House panel advances bill to loosen showerhead rules

A federal bill, introduced in July, aims to permanently allow heavier water flow in U.S. showerheads — a topic that has embroiled the past few presidential administrations in a regulatory back-and-forth.

What’s happening: The bill — the ‘Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act’ — was advanced by a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Nov. 19.

Catch up quick: A 1992 law capped U.S. showerhead discharge at 2.5 gallons of water per minute. As multi-nozzle showerheads grew in popularity, the Department of Energy under President Obama in 2013 ordered the 2.5 GPM limit to be applied to showerheads’ total output.

• The first Trump administration moved to define each nozzle as a separate showerhead, allowing 2.5 GPM per nozzle; however, those efforts were reversed by the Biden administration. 
• Then, this April, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Energy Department to rescind the existing rule to “end the Obama-Biden war on water pressure and make America’s showers great again.”

What they’re saying: “The SHOWER Act now ensures this rollback is enshrined in law and cannot be reversed by future administrations,” said South Carolina Congressman Russell Fry, who introduced the bill. 

The big picture: Republicans lauded the bill as a win for consumers and a check on overregulation. “Washington bureaucrats have gone too far in dictating what happens in Americans’ own homes,” Fry added. 

• The other side: “Why — at a time when people are having trouble paying their bills, whether that’s a water bill or an energy bill — are you talking about undermining efficiency standards? said Washington Rep. Kim Schrier. “It is one of the simplest ways to decrease energy costs for people in this country who are struggling to pay their bills.”

What we’re watching: The bill will now head to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee for markup.