Commerce with foreign Nations’’ as well as to ‘‘de-
fine and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on 
the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Na-
tions’’. 
(2) The House Committee on International Re-
lations report (No. 95–459) on the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 
et seq.) states ‘‘that given the breadth of the au-
thorities and their availability at the President’s dis-
cretion upon a declaration of national emergency, 
their exercise should be subject to various sub-
stantive restrictions. The main one stems from a 
recognition that emergencies are by their nature 
rare and brief, and are not to be equated with nor-
mal, ongoing problems’’. 
(3) It further states, ‘‘A national emergency 
should be declared and emergency authorities em-
ployed only with respect to a specific set of cir-
cumstances which constitute a real emergency, and 
for no other purpose’’ and that ‘‘[t]he emergency 
should be terminated in a timely manner when the 
factual state of emergency is over and not continued 
in effect for use in other circumstances. A state of 
emergency should not be a normal state of affairs’’. 
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(4) Since 1977, Presidents have invoked au-
thorities under the International Emergency Eco-
nomic Powers Act with respect to 56 declarations of 
national emergency. On average, these emergencies 
last nearly a decade. 
(5) As of August 2019, there are 31 ongoing 
national emergencies involving the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act, the oldest of 
which was put in place forty years ago. 
(6) The average length of an emergency de-
clared in the 1980s and invoking International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act authorities was 
four years. That average extended to 10 years for 
emergencies declared in the 1990s and 12 years for 
emergencies declared in the 2000s. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) successive Presidents from both parties have 
used the authority granted by the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 
et seq.) and the National Emergencies Act (50 
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) to declare national emergencies 
that do not meet the threshold of ‘‘unusual and ex-
traordinary threat[s] to the national security and 
foreign policy of the United States’’; and 
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(2) in order to restore Congress’ original intent 
in enacting such laws, it is necessary to reclaim Con-
gress’ constitutional power over the use of sanctions. 
SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL REQUIRED TO EXTEND 
NATIONAL EMERGENCIES. 
(a) AUTOMATIC TERMINATION.—Subsection (a) of 
section 202 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 
1622) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘if’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘if’’ before 
‘‘there is enacted’’; 
(3) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘if’’ before 
‘‘the President issues’’; 
(4) in the matter following paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘clause (1)’’ and inserting 
‘‘paragraph (2)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘clause (2)’’ and inserting 
‘‘paragraph (3)’’; 
(5) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2), as 
so amended, as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; 
and 
(6) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so re-
designated, the following new paragraph: 
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‘‘(1) on the date that is 60 days after the first 
day on which either House of Congress is in session 
following the date of the declaration, unless a joint 
resolution to extend the emergency is enacted in ac-
cordance with subsection (c);’’. 
(b) JOINT RESOLUTION OF EXTENSION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of such sec-
tion 202 is amended by striking ‘‘terminated’’ and 
inserting ‘‘extended for a six-month period’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Subsection 
(c)(1) of such section 202 is amended by striking 
‘‘terminate’’ and inserting ‘‘extend’’. 
(c) PROHIBITION ON SUCCESSOR DECLARATIONS.— 
Such section 202 is further amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) If a joint resolution to extend the emergency is 
not enacted in accordance with subsection (c) within 60 
days after the first day on which either House of Congress 
is in session following the date of the declaration, the 
President may not declare a new national emergency 
based on substantially similar facts during the 1-year pe-
riod following such 60-day period.’’. 
(d) ADDITIONAL CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Sec-
tion 207(b) of the International Emergency Economic 
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1706(b)) is amended— 
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(1) by striking ‘‘concurrent resolution’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘joint resolution’’; 
and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘or if the national emergency 
terminates in accordance with subsection (a)(1) of 
such section 202’’ before the period at the end. 
SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL EXCEPTIONS TO GRANTS OF AUTHORI-
TIES. 
(a) SAFE HARBOR FOR MAINTENANCE OF INFRA-
STRUCTURE.—Subsection (a) of section 203 of the Inter-
national Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
1702) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) In implementing the authority under para-
graph (1), the President shall allow for the expor-
tation of equipment and material to a territory that 
is subject to the control of a person otherwise sub-
ject to sanctions under the laws of the United States 
if the exporter certifies that such equipment or ma-
terial is intended for use in the maintenance, in such 
territory, of— 
‘‘(A) civilian healthcare facilities; 
‘‘(B) water infrastructure; 
‘‘(C) civilian energy infrastructure; or 
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‘‘(D) primary or secondary educational fa-
cilities.’’. 
