House Passes SHOWER Act to Protect Consumer Choice, End Regulatory Whiplash

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) celebrated the House passage of the SHOWER Act, legislation that would increase consumer choice and put an end to regulatory whiplash for American manufacturers.

H.R. 4593, the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act, addresses burdensome regulations created under the Biden-Harris Administration and codifies the definition of a showerhead to reduce regulatory whiplash and restore consumer choice.

"American families deserve the freedom to buy the appliances and technologies that work best for them, not what federal regulators mandate. The decision to limit water flow by the Biden-Harris Administration was part of a broader effort to use heavy-handed federal regulations to limit consumer choice," said Chairman Guthrie. "The SHOWER Act would address this issue by providing certainty for manufacturers, while improving water flow for consumers and restoring Congress's original intent. Thank you to Congressman Fry for his work to advance this important legislation."

"The House's passage of my bill, the SHOWER Act, is a small win for common sense and consumer choice. At its core, this legislation isn't just about showerheads - it's about how far Democrats go to control our everyday lives, even in something small like a showerhead," said Rep. Fry. "The SHOWER Act puts a stop to unnecessary federal overreach, protects consumer choice, and ensures Americans can make their own decisions in their own homes. Passing this bill is a victory for personal choice for Americans over the 'all-knowing' bureaucrats of Washington."

BACKGROUND:

H.R. 4593, the SHOWER Act-Rep. Fry (SC-07)

• The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) defines "showerhead" broadly and, under current law, allows the maximum water use for any showerhead to be 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) when measured at a flowing water pressure of 80 pounds per square inch.

• Historically, these standards and definitions were plainly interpreted until the Obama Administration-and then the Biden-Harris Administration-changed the commonsense regulations by asserting that the 2.5 GPM standard applied to the entire shower system, rather than an individual faucet.

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