H.R. 8135 · 119th Congress · Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, the Budget, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Cost-of-Living Emergency Act: Government Push to Track and Cut Living Costs
Cost-of-living Emergency Act
1 cosponsor
- Rep. Levin, Mike [D-CA-49] (D-CA)
Deep dive September 9, 2026
This bill declares an emergency over high living costs. The emergency lasts 180 days. It sets up new White House teams. It also creates a price-gouging task force and a commission to study the problem. The bill uses defense powers to boost supplies of everyday goods. It also requires new reports on how rules affect household budgets.
What to know
- The bill declares a cost-of-living emergency.
- The emergency lasts 180 days. Congress can vote to extend it.
- It creates a White House Cost Cutting Council.
- It also creates six Special Advisors. They cover groceries, housing, utilities, health care, transport, and wages.
- New agency rules must include a report. The report must show how the rule affects families and big companies.
- A new task force will investigate price gouging on essential goods.
- The President can use defense powers. These powers can boost supplies of food and cleaning supplies.
- A 12-member commission will study the problem. It is split evenly between parties. It will propose new laws.
Heads up
3 buried provisions
Provisions we flagged do not match the bill's stated purpose, or repeat language from bills that did not pass on their own.
Defense Production Act used without national defense purpose (Section 7(d))
Why we flagged this
This bill lets the President use Defense Production Act powers. But it drops the law's core rule. Normally these powers must serve national defense. Here that link is removed. This turns a wartime supply tool into a general economic tool. The effect is large but easy to miss in a late section.
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Under subsections (b) and (c), the President shall exercise the authorities provided under title III of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4531 et seq.) without regard to any requirement of that Act that the exercise of such authorities be for the national defense.
Data sharing notwithstanding any other law (Section 6(e)(2))
Why we flagged this
This lets two agencies share investigative files and data. It says they can do so despite any other law. Other laws often limit sharing to protect privacy. This clause can override those limits. The only guard is vague. It says protections for business information must be kept. Personal data is not clearly protected.
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notwithstanding any other provision of law, share investigative files, data, and technical resources if— (A) such sharing is necessary for the performance of the duties of the Task Force under subsection (c); and (B) appropriate protections for confidential business information are maintained.
Vague proof standard for spending decisions (Section 7(c)(3)(B))
Why we flagged this
The President cannot fund a project unless an agency head certifies two things. One is that the project can be 'reasonably proven' to cut a price within 180 days. These words are vague. It is unclear how proof is measured. This vague test controls large loans and purchase deals.
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can be reasonably proven to result in a reduction of the retail or wholesale cost of a specific basic household necessity within 180 days of the commencement of the activity.
Section by section
Short title of the Act
This section names the law. It is called the Cost-of-living Emergency Act. This part does not create any rules. It just gives the law its official name. People will use this name to talk about the law.
This section affects no one directly. It is only a naming rule for the law.
There is no tradeoff because this section only sets the law's name.
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This Act may be cited as the Cost-of-living Emergency Act .
Key terms defined
This section explains words used in the rest of the bill. It defines an average U.S. household as one earning less than the typical U.S. income. It lists basic household needs, like food, housing, gas, medical care, and utilities. It also defines terms like the Cost-of-Living Commission, its co-chairs, and a Special Advisor to the President. It explains what a large corporation means, using the Small Business Act's definition of a small business. It also defines outside expert as someone who does not work for the government. Finally, it says State includes all U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories.
This section affects how the whole bill will be read and applied. It sets ground rules for agencies, officials, and experts named in later sections.
Clear definitions make the law easier to apply consistently, but they can also limit flexibility if situations don't fit the exact wording.
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The term average U.S. household means a household in the United States earning less than the median household income for the prior year, as determined by the United States Census Bureau.
Declaring a cost of living emergency
This section declares an official emergency about the high cost of living in the United States. The emergency starts when the law is enacted. It ends automatically after 180 days. Congress can extend the emergency by passing a joint resolution. That resolution must follow fast-track rules from the National Emergencies Act. These rules speed up how Congress votes on the extension.
It affects the federal government's ability to act on cost of living issues. It also affects Congress, which must vote to extend the emergency if needed.
Declaring an emergency may allow faster government action on living costs, but it also sets a time limit that could end the emergency before problems are solved unless Congress acts again.
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There is hereby declared an emergency with respect to the high cost of living facing the people of the United States.
Setting up a White House team to track and cut living costs
This section tells the Council of Economic Advisers what to do during a cost-of-living emergency. The Council must focus its advice on affordability, pressures on low- and middle-income families, and how economic policy affects different groups. Within 7 days, the Council must set up a White House Cost Cutting Council to coordinate government efforts on household costs. The President must also name six Special Advisors, covering groceries, housing, utilities, health care, transportation, and wages. Each advisor leads a task force of top officials that meets weekly. Advisors must send weekly cost reports to top leaders. They must also hold public listening sessions at least three times a year, and testify to Congress once a year. Every 3 months, the Council must send a report on household budgets to the President and Congress, covering wages, debt, and regional cost differences.
