Legislative glossary
Sunset clause
Definition
A provision making the law expire automatically after a set period unless re-enacted.
Why it matters
A sunset clause is a built-in expiration date: the law lapses after a set period unless the legislature affirmatively renews it. It's one of the great deal-closers in legislative drafting: skeptics can vote yes knowing the policy must come back and prove itself. The catch is that renewal fights are real fights, and programs do die at sunset, sometimes by simple calendar neglect.
In the game
Offering a sunset is one of The Bill to Law Game's classic plays for winning over fiscal hawks and nervous moderates, at the price of a weaker, less permanent win.
Related terms
Comes up alongside