House Approves REINS Act to Limit Executive Overreach
In an important victory for NAHB and common-sense regulatory reform, the House today approved the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2023.
This legislation would restore meaningful congressional oversight to regulatory rulemaking by requiring Congress to approve all federal agency regulations that have an annual economic impact of $100 million or more.
Prior to the House vote, NAHB sent a letter to House lawmakers urging support for this bill and deemed it a “key vote” because of its importance to the housing industry.
Without meaningful congressional oversight, poorly crafted rules often go into place and businesses are forced to divert precious resources to lengthy and uncertain legal challenges.
Under the REINS Act, if a federal agency proposes a major regulation, it would need to be approved by both the House and Senate before going into effect.
The bill would also grant Congress the authority to disapprove a “non-major rule” (defined as a regulation that would result in an annual effect on the economy of less than $100 million) through a joint resolution.
NAHB believes that placing more decision-making in the hands of Congress on major regulatory rules that impact millions of Americans and countless small businesses will reduce regulatory overreach by federal agencies. We will urge the Senate to introduce and advance companion legislation.
Latest from NAHBNow
The Home Builders Association of Central Tennessee focused on expanding its footprint in previously underserved areas by appointing new charter presidents to promote membership, build relationships with local officials and provide networking opportunities in outlying counties.
Adults ages 55 and older make up a large and growing share of the U.S. population and play an important role in the U.S. housing market. Only 16% of NAHB Builder members, however, reported building age-restricted housing for people age 55 or older, according to 2025 Member Census. For builders and remodelers targeting this demographic, it is important to understand the trends within this part of the housing industry.
Latest Economic News
Existing home sales rose after three months of declines as improved inventory gave buyers more negotiating power. As buyers wait for rate relief, homes are sitting on the market longer and for-sale inventory reached the highest level in over a decade.
The median age of construction workers is 42, one year older than a typical worker in the national labor force, according to NAHB analysis of the latest 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) data.
The share of new single-family homes built with individual wells and septic systems increased in 2025 compared to the previous year. According to NAHB’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), approximately 10% of single-family homes started in 2025 were served by individual (private) wells, and 17% relied on individual septic systems.