James Lankford (R-OK)
Guidance Clarity Act of 2025
A Republican bill with 3 Republican cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 250.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Guidance Clarity Act of 2025," requires federal agencies to include a specific statement on certain guidance documents. Each agency must include a guidance clarity statement on any guidance issued under section 553(b)(4)(A) of title 5, United States Code. The statement must be displayed prominently on the first page of the document. This statement clarifies that the document does not have the force and effect of law and does not bind the public or the agency. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is tasked with issuing implementation guidance within 90 days of the Act's enactment. The agency requirement begins 30 days after that OMB guidance is issued.
Yes
- Scored +3
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires agencies to include a disclaimer clarifying that guidance does not have the force of law.
- Scored +1
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The bill provides clarity on the non-binding nature of agency documents, which can assist in understanding regulatory boundaries.
- Scored +1
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill increases transparency regarding the legal weight of agency guidance documents.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Increased Clarity: The bill requires a specific statement to be displayed prominently on the first page of documents to clarify that the contents do not have the force and effect of law (Section 2(b)). This is intended to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies (Section 2(b)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly mentioned or described in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires agencies to include a disclaimer clarifying that guidance does not have the force of law. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill provides clarity on the non-binding nature of agency documents, which can assist in understanding regulatory boundaries.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill increases transparency regarding the legal weight of agency guidance documents.
- 5/21/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/3/2025
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 250.
- 8/1/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/30/2025
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 1/13/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Ron JohnsonRepublican · Wisconsin
Ashley MoodyRepublican · Florida
Rick ScottRepublican · Florida