increases.

Definitions

The bill defines key terms such as:

• Agency: Refers to the federal agency as defined in existing law.
• Household Cost: Annual out-of-pocket expenses for essential goods and services needed for living, which may include:
  • Housing
  • Utilities
  • Transportation
  • Food
  • Health care
  • Child and elder care
  • Education expenses
  • Household products
  • Taxes and mandatory charges
• Rule: Refers to any agency rule under current statutes.
• Substantially Increase: An increase of $50 or more per year in household costs.

Implementation Timeline

The provisions of this bill will only apply to rules proposed after the bill becomes law.

Judicial Review

Households that believe they are adversely affected by final agency actions have the right to judicial review regarding compliance with this new requirement.

Relevant Companies

None found.