Title 50War and National DefenseRelease 119-73

§4514 Limitation on actions without congressional authorization

Title 50 › Chapter CHAPTER 55— - DEFENSE PRODUCTION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS › § 4514

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Wage or price controls need a joint resolution of Congress before they can be used. Private persons cannot be forced to help make or be involved in chemical or biological warfare unless the President or a level I designee (sec. 5312, title 5) authorizes it and does not redelegate that authority.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §4514

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)No provision of this chapter shall be interpreted as providing for the imposition of wage or price controls without the prior authorization of such action by a joint resolution of Congress.
(b)No provision of this subchapter shall be exercised or interpreted to require action or compliance by any private person to assist in any way in the production of or other involvement in chemical or biological warfare capabilities, unless authorized by the President (or the President’s designee who is serving in a position at level I of the Executive Schedule in accordance with section 5312 of title 5) without further redelegation.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this Act”, meaning act Sept. 8, 1950, ch. 932, 64 Stat. 798, known as the Defense Production Act of 1950, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 4501 of this title and Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 2074 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 104 of act Sept. 8, 1950, ch. 932, title I, as added
July 31, 1951, ch. 275, title I, § 101(c), 65 Stat. 132; amended
June 30, 1952, ch. 530, § 103, 66 Stat. 297, related to limitations on imports of fats and oils, prior to termination at close of
June 30, 1953, pursuant to section 4564(a) of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section deemed to have become effective Mar. 1, 1992, see section 304 of Pub. L. 102–558, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1992 Amendment note under section 4502 of this title.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Authority Authority of President under subsec. (b) of this section delegated to Secretary of Defense, without authority to redelegate, by section 204 of Ex. Ord. No. 13603, Mar. 16, 2012, 77 F.R. 16653, set out as a note under section 4553 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 4514

Title 50War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73