II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4279 

To require the disclosure to Congress of presidential emergency action 

documents. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 22, 2020 

Mr. MARKEY (for himself and Mr. BENNET) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the disclosure to Congress of presidential 

emergency action documents. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Restraint of Executive 

5 In Governing Nation Act of 2020’’ or the ‘‘REIGN Act 

6 of 2020’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE TO CONGRESS OF PRESIDENTIAL 

8 EMERGENCY ACTION DOCUMENTS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

10 conclusion of the process for approval, adoption, or reviVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:08 Aug 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4279.IS S4279

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 4279 IS

1 sion of any presidential emergency action document, the 

2 President shall submit that document to the appropriate 

3 congressional committees. 

4 (b) DOCUMENTS IN EXISTENCE BEFORE DATE OF

5 ENACTMENT.—Not later than 15 days after the date of 

6 the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 

7 the appropriate congressional committees all presidential 

8 emergency action documents in existence before such date 

9 of enactment. 

10 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT12 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com13 mittees’’, with respect to a presidential emergency 

14 action document submitted under subsection (a) or 

15 (b), means— 

16 (A) the Committee on Homeland Security 

17 and Governmental Affairs, the Committee on 

18 the Judiciary, and the Select Committee on In19 telligence of the Senate; 

20 (B) the Committee on Oversight and Re21 form, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the 

22 Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of 

23 the House of Representatives; and 

24 (C) any other committee of the Senate or 

25 the House of Representatives with jurisdiction 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 4279 IS

1 over the subject matter addressed in the presi2 dential emergency action document. 

3 (2) PRESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY ACTION DOCU4 MENT.—The term ‘‘presidential emergency action 

5 document’’ refers to— 

6 (A) each of the approximately 56 docu7 ments described as presidential emergency ac8 tion documents in the budget justification mate9 rials for the Office of Legal Counsel of the De10 partment of Justice submitted to Congress in 

11 support of the budget of the President for fiscal 

12 year 2018; and 

13 (B) any other pre-coordinated legal docu14 ment in existence before, on, or after the date 

15 of the enactment of this Act, that— 

16 (i) is designated as a presidential 

17 emergency action document; or 

18 (ii) is designed to implement a presi19 dential decision or transmit a presidential 

20 request when an emergency disrupts nor21 mal governmental or legislative processes. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS