SHOWER Act
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The bill would rewrite the federal definition of "showerhead" in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to match an industry engineering standard, and would require the Department of Energy to update its regulations to match within 180 days.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to redefine "showerhead" using the definition set by ASME A112.18.1-2024, a technical standard from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, while excluding safety shower showerheads from the definition. It would require the Secretary of Energy to revise existing federal regulations within 180 days of enactment so they conform to this new statutory definition. The bill follows an executive order that directed the Department of Energy to rescind its prior regulatory definition of showerhead; this bill would put a replacement definition into law rather than leaving it to agency rulemaking. It does not otherwise change water efficiency standards or enforcement.
Key provisions
- 1Would redefine "showerhead" under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to match the ASME A112.18.1-2024 standard, excluding safety shower showerheads
- 2Would require the Secretary of Energy to revise regulations within 180 days of enactment to conform to the new definition
Who would be affected
The Department of Energy, which must revise its regulations; manufacturers of showerheads and multi-nozzle shower fixtures, who must comply with the updated definition; and consumers, who could see a wider range of shower fixtures sold as compliant with federal water-efficiency rules.
Why it matters
By locking the showerhead definition into statute rather than agency regulation, the bill would make it harder for a future administration to revert to the older, narrower federal definition without new legislation. Manufacturers would gain more design flexibility, while the Department of Energy faces a firm 180-day deadline to update its rules.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6291(31)(D)) (Sec. 2(a))
Replaces the statutory definition of showerhead with the ASME A112.18.1-2024 standard definition, excluding safety shower showerheads
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Deadline for Department of Energy to revise regulations to match new showerhead definition
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that implementing the SHOWER Act (H.R. 4593) would cost less than $500,000 in 2026, subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
CBO estimates that H.R. 4593, the SHOWER Act, would cost less than $500,000 in 2026 to implement. The cost would cover the Department of Energy updating its showerhead efficiency regulations to reflect a new industry-standard definition within 180 days of enactment. Any spending would be discretionary — meaning it depends on funds being appropriated by Congress — rather than mandatory. CBO did not identify any intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
Once enacted, the Department of Energy would have 180 days to promulgate regulatory revisions conforming its existing water-efficiency rules to the new statutory definition of showerhead, which incorporates the ASME A112.18.1-2024 engineering standard. This is a direct statutory change followed by a mandatory but time-limited rulemaking process, rather than a new grant program or ongoing reporting scheme.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Official CRS summary
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This bill provides statutory authority for a revised definition of showerhead for the purpose of federal water efficiency regulations. Specifically, the bill adopts the definition of showerhead established by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The bill also requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to revise existing regulations to reflect the new definition.
Executive Order 14264 (titled Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads and issued on April 9, 2025) directed DOE to rescind its regulatory definition of showerhead. This bill provides statutory authority for a new definition that replaces the rescinded regulations.
Legislative subjects
Consumer affairs; Energy; Water use and supply
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-417