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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 Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To require the disclosure to Congress of presidential
emergency action documents.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Restraint of Executive
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In Governing Nation Act of 2020’’ or the ‘‘REIGN Act
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of 2020’’.
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SEC. 2. DISCLOSURE TO CONGRESS OF PRESIDENTIAL
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EMERGENCY ACTION DOCUMENTS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the
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conclusion of the process for approval, adoption, or revi-
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•S 4279 IS
sion of any presidential emergency action document, the
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President shall submit that document to the appropriate
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congressional committees.
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(b) DOCUMENTS IN EXISTENCE BEFORE DATE OF
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ENACTMENT.—Not later than 15 days after the date of
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the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to
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the appropriate congressional committees all presidential
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emergency action documents in existence before such date
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of enactment.
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(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
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TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
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mittees’’, with respect to a presidential emergency
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action document submitted under subsection (a) or
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(b), means—
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(A) the Committee on Homeland Security
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and Governmental Affairs, the Committee on
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the Judiciary, and the Select Committee on In-
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telligence of the Senate;
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(B) the Committee on Oversight and Re-
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form, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the
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Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of
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the House of Representatives; and
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(C) any other committee of the Senate or
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the House of Representatives with jurisdiction
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•S 4279 IS
over the subject matter addressed in the presi-
1
dential emergency action document.
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(2) PRESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY ACTION DOCU-
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MENT.—The term ‘‘presidential emergency action
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document’’ refers to—
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(A) each of the approximately 56 docu-
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ments described as presidential emergency ac-
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tion documents in the budget justification mate-
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rials for the Office of Legal Counsel of the De-
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partment of Justice submitted to Congress in
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support of the budget of the President for fiscal
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year 2018; and
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(B) any other pre-coordinated legal docu-
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ment in existence before, on, or after the date
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of the enactment of this Act, that—
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(i) is designated as a presidential
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emergency action document; or
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(ii) is designed to implement a presi-
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dential decision or transmit a presidential
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request when an emergency disrupts nor-
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mal governmental or legislative processes.
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Æ
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