Coalition Letter to Senate Leaders Urges Action on House-Passed Bipartisan Regulatory Transparency Bills

By SBE Council at 27 May, 2026, 2:21 pm

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) led the following coalition letter.

Dear Leader Thune and Senator Paul:

We write to urge the passage of the Guidance Out of Darkness (GOOD) Act (H.R. 1515) and the Information Quality Assurance Act (IQAA) (H.R. 6329)—bipartisan transparency measures that already passed the House of Representatives. These practical reforms build on a strong bipartisan tradition of transparency, such as the Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act of 2023.

Regulatory agencies issue more than 3,000 new rules annually but also rely extensively on policymaking that is much harder to track: guidance documents, interpretive rules, policy statements, memoranda, FAQs, circulars, and other sub-regulatory materials. In essence, “regulatory dark matter.” In past Congresses, the Senate succeeded in advancing efforts to shed light on these directives with broad bipartisan support, and so, too, should this Senate.

The big problem with sub-regulatory materials is that they shape policy outcomes and impose significant, often underappreciated burdens on businesses, states, and local governments without being subject to the notice-and-comment process required by the Administrative Procedure Act, as detailed by the Administrative Conference of the United States in its report, Federal Agency Guidance: An Institutional Perspective. The public has no opportunity to consider and comment on agency dark matter before it becomes policy.

The GOOD Act would help bring regulatory dark matter into public view by requiring a centralized, searchable online portal for such agency guidance documents. This commonsense reform would give the public, Congress, and regulated parties a more complete understanding of federal regulatory activity, just as the U.S. Code and the Code of Federal Regulations do for statutes and rules.

The IQAA would strengthen evidence-based policymaking, demystifying the process in a way that should appeal across partisan lines. The bill builds on the Information Quality Act of 2000 framework by reinforcing the directive that regulatory and guidance decisions be grounded in the best reasonably available data. Further, the bill promotes transparency by encouraging agencies to clearly document the data, models, assumptions, and methodologies underlying their actions and to make that information accessible to the public where practicable.

Just as importantly, the IQAA preserves and enhances opportunities for public engagement and correction. By enabling scrutiny of the evidence and challenges to data quality, this reform plan helps keep policymaking accountable and responsive. These principles both empower regulated entities to have a say and serve the broader public interest in bolstering sound, durable governance.

The 119^th Congress has an opportunity to succeed in delivering reforms that make regulations more transparent and accountable to the American people. We urge the relevant committees and the full Senate to advance and pass these practical, bipartisan reforms.

Sincerely,

Clyde Wayne Crews Jr.
Fred L. Smith Jr. Fellow in Regulatory Studies
Competitive Enterprise Institute

Lisa B. Nelson
Chief Executive Officer
ALEC Action

Phil Kerpen
President
American Commitment

Brent Gardner
Chief Government Affairs Officer
Americans for Prosperity

Grover Norquist
President
Americans for Tax Reform

David McIntosh
President
Club for Growth

Ryan Ellis
President
Center for a Free Economy

Jeffrey Mazzella
President
Center for Individual Freedom

David M. Ozgo
Executive Director
Center for Transportation Advancement

Tom Schatz
President
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste

Gerard Scimeca
Chairman
Consumer Action for a Strong Economy

Tarren Bragdon
CEO
Foundation for Government Accountability

George Landrith
President
Frontiers of Freedom

Cameron Sholty
Executive Director
Heartland Impact

James Taylor
President
The Heartland Institute

Patrice Onwuka
Vice President for Economic Policy and Director of the Center for Economic Opportunity
Independent Women’s Voice

Andrew Langer
President
Institute for Liberty

Doug Wheeler
Director, George Gibbs Center for Economic Prosperity
The James Madison Institute

Charles Sauer
President
Market Institute

Brandon Arnold
Executive Vice President
National Taxpayers Union

Daniel J. Erspamer
CEO
Pelican Institute for Public Policy

Eric Ventimiglia
Executive Director
Pinpoint Policy Institute

Paul Gessing
President
Rio Grande Foundation

Patrick M. Brenner
President
Southwest Public Policy Institute

Karen Kerrigan
President & CEO
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council

David Williams
President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance

Greg Sindelar
CEO
Texas Public Policy Foundation

Frank Lasee
President
Truth in Energy and Climate