This affects federal agencies, Cabinet members, and White House staff who must create new offices and reports. It also affects the public, who can join listening sessions and may see policy changes aimed at costs.
This creates more government staff, meetings, and reports meant to fight high living costs, but it does not guarantee prices will actually go down.
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Not later than 7 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chair of the Council shall establish within the Council a White House Cost Cutting Council that shall be responsible for coordinating whole of Government efforts to reduce the costs of basic household necessities.
Household budget impact statements for new rules
This section applies while the emergency from this law is in effect. It tells a White House budget office to require federal agencies to study new major rules. Before an agency issues a big rule, it must write a household budget impact statement. This statement must show how the rule affects an average family's budget. It must show how costs differ by region. It must also show what benefits a large corporation might get from the rule. Finally, it must say whether the rule helps average households more, or helps large corporations more. Agencies must post these statements publicly. The only exception is if national security requires keeping them secret.
Federal agencies that write major regulations, and the public who wants to see how new rules affect household costs and corporate benefits.
This adds a new analysis step that gives people more information about who benefits from a rule, but it also adds extra work and paperwork before agencies can finish major regulations.
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During the period that the emergency declared under section 3 is in effect, the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget shall require each agency head to include a household budget impact statement in any major regulatory action submitted to the Administrator.
New task force to fight price gouging
This section creates a joint task force during the declared cost-of-living emergency. It is called the Joint Task Force on Consumer Costs. The Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission Chair will co-lead it. The team will include lawyers, economists, and investigators. Their job is to watch prices on essential goods. They will investigate price gouging, price-fixing, and other unfair pricing. They can share files and data between agencies. They will set up a public portal for people to report suspected bad pricing practices. They must report their work to Congress every 90 days. The task force ends 30 days after the emergency ends, but any ongoing investigations can continue.
Businesses that sell essential goods and services, consumers, and state attorneys general who work with the task force.
The task force could catch unfair pricing faster, but it also gives federal agencies broader power to investigate businesses during the emergency.
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the Attorney General and the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission shall jointly establish a task force to be known as the Joint Task Force on Consumer Costs
Using defense powers to boost supplies of everyday goods
This section tells the President to use special powers from the Defense Production Act. Normally these powers are for military needs. This section says they must be used instead to help make and supply basic household goods, like food or cleaning supplies. Agency leaders must write a plan within 15 days for spending money to boost domestic supply. They must also study supply chain problems that raise prices. Before signing any contract, loan, or purchase deal, an agency leader must certify it is backed by real data. They must also show it will likely lower prices within 180 days. The President can use loans, loan guarantees, purchase deals, and subsidy payments to help businesses make these goods.
This affects the President, federal agency heads, and small and medium businesses that make household goods. It also affects consumers who buy those goods.
The government could speed up supply and lower prices faster, but agencies must move fast and prove results in a short time, which could lead to rushed or risky spending decisions.
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the President shall use the authorities provided under title III of the Defense Production Act of 1950 ( 50 U.S.C. 4531 et seq. ) to expand productive capacity with respect to and supply of basic household necessities.
Creating a Cost-of-Living Commission
This section sets up a new group called the Cost-of-Living Commission. It has 12 members. Congress leaders pick them. Half come from each major party. The Commission's job is to find ways to lower everyday costs for households. It must hold at least 6 hearings, including some outside Washington. Within 180 days, it must vote on a report. The report must include draft laws to fix cost problems. Near the end of the cost-of-living emergency, it must also report on which actions should keep going. Any report or draft law needs support from both parties to pass. The Commission gets money from the Senate and House. It shuts down 30 days after its final report.
This affects members of Congress, executive branch officials, and outside experts who join the Commission. It also indirectly affects the public, since the Commission's work could shape future cost-of-living laws.
The Commission could produce useful, bipartisan solutions to high living costs, but its need for support from both parties could also slow or block action.
Show the exact bill text
The Commission shall identify policies to— (i) meaningfully improve the cost-of-living situation for the average U.S. household in the short- and medium-term, including by reducing cost drivers for specified sectors; and (ii) achieve national economic growth that maintains a stable and sustainable cost-of-living over the long run.
Citations
- Congress.gov bill text: link (retrieved 2026-09-09)
Public record
Below is the official voting record from Congress.gov. It is not our analysis.
Source: Congress.gov
This bill has no recorded roll-call vote yet. A roll-call vote records how each member voted by name.
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