Federal Agency Responsiveness Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
Federal Agency Responsiveness Act of 1979 - States that, in a review by a court of an action of a Federal agency, there shall be no presumption that any rule or regulation of any agency is valid. Prohibits the courts of the United States and State courts from upholding the validity of a challenged rule or regulation unless such validity is established by a preponderance of the evidence shown. Provides that if any rule or regulation is set up as a defense to any criminal prosecution or action for civil penalty, such rule or regulation shall be presumed valid until the party initiating the criminal prosecution or action for civil penalty shall have sustained the burden of proof normally applicable in such actions.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on November 29, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on November 29, 1979: Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ANTHONY COELHO (D-CA) introduced it on November 29, 1979, and 20 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 11 Democrats, 9 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on November 29, 1979, 17087 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17087 days ago, on November 29, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers