Latest action: Became Public Law No: 119-6.
Signed into law by the President (or passed over a veto). Now public law.
The President signed the bill into law (or Congress overrode a veto). It's now public law and federal agencies will implement it.
Congress rejected the Department of Energy's new efficiency rules for gas water heaters.
The problem
The Department of Energy created a rule requiring gas water heaters to meet higher energy efficiency standards. Some lawmakers believed this rule was too costly or burdensome for manufacturers and consumers.
The proposal
This bill uses a congressional disapproval process to cancel the Department of Energy's energy efficiency rule for consumer gas-fired instantaneous water heaters.
The impact
Manufacturers avoid new efficiency requirements; consumers may continue buying less efficient water heaters; energy costs and environmental effects remain unchanged from previous standards.
Companies don't have to redesign products to meet stricter efficiency standards. This can reduce development and production expenses that might otherwise increase prices for consumers.
Manufacturers can continue selling existing water heater models without delays for compliance testing. Products reach consumers more quickly without new regulatory requirements.
Buyers can purchase more affordable water heater options rather than being required to purchase only high-efficiency models. Lower upfront costs may be preferable for budget-conscious consumers.
Less efficient water heaters use more gas and electricity. Over time, consumers pay more in utility bills, which can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars over a water heater's lifetime.
Inefficient water heaters burn more fuel and produce more greenhouse gas emissions. This contributes to climate change and air pollution affecting public health.
Higher efficiency standards reduce overall national gas consumption and energy imports. Rejecting this rule means America uses more energy resources and remains more dependent on fuel supplies.
While manufacturers save money upfront, society bears higher costs through increased energy use, environmental cleanup, and climate-related damages over decades.
Generated by AI from the bill text. Not a prediction and not legal or policy advice. The percentage is the model's own rating of each item — self-reported, and not a measure of how accurate it is.
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Individual contributions, grouped by employer · FEC
Where their individual donors work · 2026 cycle
Money from people who work there, not from the company. Not tied to this bill.
Itemized individual contributions via FEC, grouped by the employer each contributor self-reported. Companies and unions cannot contribute to federal candidates from their treasuries, so these totals are money from people who work at an employer — never from the organization itself. They are campaign contributions covering a full election cycle and are not connected to this bill.
Senate LDA lobbying disclosures
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