(b) EXCEPTION FOR SUPPORT INCIDENTAL TO COM-
MUNICATION INTENDED TO REDUCE CONFLICT OR AL-
LEVIATE SUFFERING.—Subsection (b) of such section 203 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and in-
serting a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) any support provided to a foreign person 
subject to sanctions under the laws of the United 
States, including organizations designated as foreign 
terrorist organizations under section 219(a)(1) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act, that is inci-
dental to speech or communication with such person 
for the purpose of— 
‘‘(A) reducing or eliminating the frequency 
and severity of violent conflict, including by fos-
tering diplomatic solutions to violent conflict; or 
‘‘(B) preventing or alleviating the suffering 
of a civilian populations.’’. 
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SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (b) of section 204 of 
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 
U.S.C. 1703) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
striking ‘‘to the Congress’’ and inserting ‘‘to the ap-
propriate congressional committees’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 
paragraphs (9) and (10), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(4) the goals and outcomes expected to be 
achieved through such actions; 
‘‘(5) other tools considered to address the emer-
gency, and the reason for choosing to respond to 
such emergency through the imposition of sanctions; 
‘‘(6) a list of other countries imposing sanctions 
in accordance with the sanctions imposed by the 
President or, if such sanctions are unilateral, an ex-
planation for why no other country has imposed 
such sanctions; 
‘‘(7) the strategy of the President to provide 
compliance guidance to entities in the private sector 
(including financial institutions), humanitarian orga-
nizations, and peacebuilding organizations; 
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‘‘(8) the criteria, if any, that a sanctioned per-
son must meet before any sanctions imposed in the 
exercise of such authority with respect to such per-
son may be lifted;’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Such section 204 is 
further amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(e) For purposes of this section, the term ‘appro-
priate congressional committees’ means— 
‘‘(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
Representatives; and 
‘‘(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Af-
fairs of the Senate.’’. 
(c) REPORT ON TREATY OBLIGATIONS.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State and the 
Secretary of the Treasury shall jointly submit to Congress 
a report, which shall be submitted in unclassified form but 
may include a classified annex, on the manner and extent 
to which each action taken during the preceding 1-year 
period using the authorities of the International Emer-
gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) is 
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in compliance with the treaty obligations of the United 
States. 
SEC. 7. REPORTS REQUIRED. 
(a) PROJECTION REPORT.—Not later than 30 days 
after the publication of any executive order, proclamation, 
or other notice to declare a national emergency, the Comp-
troller General of the United States shall submit to Con-
gress a report that includes the following: 
(1) The expected impact of such declaration on 
the economic interests of the United States and of 
allied countries. 
(2) The expected humanitarian impact of such 
declaration, including the extent to which organiza-
tions or entities attempting to provide humanitarian 
assistance face restricted access as a result of such 
declaration. 
(3) The expected impact of such declaration on 
the economy of any country targeted by such dec-
laration. 
(4) The expected financial impact of such dec-
laration on United States citizens and entities, in-
cluding the impact on any such citizens or entities 
who maintain accounts or assets in financial institu-
tions subject to sanctions pursuant to such declara-
tion. 
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(b) IMPACT REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
publication of an executive order, proclamation, or other 
notice described in subsection (a), the Comptroller General 
shall submit to Congress an updated report that includes 
the assessment of the Comptroller General with respect 
to the actual impact of the declaration of such national 
emergency on each of the interests described in para-
graphs (1) through (3) of subsection (a). 
(c) CONSULTATIONS REQUIRED.—In preparing the 
report required by subsection (b), the Comptroller General 
shall consult with relevant nongovernmental organizations 
working in areas affected by the applicable declaration, in-
cluding organizations engaged in the provision of humani-
tarian assistance. 
(d) GOALS AND OUTCOMES REPORT.—Not later than 
1 year after the publication of an executive order, procla-
mation, or other notice described in subsection (a), the 
President shall submit to Congress a report that sets 
forth, with respect to each goal and outcome described 
pursuant to section 204(b)(3) of the International Emer-
gency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1703(b)(4))(as 
added by section 6 of this Act), the manner and extent 
to which such goal or outcome has been achieved through 
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the sanctions imposed pursuant to the declaration of such 
national emergency. 
Æ 
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