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Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 3, 2025
Limiting Emergency Powers Act of 2025
This bill terminates any national emergency declared by the President 30 days after the declaration unless a joint resolution affirming the declaration is enacted. All national emergency declarations expire after two years unless the President requests a renewal and a joint resolution affirming the renewal is enacted.
People & committees
Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] · R–AZ
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Mar 3, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-01-03 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Limiting Emergency Powers Act of 2025 would require a joint resolution approving a presidential national emergency to become law before a 30-day deadline for the emergency to continue. Approved emergencies would face two-year renewal deadlines requiring presidential action and another resolution enacted into law. Ending an emergency would also trigger rules for returning uncommitted funds, stopping some construction contracts, and ending emergency powers, with exceptions protecting certain existing actions and obligations.
This Act may be cited as the Limiting Emergency Powers Act of 2025.
there has not been enacted into law a joint resolution affirming the declaration of such national emergency before the date that is 30 days after the date on which such national emergency is declared
shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the President transmitted to Congress the proclamation declaring the emergency under section 201(a) or Congress affirms a previous renewal 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 affirming the renewal of the declaration
any amounts reprogrammed or transferred under any provision of law with respect to the emergency that remain unobligated on that date shall be returned and made available for the purpose for which such amounts were appropriated
any contracts entered into under any provision of law for construction relating to the emergency shall be terminated unless construction commenced under the contract before that date
any powers or authorities exercised by reason of said emergency shall cease to be exercised after that date, except that a termination shall not affect— (i) any action taken or proceeding pending not finally concluded or determined on such date; (ii) any action or proceeding based on any act committed prior to such date; or (iii) any rights or duties that matured or penalties that were incurred prior to such date.
The bill would amend section 202 of the National Emergencies Act. An emergency declared under the relevant title would terminate unless a joint resolution affirming it became law before the date 30 days after its declaration. A joint resolution is a measure passed by Congress; the proposal requires enactment into law, not simply a congressional vote.
Section 202 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622) is amended— (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: (a) Any national emergency declared by the President in accordance with this title shall terminate if— (1) there has not been enacted into law a joint resolution affirming the declaration of such national emergency before the date that is 30 days after the date on which such national emergency is declared
An emergency could also end through an enacted joint resolution terminating it or a presidential proclamation. The proposed termination rule uses the earliest applicable date: the end of the 30-day period, the date specified in a terminating resolution, or the date specified in a presidential termination proclamation.
(2) there is enacted into law a joint resolution terminating the emergency; or (3) the President issues a proclamation terminating the emergency.
The date on which a national emergency is terminated pursuant to subsection (a) shall be the first occurrence of any of the following dates: (A) The last date of the period described in subsection (a)(1). (B) The date specified in any joint resolution referred to in subsection (a)(2). (C) The date specified in a proclamation by the President terminating the emergency as provided in subsection (a)(3).
When an emergency ended under the proposed termination rules, money moved or reassigned for that emergency that had not yet been legally committed would have to be returned and made available for its originally authorized spending purpose.
Effective on the date of the termination of a national emergency under paragraph (1)— (A) any amounts reprogrammed or transferred under any provision of law with respect to the emergency that remain unobligated on that date shall be returned and made available for the purpose for which such amounts were appropriated
Emergency-related construction contracts would have to end when the emergency terminated under these rules, unless construction under the contract had already started before that date.
Effective on the date of the termination of a national emergency under paragraph (1)
any contracts entered into under any provision of law for construction relating to the emergency shall be terminated unless construction commenced under the contract before that date
Emergency powers would cease after termination. However, termination would not affect actions already taken, unresolved proceedings, actions or proceedings based on earlier conduct, rights or duties that had already become fixed, or penalties already incurred.
any powers or authorities exercised by reason of said emergency shall cease to be exercised after that date, except that a termination shall not affect— (i) any action taken or proceeding pending not finally concluded or determined on such date; (ii) any action or proceeding based on any act committed prior to such date; or (iii) any rights or duties that matured or penalties that were incurred prior to such date.
The bill would add “or affirm” after “terminate” in section 202(c)(1) and remove a reference to subsection (b) from section 202(c)(5). The supplied text does not reproduce those existing paragraphs, so it does not fully explain how these edits would change congressional procedures.
in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (1) by inserting or affirm after terminate; and (B) in paragraph (5) by striking , subsection (b) of this section,
An affirmed emergency that had not already ended would face a two-year expiration period measured from the President's transmission of the original proclamation to Congress, or from Congress's affirmation of a previous renewal. Renewal would require both an executive order published in the Federal Register and sent to Congress, and a joint resolution affirming renewal enacted before the emergency or its previous renewal expired.
A national emergency declared by the President under section 201, affirmed by a joint resolution under subsection (a)(1), and not otherwise previously terminated, shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the President transmitted to Congress the proclamation declaring the emergency under section 201(a) or Congress affirms a previous renewal 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 affirming the renewal of the declaration, according to the requirements of subsection (c), before the termination of the emergency or previous renewal of the emergency.
Emergencies declared before enactment would otherwise remain unaffected by the amendments, but would terminate two years after enactment unless renewed. This transition provision refers to renewal under “section 201(d),” although the bill places its new renewal language in section 202(d), creating an apparent cross-reference inconsistency.
A national emergency declared under section 201 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) before the date of the enactment of this Act shall be unaffected by the amendments made by this Act except that such emergencies shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after such date of enactment unless the emergency is renewed under section 201(d) of the National Emergencies Act, as amended by this Act.
Section 202 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622) is amended
by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following: (d) A national emergency declared by the President under section 201, affirmed by a joint resolution under subsection (a)(1)
The supplied actions snapshot, updated March 3, 2025, records introduction in the House on January 3, 2025, referrals that day to Transportation and Infrastructure, Foreign Affairs, and Rules, and a January 4 referral to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Source snapshot updated 2025-03-03T17:34:33Z.
2025-01-03: Introduced in House
2025-01-03: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-01-04: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-01-03. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion applies only to that version, not other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the contents of accompanying earmark materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential benefit was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Its general transition and termination exceptions do not establish such a benefit. This conclusion applies only to the supplied version.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Mar 3, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI