Constitution Index · H.J.Res. 20 · 2025-01-15

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 Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters".

Latest official status (2025-05-09): Became Public Law No: 119-6.

Official source ↗

Constitutional grade

A

Constitutional

HJRES 20 repeals a Department of Energy efficiency mandate on consumer gas water heaters through congressional disapproval, restoring purchasing choice. It exercises legitimate congressional oversight, infringes no rights, expands individual sovereignty over property, and decentralizes power away from the federal level. Fully constitutional.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 Article I, Section 1 Article II, Section 3 Amendment IX Amendment X Amendment V

SI-generated grade · passed automated checks (real Constitution citation, language rules) · not individually reviewed by a person · methodology · Report an error: hello@valuesforamerica.com

The five checks

Enumerated powers · passes

Congress acts within explicit authority: Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 (Necessary and Proper Clause) to execute its legislative power and oversee the executive, combined with Article I, Section 1 vesting legislative power in Congress and Article II, Section 3 oversight of faithful execution. Disapproving an executive agency rule under chapter 8 of title 5 corrects executive overreach rather than asserting new unenumerated federal power.

Bill of Rights · passes

Nullification removes a federal restriction on consumer product choice and does not itself abridge speech, religion, press, arms, search protections, or other guarantees. It tends to protect Ninth Amendment retained rights and Tenth Amendment reserved powers by withdrawing a federal mandate on household appliances rather than imposing one.

Individual liberty · passes

The action expands individual sovereignty by removing federal limits on what models of gas-fired instantaneous water heaters a person may buy, own, and use on their own property. No personal conduct, speech, labor, or belief is restricted; the burden the prior rule placed on consumers is lifted without substitute restriction.

Decentralization · passes

Water-heater selection can be handled by individuals and families through market choice, and any residual efficiency or building-code concerns can be handled locally or at the state level. This joint resolution moves decision-making downward by removing a federal mandate, so it does not consolidate upward and satisfies the Tenth Amendment subsidiarity principle.

Due process and takings · passes

The resolution imposes no penalty, seizure, or property taking and requires no notice-and-hearing procedure because it grants relief from regulation. It restores ordinary Fifth Amendment liberty and property use by eliminating compliance costs and product restrictions imposed by the underlying rule.

Provenance

Grade ID
213
Rubric version
vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0
Graded
2026-10-08 10:48 UTC
Engine
primary SI engine
Source fetched
2026-10-08 09:43 UTC
Source SHA-256
9471705d7a639dcd67e6ab2295e1bdfb40b5d9d93714bc7cfccb52cd7c275ff9
Checks
si-editorial-standard/1.0: real Constitution citation, language rules

Version history · never overwritten

GradeGradedRubric Source hashStatus
A · #213 2026-10-08 vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0 9471705d7a63 current

Cite this

Values for America. “Constitutional grade: H.J.Res. 20, 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 Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters"..” VFA Constitution Index, grade 213 (rubric vfa-constitutional-grade/1.0), graded October 8, 2026. https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution-index/grades/213. Accessed 2026-10-19.

Permalink: https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution-index/grades/213

Data: this grade as JSON · full export. Attribution required.

← The Constitution Index