S 81
· 119th Congress
· Government Operations and Politics
Guidance Clarity Act of 2025
Sponsor
Latest action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 250.
Action timeline
Every recorded action on this bill, newest first. Stage badges color-code the legislative path.
Nov 03, 2025
committee
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Paul with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Nov 03, 2025
other
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 250.
Jul 30, 2025
committee
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Jan 13, 2025
introduced
Introduced in Senate
Jan 13, 2025
introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Text versions
Each stage of the bill — official text published by GPO. Click any format to read on congress.gov / govinfo.
CRS summaries
Plain-English summaries written by the Congressional Research Service — neutral, nonpartisan staff who summarize bills as they advance through stages. The authoritative description of what each version of the bill does.
00
Introduced in Senate
Jan 13, 2025
Guidance Clarity Act of 2025
This bill requires federal agencies to state on the first page of guidance documents that such guidance (1) does not have the force and effect of law, and (2) is intended only to provide clarity to the public about existing legal requirements or agency policies.
via Congressional Research Service · published through congress.gov
Changelog
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih / is — Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh / rfs — Referred to a committee for review.rh / rs — Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).pcs / pch — Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.eh / es — Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.rdh / rds — Received by the other chamber.eah / eas — Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.ath / ats — Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.enr — Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.pl — Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.pp — Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
ⓘ
How a bill moves through Congress. Each stage produces a new official text. The diff between them shows what changed at that step.
ih/is— Introduced in House / Senate. First filed version.rfh/rfs— Referred to a committee for review.rh/rs— Reported back by the committee to the floor (often with amendments — this is where most language changes happen).pcs/pch— Placed on Calendar for floor consideration.eh/es— Engrossed. Passed by the originating chamber. Text is now what was actually voted on.rdh/rds— Received by the other chamber.eah/eas— Engrossed Amendment. The other chamber passed an amended version.ath/ats— Agreed to. Both chambers settled on the same text.enr— Enrolled. Final reconciled text, sent to the President.pl— Public Law. Signed by the President. It's now law.pp— Public Print. Official printing post-enactment.
Most bills die before eh/es. Going from pcs → enr is the full path through both chambers.
Line-level diff between text versions of this bill — what actually changed at each legislative stage.
+60
−6
28 unchanged
--- Introduced (Senate)
+++ Reported (Senate)
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
-[S. 81 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
+[S. 81 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
+Calendar No. 250
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 81
@@ -16,9 +17,15 @@
January 13, 2025
-Mr. Lankford (for himself and Mr. Johnson) introduced the following
-bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland
-Security and Governmental Affairs
+Mr. Lankford (for himself, Mr. Johnson, and Mrs. Moody) introduced the
+following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
+Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
+
+November 3, 2025
+
+Reported by Mr. Paul, with an amendment
+[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
+in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
@@ -30,6 +37,34 @@
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
+<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Guidance Clarity Act of
+2025''.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED>SEC. 2. GUIDANCE CLARITY STATEMENT REQUIRED.</DELETED>
+
+<DELETED> (a) Requirement.--Each agency, as defined in section 551
+of title 5, United States Code, shall include a guidance clarity
+statement as described in subsection (b) on any guidance issued by that
+agency under section 553(b)(3)(A) of title 5, United States Code, on
+and after the date that is 30 days after the date on which the Director
+of the Office of Management and Budget issues the guidance required
+under subsection (c).</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (b) Guidance Clarity Statement.--A guidance clarity
+statement required under subsection (a) shall--</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (1) be displayed prominently on the first page of
+the document; and</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (2) include the following: ``The contents of this
+document do not have the force and effect of law and do not, of
+themselves, bind the public or the agency. This document is
+intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding
+existing requirements under the law or agency
+policies.''.</DELETED>
+<DELETED> (c) OMB Guidance.--Not later than 90 days after the date
+of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and
+Budget shall issue guidance to implement this Act.</DELETED>
+
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Guidance Clarity Act of 2025''.
@@ -39,7 +74,7 @@
(a) Requirement.--Each agency, as defined in section 551 of title
5, United States Code, shall include a guidance clarity statement as
described in subsection (b) on any guidance issued by that agency under
-section 553(b)(3)(A) of title 5, United States Code, on and after the
+section 553(b)(4)(A) of title 5, United States Code, on and after the
date that is 30 days after the date on which the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget issues the guidance required under subsection
(c).
@@ -55,4 +90,23 @@
(c) OMB Guidance.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget shall issue guidance to implement this Act.
-<all>
+Calendar No. 250
+
+119th CONGRESS
+
+1st Session
+
+S. 81
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+A BILL
+
+To require a guidance clarity statement on certain agency guidance, and
+for other purposes.
+
+_______________________________________________________________________
+
+November 3, 2025
+
+Reported with an amendment
Cosponsors (2)
Members who signed on to support this bill.