Lawmaker urges committee to pass H.R. 4593 to codify per-nozzle showerflow cap
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Summary
An unidentified speaker told the Energy and Commerce: House Committee that H.R. 4593 would codify a per-nozzle 2.5 gallons-per-minute limit for shower systems, arguing recent energy-efficiency rules are costly, overly complex and misleading to consumers.
An unidentified speaker appearing before the Energy and Commerce: House Committee urged colleagues to support H.R. 4593, saying the bill would codify a per-nozzle interpretation of shower flow limits and restore regulatory certainty for manufacturers and consumers.
The speaker said the Biden-Harris administration "finalized more than 30 new or amended energy efficiency standards totaling over $60,000,000,000 in costs," and criticized a recent regulatory definition of "shower head" as a departure from the statutory meaning. "The new highly bureaucratic definition was, amazing, 13,000 words in length and a novel interpretation," the speaker said, arguing the change has led to "shower systems with more than one nozzle having a lower flow rate compared to individual shower heads."
The speaker described recent executive actions as restoring the prior interpretation. "President Trump has taken executive action to restore the regulatory definitions and standards to the law's original intent by allowing a maximum of water use of 2.5 gallons per minute for each faucet in a shower system," the speaker said. The measure discussed, H.R. 4593, "would codify President Trump's definition by allowing the back the 2.5 maximum flow rate to apply to each nozzle in the shower system," the speaker added.
The speaker framed the bill as protecting manufacturers and consumer choice: "This legislation will ensure manufacturers like Delta Faucet in my district are not subjected to the swing of the political pendulum with ever changing interpretations of the law," the speaker said, calling the bill "simple and pro consumer choice." The speaker also argued that opponents were "seeking more regulation for its own sake" and noted consumers who want lower water pressure can choose single-nozzle heads or "simply turn down the faucet."
The transcript records no formal motion or vote on H.R. 4593. The speaker concluded by urging support and saying, "I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time."