This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) relating to the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Alaska’s Central Yukon planning area and issued on November 12, 2024. By way of background, an RMP guides the management of lands administered by the BLM. This Central Yukon RMP modified the prior RMP for the area, including by designating 21 areas of critical environmental concern or research natural areas, encompassing approximately 3,611,000 acres.
HJRES 105 is a procedural resolution that blocks a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule concerning North Dakota's resource management plan. It directs Congress to disapprove the BLM's "North Dakota Field Office Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan" (issued January 2025), which the Government Accountability Office determined qualified as a "rule" under the Congressional Review Act. The resolution states this BLM rule will have no legal effect once enacted. This action directly affects the implementation of the BLM's resource management plan for North Dakota's public lands.
HRES 354 is a procedural resolution that sets rules for the House to vote on five separate disapproval resolutions (H.J. Res. 60, 78, 87-89). These disapproval resolutions aim to block specific federal agency rules: one from the National Park Service regarding motor vehicles in Glen Canyon, another from Fish & Wildlife on endangered smelt protections, and three from the EPA targeting California's vehicle emissions standards. The resolution streamlines debate and voting on these disapproval measures, waiving most procedural objections to allow direct consideration. If passed, the disapproval resolutions would cancel the agency rules, directly affecting how California implements vehicle pollution controls and wildlife protections. The bill itself does not change policy but enables Congress to block these specific regulations.
HR 1917, the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program Act of 2025, establishes a federal program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to mass-tag hatchery-reared fish in the Great Lakes. The program directly affects federal, state, and tribal fisheries agencies by providing data on hatchery fish versus wild fish populations through automated tagging. Key provisions authorize $5 million annually (2026-2030) to purchase tagging equipment, hire staff, and share collected data with partner agencies to inform management decisions about fish stocking, habitat restoration, and balancing predator-prey relationships. This data supports the economic stability of the Great Lakes fisheries sector, which contributes over $7 billion annually to the regional economy.
This joint resolution disapproves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would have reclassified certain industrial pollution sources under the Clean Air Act. Specifically, it blocks the EPA's September 2024 rule (89 Fed. Reg. 73293) which aimed to change how "major sources" of pollution could be reclassified as "area sources" under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act. If enacted, this resolution would prevent the rule from taking effect, maintaining the existing regulatory framework for industrial facilities currently classified as major sources. The resolution directly affects the EPA's regulatory authority and the compliance requirements for affected industrial facilities.
H.J. Res. 87 (Public Law 119-15) is a congressional disapproval resolution that prevents an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule from taking effect. The rule, submitted by the EPA on April 6, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 20688), related to California’s authority to enforce stricter vehicle emission standards, including for heavy-duty trucks, zero-emission airport shuttles, and advanced clean truck requirements. By disapproving this rule, Congress blocks California from implementing these specific pollution controls under its existing waiver authority. This directly affects California’s ability to regulate motor vehicle emissions independently, as the rule would have allowed the state to enforce its own standards beyond federal requirements.
H.J.Res. 88 disapproves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would have allowed California to enforce its "Advanced Clean Cars II" vehicle emission standards. This rule, submitted by the EPA on January 6, 2025, sought to grant California a waiver to override federal preemption for its stricter vehicle pollution controls. The resolution, passed by Congress and signed into law on June 12, 2025, formally nullifies the EPA rule, preventing California from implementing its Advanced Clean Cars II program under this specific waiver. The bill directly affects California's ability to set its own vehicle emission standards for passenger cars and light trucks.
HJRES 89 is a congressional disapproval resolution that blocks an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule concerning California's vehicle and engine pollution standards. The resolution specifically targets the EPA's "Omnibus Low NOX Regulation" and waiver of preemption, which would have allowed California to enforce stricter emissions rules. By disapproving this rule under Chapter 8 of Title 5 U.S. Code, Congress has nullified the EPA's action, meaning the regulation will have no legal effect. This directly affects the EPA's authority to approve California's state-level pollution control standards for motor vehicles.
This joint resolution allows off-road vehicles to be used in certain areas of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which is in northern Arizona and southeastern Utah and contains Lake Powell. Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies the rule issued by the National Park Service (NPS) titled Glen Canyon National Recreation Area; Motor Vehicles and published on January 13, 2025. Under the rule, the NPS limited the use of off-road vehicles, such as off-highway vehicles and all-terrain vehicles, in certain areas. For instance, the rule prohibited the use of off-road vehicles on an 8-mile segment of the Poison Spring Loop located on Route 633 proceeding north to Route 730 in the Orange Cliffs Special Management Unit. The rule also eliminated the authority of the NPS to open the upper portion of the Flint Trail in that unit to off-road vehicles. Additionally, the rule limited off-road vehicle use from certain roads to the shoreline of the lake.
This resolution blocks a Department of Energy rule that would have set new energy efficiency standards for gas-fired instant water heaters. It prevents the rule from taking effect, meaning appliance manufacturers would not have to meet the proposed efficiency requirements. The rule, submitted in December 2024, directly affected manufacturers of these water heaters and consumers purchasing them. Congress approved this disapproval through a joint resolution passed on May 9, 2025.
