The bill builds on an executive order Trump signed last April directing agencies to end water conservation standards for showerheads and other household appliances, reviving a regulatory dispute that has cycled through three administrations since Trump’s first term. Its prospects in the Senate remain uncertain.
The Republican-controlled House voted 226-197 on Tuesday to pass legislation loosening federal water efficiency standards for showerheads, with 11 Democrats crossing the aisle to advance a bill that would allow stronger water flow from shower nozzles than current federal rules permit.
The measure — formally named the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing Act, or Shower ACT — codifies an executive order President Donald Trump signed last April directing agencies to end water conservation standards for showerheads and other household appliances, including dishwashers, washing machines, and toilets. The bill is part of a broader series House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has advanced to encode Trump’s executive actions into federal statute.
The bill’s Senate prospects remain uncertain, as members of that chamber have focused attention on government funding and foreign policy, according to the Associated Press.
“If they want a nozzle that dribbles on their head, well then go get one of those. If you want something that slices an orange, well then go get one of those. That should be your choice as a consumer,” said Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., the bill’s sponsor.
A standard that has moved across three administrations
Federal energy law has set a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water per minute (9.5 liters) for showerheads for more than three decades. The Obama administration refined the application of that limit, requiring that the total output of a showerhead — including models with multiple nozzles — stay within the 2.5-gallon-per-minute cap.
During his first term, Trump relaxed that rule to allow each individual nozzle to spray up to 2.5 gallons per minute. The Biden administration reversed Trump’s first-term action in 2021. Trump’s April executive order sought a more sweeping rollback, calling for an immediate end to water conservation standards across a range of household appliances.
Republican defense, Democratic objections
Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, said the bill addresses the practical experience of ordinary Americans.
“You go on vacation, you go to a motel and you get a shower, it’s the worst shower you ever had. It’s cold. It’s dripping out there. The working man cannot even enjoy his daily life,” Rulli said.
Democrats questioned the use of floor time on the legislation on the opening day of Congress in 2026. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., said during floor debate last week: “Why on God’s green earth, on the first full day that this Congress is back in 2026, are the Republicans using the floor time — in the midst of armed conflict and daily corruption by this administration — to run a bill on rich people showers?”
Environmental groups criticized the proposal, warning it would increase water consumption and energy use. Democrats echoed those concerns and questioned the bill’s prioritization alongside other pending legislative business.