Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 23— - DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROL OF ATOMIC ENERGY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER X— - INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES › § 2160e
The President must, within 5 calendar days after making a nuclear deal with Iran, send Congress and congressional leaders the full deal and annexes, a Secretary of State report on how the deal can be verified, and a written certification that the deal spells out any sanctions to be eased and meets U.S. non‑proliferation and security goals. Congress gets 30 calendar days to review the deal (60 days if the deal is sent between July 10, 2015, and September 7, 2015). During the review period the President generally cannot lift or delay statutory sanctions tied to Iran. If Congress passes a joint resolution disapproving the deal, the President may not lift sanctions for 12 calendar days after passage (or 10 calendar days after a veto). The President must keep committees fully informed, send credible breach information within 10 calendar days, decide within 30 calendar days whether a breach is “material,” and report every 180 calendar days on Iran’s compliance with items like breaches, inspector access delays over one week, suspicious procurements, covert activities, centrifuge work, diversion of nuclear materials, money‑laundering or terrorist‑finance links, ballistic missile advances, terrorism support, and human rights trends. After the review period, the President must, at least every 90 calendar days, say whether Iran is fully and verifiably implementing the deal, whether any material breaches exist or have been cured, whether Iran has taken actions that could speed a nuclear weapon, and whether easing sanctions is appropriate and vital to U.S. national security. If the President does not make the 90‑day certification or finds an uncured material breach, Congress may fast‑track a bill within 60 calendar days to reinstate statutory sanctions that were lifted under the deal. Definitions (one line each): “agreement” — any Iran nuclear deal involving the U.S. and its related materials; “appropriate congressional committees” and “leadership” — the specific House and Senate committees and leaders named in the law; “Joint Plan of Action” — the November 24, 2013 JPOA and its listed extensions; “EU‑Iran Joint Statement” — the April 2, 2015 statement; “material breach” — a serious failure that helps Iran’s nuclear program or shortens the time to a weapon; “noncompliance” — a lesser departure; “P5+1” — the U.S., France, Russia, China, the U.K., and Germany.
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42 U.S.C. § 2160e
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73