54 U.S.C. § 307102 — Effective date of regulations

(a) Publication in Federal Register. A final regulation from the Secretary^* cannot take effect until at least 30 calendar days have passed since it was published in the Federal Register, counting only days when one or both Houses of Congress are in session.

(b) Disapproval of Regulation by Resolution of Congress. The regulation won't take effect if, within 90 calendar days of continuous congressional session after it was issued, both Houses of Congress pass a concurrent resolution disapproving it, using the specific wording set out in this subsection.

(c) Failure of Congress To Adopt Resolution of Disapproval of Regulation. If 60 calendar days of continuous session pass after the regulation is issued, and no committee in either House has reported out or been discharged from a disapproval resolution, and neither House has passed one, the regulation can take effect right away. But if a committee did report out or get discharged from such a resolution within those 60 days, the regulation can't take effect until at least 90 calendar days of continuous session have passed, unless Congress disapproves it by then.

(d) Sessions of Congress. For counting these deadlines: (1) a session only breaks when Congress adjourns "sine die" (with no set return date); and (2) days when either House isn't in session because of an adjournment of more than 3 days to a fixed date don't count toward the 60- or 90-day totals.

(e) Congressional Inaction or Rejection of Resolution of Disapproval Not Deemed Approval of Regulation. If Congress does nothing, or votes down a disapproval resolution, that is not treated as Congress approving the regulation.