HR 383 · 113th Congress 2013–2015, ended

War Powers Reform Act

Fact sheet

Latest action · Jan 23, 2013 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 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.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJan 23, 2013
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

War Powers Reform Act - Amends the War Powers Resolution to direct the President in every possible instance to submit to Congress before introducing U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities or situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated a written report setting forth the estimated scope and duration of the hostilities or involvement.

Directs the President, in the absence of a declaration of war or a specific statutory authorization (currently, only in the absence of a declaration of war), to submit a written report to Congress within 48 hours when the Armed Forces are introduced into hostilities or foreign nations under specified circumstances and requires that such report include the circumstances necessitating the introduction, the constitutional and legislative authority under which such introduction took place, and the estimated scope and duration of the hostilities or involvement.

Repeals an existing framework under which the President is required to terminate, within 60 days, subject to a possible 30-day extension, any use of Armed Forces with respect to which the President has submitted (or is required to submit) a report concerning the introduction of Armed Forces into hostilities in the absence of a declaration of war, unless: (1) Congress declares war or enacts specific authorization, (2) extends the 60-day period, or (3) is physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack upon the United States. Strikes provisions concerning congressional action to remove Armed Forces engaged in hostilities without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization.

Replaces such framework with a process that prohibits funds available for the Armed Forces from being obligated or expended for introducing the Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated, in the absence of: (1) a declaration of war; (2) specific statutory authorization; or (3) a national emergency created by an attack or imminent threat of attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or the Armed Forces.

Cosponsors 45

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 23, 2013 to Dec 10, 2014, with 26 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-WAAdam SmithOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-GAAustin ScottOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-OHBill JohnsonOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-NJChristopher H. SmithOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-MIDan BenishekOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-FLDennis A. RossOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-OKJames LankfordOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-NEJeff FortenberryOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-FLJeff MillerOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-OHJim JordanOriginalJan 23, 2013
D-CAJohn GaramendiOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-TNJohn J. Duncan, Jr.OriginalJan 23, 2013
R-ILJohn ShimkusOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-MIJustin AmashOriginalJan 23, 2013
R-PAMichael G. FitzpatrickOriginalJan 23, 2013

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jan 23, 2013Introduced in House
  2. Jan 23, 2013Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 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.

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 23, 2013Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.