H.R. 10132: Assuring that Robust, Thorough, and Informed Congressional Leadership is Exercised Over National Emergencies Act

This bill would change how presidential national emergencies work by giving Congress a much larger role in approving them.

What happens when the President declares a national emergency

Under the bill, the President could still declare a national emergency, but that declaration would only last for 30 days unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval. The President would have to send the proclamation to Congress right away and publish it in the Federal Register.

The President would also have to state exactly which laws or emergency powers are being used. Those powers could not be exercised unless the President identifies them in the emergency declaration or in an executive order sent to Congress and published publicly.

Congress must approve to keep emergency powers going

If Congress does not approve the emergency within the required time, the President would be barred from using the specified emergency powers after the 30-day period ends.

If Congress does not approve a specific emergency declaration or the powers tied to it, the President also could not later declare another emergency based on the same circumstances during that President’s remaining term.

For emergencies that are renewed after the first year, Congress would again have to approve the renewal. Without that approval, the renewal would end.

How long emergencies can last

In general, a national emergency would expire after one year unless the President sends Congress a renewal order and Congress approves that renewal. The bill also says an emergency ends earlier if:

• the 30-day initial period runs out without approval,
• Congress passes a law ending it, or
• the President ends it by proclamation.

What happens when an emergency ends

When a national emergency terminates, the bill says:

• emergency powers stop being used,
• unused funds shifted because of the emergency must be returned to their original purpose, and
• contracts made under the emergency authorities must be terminated.

It also preserves certain legal actions and obligations that were already in place before the emergency ended.

Special fast-track procedures for Congress

The bill creates expedited procedures so Congress can act quickly on a joint resolution of approval. These procedures limit delays, restrict amendments, and shorten debate time in both the House and Senate.

If Congress is in recess, the bill allows congressional leaders to call members back into session to consider the resolution.

Required reporting and public disclosure

The bill would require the President to provide Congress, and in some cases make public, more detailed reports about each emergency. These reports would include:

• why the emergency was declared or renewed,
• how long it is expected to last,
• what actions the President plans to take,
• which laws and emergency powers will be used,
• estimated government spending tied to the emergency, and
• follow-up updates at least every 6 months while the emergency continues.

The reports would go to House and Senate leadership and relevant committees.

Effect on emergencies involving economic sanctions powers

The bill specifically says that special approval rules would also apply to national emergencies where the President wants to use powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). That is the law often used for sanctions, asset freezes, and other economic restrictions during foreign policy or security emergencies.

If a national emergency uses IEEPA and other emergency laws, the bill says these special approval rules would not apply in the same way.

Other legal changes

The bill also updates and reorganizes parts of the existing National Emergencies Act, repeals one older title of that law, and changes some terminology in the IEEPA statute from “concurrent resolution” to “joint resolution.”

It would apply mainly to national emergencies declared on or after enactment, while some existing emergencies would face the new renewal rules.

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