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
Sustainability and Green Building
Sep 10, 2026
How to Use the 2025 NGBS to Build Your Business and Your Brand
As the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) becomes more widely recognized at the federal, state and local levels, it becomes an increasingly valuable tool to help home builders grow their business and engage with clients. Here’s how home builders can benefit from using the latest edition of NGBS.
Labor
Sep 09, 2026
TPS Uncertainty Remains for El Salvadoran Workers Living in the U.S.
The Trump administration’s expiration date of Sept. 9 for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador has been effectively continued, affecting roughly 200,000 Salvadoran TPS holders in the U.S. and further straining the construction industry’s labor shortage.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Sep 10, 2026
Energy Prices Rise Again in August
Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.2% in August and were up 5.1% from a year ago. Energy prices rose sharply in August, as prices for energy inputs to residential construction rose 6.6% over the month.
Economics
Sep 09, 2026
Mortgage Applications Decline for Sixth Straight Month in August
Mortgage application activity continued to decline in August as elevated US treasury yields pushed mortgage rates higher. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, declined 3.2% month-over-month in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, marking the sixth consecutive monthly decline.
Economics
Sep 09, 2026
Who Are NAHB’s Builder Members?
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) conducts an annual census to better understand the composition and characteristics of its members. In 2025, 35% of NAHB’s membership was comprised of builder members—single-family and multifamily builders, residential and commercial remodelers, commercial builders, land developers, and manufacturers of modular/panelized/log homes.