I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3908 
To amend the National Emergencies Act to improve checks and balances, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2025 
Mr. COHEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees 
on Foreign Affairs, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the National Emergencies Act to improve checks 
and balances, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Emergencies 
Reform Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. IMPROVING CHECKS AND BALANCES ON THE USE 
OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCIES ACT. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS RELATING
TO DECLARATION 
AND RENEWAL OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES.—Title II of 
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the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) 
is amended by striking sections 201 and 202 and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 201. DECLARATIONS OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY TO DECLARE NATIONAL EMER-
GENCIES.—With respect to Acts of Congress authorizing 
the exercise, during the period of a national emergency, 
of any special or extraordinary power, the President is au-
thorized to declare such a national emergency by procla-
mation. Such proclamation shall immediately be trans-
mitted to Congress and published in the Federal Register. 
‘‘(b) SPECIFICATION OF PROVISIONS OF LAW TO BE 
EXERCISED AND REPORTING.—No powers or authorities 
made available by statute for use during the period of a 
national emergency shall be exercised unless and until the 
President specifies the provisions of law under which the 
President proposes that the President or other officers will 
act in— 
‘‘(1) a proclamation declaring a national emer-
gency under subsection (a); or 
‘‘(2) one or more Executive orders relating to 
the emergency published in the Federal Register and 
transmitted to Congress. 
‘‘(c) PROHIBITION
ON SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS
IF 
EMERGENCIES NOT APPROVED.— 
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‘‘(1) SUBSEQUENT DECLARATIONS.—If a joint 
resolution of approval is not enacted under section 
203 with respect to a national emergency before the 
expiration of the period described in section 202(a), 
or with respect to a national emergency proposed to 
be renewed under section 202(b), the President may 
not, during the remainder of the term of office of 
that President, declare a subsequent national emer-
gency under subsection (a) with respect to substan-
tially the same circumstances. 
‘‘(2) EXERCISE OF AUTHORITIES.—If a joint 
resolution of approval is not enacted under section 
203 with respect to a power or authority specified by 
the President under subsection (b) with respect to a 
national emergency, the President may not, during 
the remainder of the term of office of that Presi-
dent, exercise that power or authority with respect 
to that emergency. 
‘‘(d) EFFECT OF FUTURE LAWS.—No law enacted 
after the date of the enactment of the Congressional 
Power of the Purse Act shall supersede this title unless 
it does so in specific terms, referring to this title, and de-
claring that the new law supersedes the provisions of this 
title. 
‘‘(e) LIMITATIONS.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any emergency powers in-
voked by the President pursuant to a national emer-
gency declared under this section shall relate to the 
nature of, and may be used only to address, that 
emergency. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OR
FUNDING
WITH-
HELD.—No authority available to the President dur-
ing a national emergency declared under this section 
may be used to provide authorization or funding for 
any program, project, or activity for which Congress, 
on or after the date of the events giving rise to the 
emergency declaration, has withheld authorization or 
funding. 
‘‘SEC. 202. EFFECTIVE PERIODS OF NATIONAL EMER-
GENCIES. 
‘‘(a) TEMPORARY EFFECTIVE PERIODS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Unless previously termi-
nated pursuant to Presidential order or Act of Con-
gress, a declaration of a national emergency shall re-
main in effect for 20 session days, in the case of the 
Senate, and 20 legislative days, in the case of the 
House, from the issuance of the proclamation under 
section 201(a) (not counting the day on which the 
proclamation was issued) and shall terminate when 
that period expires unless there is enacted into law 
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a joint resolution of approval under section 203 with 
respect to the proclamation. 
‘‘(2) EXERCISE
OF
POWERS
AND
AUTHORI-
TIES.—Unless the declaration of national emergency 
has been terminated pursuant to Presidential order 
or Act of Congress, any emergency power or author-
ity made available under a provision of law specified 
pursuant to section 201(b) may be exercised pursu-
ant to a declaration of a national emergency for 20 
session days, in the case of the Senate, and 20 legis-
lative days, in the case of the House, from the 
issuance of the proclamation or Executive order (not 
counting the day on which such proclamation or Ex-
ecutive order was issued). That power or authority 
may not be exercised after that period expires unless 
there is enacted into law a joint resolution of ap-
proval under section 203 approving— 
‘‘(A) the proclamation of the national 
emergency or the Executive order; and 
‘‘(B) the exercise of the power or authority 
specified by the President in such proclamation 
or Executive order. 
‘‘(b) RENEWAL OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES.—A na-
tional emergency declared by the President under section 
201(a) or previously renewed under this subsection, and 
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not already terminated pursuant to subsection (a) or (c), 
shall terminate on the date that is one year after the 
President transmitted to Congress the proclamation de-
claring the emergency or the enactment of a previous re-
newal pursuant to this subsection, unless— 
‘‘(1) the President publishes in the Federal 
Register and transmits to Congress an Executive 
order renewing the emergency; and 
‘‘(2) there is enacted into law a joint resolution 
of approval renewing the emergency pursuant to sec-
tion 203 before the termination of the emergency or 
previous renewal of the emergency. 
‘‘(c) TERMINATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Any national emergency 
declared by the President under section 201(a) shall 
terminate on the earliest of— 
‘‘(A) the date provided for in subsection 
(a); 
‘‘(B) the date provided for in subsection 
(b); 
‘‘(C) the date specified in an Act of Con-
gress, including a joint resolution of termi-
nation defined in section 203, terminating the 
emergency; 
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