“Sunset Rule” lawsuit - Protecting critical healthcare regulations

In late 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump Administration issued a rule that added “expiration dates” to thousands of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations. Under the so-called “Sunset Rule,” almost all HHS regulations would have automatically expired unless HHS diverted its attention from critical priorities, such as responding to the pandemic, to instead individually review each and every regulation. If allowed to take effect, the rule would have caused immense chaos and harm to the County’s health system. In March 2021, we joined with tribal, healthcare practitioner, and nonprofit partners to file a federal lawsuit against the Sunset Rule. Our lawsuit successfully prevented the Sunset Rule from ever taking effect, and after the Biden Administration took office, it withdrew the rule.