This resolution urges the Secretary of Health and Human Services to withdraw any reduction in public notice and comment opportunities during the rulemaking process.
Lizzie Fletcher
Representative
TX-7
This House resolution urges the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to withdraw a recent notice that would reduce opportunities for public comment on new regulations. It affirms the importance of robust public input in the rulemaking process, which directly affects millions of Americans. The resolution calls for HHS to maintain its existing, open procedures for gathering feedback before finalizing any policy changes.
House Urges HHS Secretary to Keep Full Public Comment Period on New Rules
This resolution is essentially the House of Representatives sending a strongly worded memo to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The message? Don't mess with the public comment period.
Specifically, the House is asking the Secretary to withdraw a notice published on March 3, 2025, that proposed cutting back on how much public notice and opportunity for comment people get when HHS makes new rules. For the past 54 years, HHS has followed the standard public input procedures required by the Administrative Procedure Act. The House wants them to keep doing exactly that, affirming that the practices in place on February 27, 2025, should remain the status quo.
The Importance of the Fine Print
When HHS makes a rule, it’s not just bureaucratic paper-shuffling; it directly affects programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the regulations governing hospitals and insurance. This resolution recognizes that open rulemaking is critical because it helps stop the government from rolling out policies that are unfair or just plain unworkable. Think of it as a quality control check staffed by the people who actually use the services.
For service providers—like the small clinic owner trying to navigate billing codes—or state governments administering Medicaid, the comment period is their chance to flag logistical nightmares before they become law. If HHS reduces the notice period, it means less time for these groups to read the dense proposals, figure out the real-world impact, and submit meaningful feedback. This resolution is fighting to keep that window wide open.
Who Benefits from the Status Quo
This isn't a bill that changes a law; it’s the House expressing its opinion. But that opinion is a win for transparency and accountability. The resolution specifically emphasizes that beneficiaries of HHS programs, state and local governments, service providers, and various organizations must continue to have their say.
Imagine you rely on a specific home health service covered by Medicare. If HHS proposes a rule that unintentionally limits that coverage, the public comment period is your only chance to speak up before the change goes into effect. By pushing back against the proposed reduction, the House is trying to ensure that regular people—from patients to doctors to local administrators—don't lose their seat at the table when the rules that govern their lives are being written. This resolution is non-binding, meaning the Secretary doesn't legally have to comply, but it serves as a powerful political signal that Congress values public participation in regulatory decisions.