North Carolina Rep. Chesser’s reins act bill on legislative oversight passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Allen Chesser aims to strengthen legislative review of administrative rules, requiring General Assembly approval for economically significant regulations and empowering oversight committees, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, one Democrat and 67 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 44 Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 26 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 17 Democrats voted against it.

Chesser filed the bill in the North Carolina House on March 13 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 402, was passed on June 10 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Limit Rules With Substantial Financial Costs.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill, titled the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act (REINS Act), amends several sections of the North Carolina General Statutes to enhance legislative oversight of administrative rulemaking. The bill requires that permanent rules with an economic impact of at least $1 million within 12 months be ratified by the General Assembly before taking effect. It outlines processes for legislative review of rules, includes provisions for objections, and mandates fiscal notes for proposed rules with substantial economic impacts. It also empowers the Joint Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee to review rules and determine if statutory changes are necessary. This act becomes effective upon becoming law and applies to rules adopted thereafter.

A related bill, SB 290, was also filed in the North Carolina Senate, introduced by Sen. Steve Jarvis (and two others) on March 13, 2025.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. John R. Bell, IV (Republican-10th District), Rep. Jeff Zenger (Republican-74th District), and Rep. Allen Chesser (Republican-25th District), along with one other sponsor.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Chesser graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan University in 2019 with a BS.

Chesser, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 25th House district, replacing previous state representative James Gailliard.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.