H.R. 6569: Executive Action Cost Transparency Act
Sponsor
Ron Estes
Republican · KS-4
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Dec 10, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.
Put a price tag on executive orders and court rulings
Why it matters
An executive order, an agency rule, or a court ruling can move federal spending by billions — without ever landing in the official budget forecast Congress relies on. H.R. 6569 would make the Congressional Budget Office count those costs, and publicly flag any single action it estimates at $50 billion or more over a decade.
Right now, when CBO builds its budget baseline — the running forecast of federal spending and revenue — it largely tracks the laws Congress passes. Executive orders, agency rules, and major court rulings can carry huge price tags, but they don't automatically show up in that forecast. H.R. 6569, the Executive Action Cost Transparency Act, would change that.
The bill tells CBO to fold the budgetary effects of executive and judicial actions into its baseline. "Executive action" is defined four ways: a proposed rule, a final rule, an executive order, or a memorandum. So both draft and finished moves from the White House and federal agencies could feed into the forecast, alongside court rulings.
To make that work, the bill sets up a fast paper trail. Any agency or commission that issues or carries out an executive action would have 10 days after it takes effect to send CBO a list of its implementation documents, any guidance it gave to staff or affected parties, and any other data the CBO Director asks for.
The most visible piece is a new public table. CBO's regular budget report and updates would have to list any executive or judicial action the Director estimates at $50 billion or more across the current year, the budget year, and the nine years after. Proposed actions get treated as if they were final when deciding whether they clear that bar. The duty applies only "to the extent practicable," giving CBO room when the data isn't all there.
The bill doesn't spend money or set penalties — it changes what gets counted and disclosed. It also hands the chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committees the power to direct otherwise on whether a given action is included, so those two lawmakers would have real say over what makes the list.
H.R. 6569 Bill Summary
What H.R. 6569 actually does.
CBO would count executive orders and court rulings
The bill directs the Congressional Budget Office to include the budgetary effects of executive actions and judicial actions in its baseline calculations and updates — not just the laws Congress passes.
Four things count as an 'executive action'
The bill defines executive action as a proposed rule, a final rule, an executive order, or a memorandum. That four-part definition pulls in both draft and finalized moves from the White House and federal agencies.
Agencies get 10 days to hand over the paperwork
Any department, agency, or commission that issues or implements an executive action would have to send CBO a list within 10 days of it taking effect — including written implementation documentation, guidance for staff and affected parties, and any other data the CBO Director requests.
Anything over $50 billion gets its own table
CBO's budget report and updates would have to include a table of executive and judicial actions the Director estimates at $50 billion or more across the current year, the budget year, and the following nine years.
Proposed rules count as if they're already final
When CBO decides whether an action clears the $50 billion bar for the table, a proposed action is treated as if it were final. The bill says proposed actions may only be included consistent with existing scorekeeping guidelines.
Budget chairs can decide what's in and what's out
The chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committees can direct otherwise on whether a given executive or judicial action is included in the baseline. Budgetary effects would be measured using scorekeeping practices the CBO Director and the two committees agree on.
Who benefits from H.R. 6569?
Members of Congress
Lawmakers would see a baseline that captures executive orders, memoranda, rules, and court rulings — including a table of any single action CBO estimates at $50 billion or more over a decade — rather than a forecast built mostly from enacted law.
Taxpayers and the public
The public would get a clearer view of major non-legislative actions that move federal spending or revenue, since the biggest ones would appear in a published CBO table and the supporting records would be on file within 10 days.
The Congressional Budget Office
CBO would gain formal authority to demand implementation materials and other data from any agency or commission, giving it more to work with when it builds the baseline.
Budget watchdogs and outside analysts
Researchers and oversight groups would have a more systematic public record of large executive and judicial actions, since qualifying ones issued since the last report would land in a recurring CBO table.
Who is affected by H.R. 6569?
Federal departments and agencies
Any agency or commission that issues, announces, or implements an executive action would take on new reporting work — submitting documents and guidance to CBO within 10 days of the action taking effect.
The White House and executive branch
Executive orders, memoranda, and agency rules could be folded into CBO's baseline and singled out publicly if CBO estimates them at $50 billion or more over the budget window.
House and Senate Budget Committee chairs
The two chairs would gain explicit authority to direct otherwise on whether executive and judicial actions are included, giving them direct influence over how the baseline is built.
Courts and parties to major rulings
Judicial actions would be folded into CBO's baseline and could appear in the public table if they cross the $50 billion threshold, drawing more attention to the fiscal weight of major court decisions.
HR6569 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Dec 10, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.
About the Sponsor
Ron Estes
Republican, Kansas's 4th congressional district · 9 years in Congress
Committees: Joint Economic Committee, Ways and Means, the Budget
View full profile →
Committee Sponsors
Budget Committee
0 of 37 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
21 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 6569 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 257 of Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907)
adding at the end the following: ``(f) Executive and Judicial Actions
H.R. 6569 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Budget
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Economics and Public Finance
- Introduced
- Dec 10, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on the Budget.
Dec 10, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill page with text, actions, sponsors, and status for the Executive Action Cost Transparency Act.
CBO’s budget topic pages provide official context on baseline projections and recurring budget reporting that HR6569 would change.
The bill gives the House Budget Committee chair authority to direct otherwise on whether certain executive and judicial actions are included in the baseline.
The Senate Budget Committee chair is likewise given authority under the bill to direct otherwise on inclusion decisions.
This is the codified section of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 that HR6569 would amend to require baseline inclusion of executive and judicial actions.
This provision covers the CBO reporting requirement that the bill would amend to add a table of qualifying executive and judicial actions.
Section 201(d) of the 1974 budget law, codified here, governs the agency documentation the bill requires be sent to the CBO Director within 10 days.
H.R. 6569 Common Questions
What does H.R. 6569 actually do?
It tells the Congressional Budget Office to count the cost of executive orders, agency rules, and court rulings in its budget baseline — not just the laws Congress passes — and to publicly flag the biggest ones.
How big does an action have to be before CBO has to list it publicly?
$50 billion. CBO would have to publish a table of any executive or judicial action it estimates at $50 billion or more across the current year, the budget year, and the nine years after.
What counts as an 'executive action' under the bill?
Four things: a proposed rule, a final rule, an executive order, or a memorandum. Both draft and finished moves from the White House and agencies are covered.
Does it really make CBO count court rulings in the federal budget?
Yes. Alongside executive actions, the bill folds the budgetary effects of judicial actions into CBO's baseline calculations and updates.
How quickly would agencies have to turn over their paperwork?
Within 10 days. After an executive action takes effect, the agency behind it has 10 days to send CBO its implementation documents, any guidance it issued, and any other data the CBO Director requests.
Can a proposed rule count before it's even finalized?
Yes. A proposed action is treated as if it were final when CBO decides whether it clears the $50 billion bar — though it can only be included consistent with existing scorekeeping guidelines.
Could lawmakers decide to keep certain actions off the list?
Yes. The chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committees can direct otherwise on whether a given executive or judicial action is included in the baseline.
Does H.R. 6569 spend any money or set penalties?
No. It doesn't authorize spending, create a program, or set fines. It changes what CBO counts and discloses — a transparency and reporting bill, not a spending one.
Based on H.R. 6569 bill text
H.R. 6569 Bill Text
“To include certain executive and judicial actions in the baseline calculation by the Congressional Budget Office, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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