Congress could lose power to pass laws—courts would decide what counts as one subject
S. 59 — One Subject at a Time Act · Filed by Rand Paul (R-KY) · Introduced Jan 9, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill would require that every law passed by Congress address only one subject, with that subject clearly stated in the bill's title. It would void any law that violates this rule—either in its entirety if the title addresses multiple unrelated subjects, or in part if provisions address subjects not mentioned in the title. Any citizen or Member of Congress could sue in federal court to block enforcement of a law that violates these requirements.
Why we flagged it
The bill's stated purpose is procedural—enforcing single-subject rules—but its operative mechanism is a new private right of action allowing any citizen to sue and void federal laws on technical grounds. This shifts power from Congress to courts and litigants, making it as much a litigation-expansion bill as a procedural one.
What the text implies
- Creates a new federal cause of action allowing any citizen to challenge the validity of any law in court, potentially opening decades of settled legislation to challenge on single-subject grounds.
- De novo standard of review means courts will not defer to Congress's judgment about whether a bill's provisions are related—courts will decide from scratch, dramatically expanding judicial power over legislative process.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
litigation-focused law firms (class action, constitutional law practices); advocacy groups with litigation capacity; parties seeking to block or delay federal spending or regulation