Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 6, 2009
Presidential Signing Statements Act of 2009 - Requires the President to transmit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on the Judiciary, and to the Senate Majority Leader each signing statement that declares or insinuates the President's intention to disregard provisions of any bill he has signed into law because he believes it is unconstitutional.
Requires the President, on the same day that he signs such statement, to transmit it to the Librarian of Congress who shall place it on the Thomas Web site administered by the Library with all other such statements during that Congress.
Requires the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, or White House Counsel to testify before such congressional committees at the behest of any single Member of either committee to explain the meaning and justification of every presidential signing statement covered by this Act.
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Prohibits executive privilege from being recognized as a valid basis for refusing to appear or refusing to answer a question pertinent to the legal reasoning behind a signing statement or its legal ramifications.
Bars authorization or expenditure of federal funds to implement any law accompanied by a presidential signing statement noncompliant with this Act.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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