HJRES-24 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In Freezers".

This bill became law on 2025-05-09 as Public Law No. 119-7.

The summary below describes the bill at the version we last reviewed; the enacted text may differ.

YourVoice.Now Summary

EnvironmentCorporate Benefits

Congress cancelled new energy rules for grocery and restaurant walk-in coolers — before any unit had to meet them.

Environment

Tougher energy rules for walk-in coolers and freezers

A December 2024 rule set stricter limits on the power these units may use. This law cancels that rule. The older, looser limits still apply.

Energy Department's power to bring these rules back

The rule was cancelled under the Congressional Review Act. That law bars an agency from bringing back a cancelled rule. Only a new law from Congress could allow it.

Corporate Benefits

Relief for walk-in cooler makers — tougher standards no longer apply

Companies that build these doors and cooling systems faced deadlines in December 2027 and December 2028. Those deadlines are gone. They may keep selling models the rule would have phased out.

More about this bill

Most people see no change in daily life. This law cancels new federal energy rules for walk-in coolers and freezers. Those are the big cold rooms in grocery stores, restaurants, and food warehouses. The Energy Department issued those rules in December 2024. They set stricter limits on how much power new units may use. Doors without windows had to meet them starting in December 2027. Cooling systems had until December 2028. Neither deadline had arrived, so no unit had to meet the new limits yet. Older rules for this equipment stay in place. Congress acted under the Congressional Review Act, a law that lets it cancel recent federal rules. Under that law, the Energy Department cannot bring these rules back unless Congress passes a new law.

Congressional Summary

This joint resolution eliminates new, more stringent energy conservation standards for certain walk-in coolers and freezers, including the new limits on maximum daily energy consumption for walk-in non-display doors. Under the joint resolution, walk-in non-display doors and walk-in refrigeration systems are no longer required to comply with the new standards.Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies the rule titled Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In Freezers and submitted by the Department of Energy (DOE) on December 23, 2024. Under the rule, DOE adopted energy conservation standards for walk-in coolers and freezers to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that DOE determined was technologically feasible and economically justified. The rule required walk-in non-display doors to comply with those standards by December 23, 2027, and walk-in refrigeration systems to comply with them by December 31, 2028.

Legislative Subjects

Administrative law and regulatory proceduresDepartment of EnergyEnergy efficiency and conservationFood industry and servicesLighting, heating, cooling

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: House
Status: summarized
Action: Public Law
Action Date: 2025-05-09
Date Added: 2026-06-05
Source: Congress.gov →

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