# 119-hr-3908: National Emergencies Reform Act of 2025

119-hr-3908, National Emergencies Reform Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN); status in_committee (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3908
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-3908
- Congress: 119
- Title: National Emergencies Reform Act of 2025
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-06-11
- Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Emergency Management
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Reins in presidential national emergency powers.** This bill would replace the current National Emergencies Act structure with fixed time limits, clearer rules for renewals, and stronger public accounting for emergency spending. - Congress would gain a defined joint resolution process to approve or terminate emergencies and fixed review windows of 20 session days in the Senate and 20 legislative days in the House. Emergencies would also automatically end after five years unless renewed. - The President and executive branch would have to publish a proclamation or Executive order identifying the specific statutes that authorize each emergency power before using them. Renewals would require both a Presidential executive order and a Congressional joint resolution and would extend emergencies year by year. - Federal agencies and the public would face new reporting rules. The Treasury would publish an annual program-level report showing funds obligated or spent for each active emergency, disclose transfers and reprogrammings, and the President would provide updates at least every three months. When an emergency ends, unobligated reprogrammed funds would revert and related contracts would be terminated. Sectional changes would also amend emergency accounting under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act and set effective dates for those adjustments.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Shorter emergencies unless Congress approves: benefit, high. This bill would put strict time limits on new emergencies. The President could use named emergency powers for only 20 Senate session days and 20 House legislative days unless Congress passes a joint approval. If Congress does not approve, the President could not declare a similar emergency or use t…
- Stronger reporting and money tracking: benefit, high. The President would have to name the exact laws used before agencies act under an emergency. The President would send Congress a written report when declaring or renewing an emergency, and at least every three months. The annual budget would include one report that lists emergency spending by accou…
- No emergency workarounds of Congress: benefit, medium. The President would be barred from using emergency powers to fund or start programs that Congress has chosen not to fund after the emergency began. This would block using emergencies to bypass Congress’s decision.
- Emergency funds and contracts stop: mixed, high. When an emergency ends, all emergency powers would stop that day. Agencies would have to return any unspent, reprogrammed money to its original purpose. Contracts tied to the emergency would end on that date. This could stop some payments and projects.
- Repeal of one part of emergency law: mixed, high. This bill would repeal one title of the current emergency law. Any authority that exists only in that title would end, which could remove some tools agencies used before.
- Sanctions emergencies keep old rules: mixed, medium. If an emergency relies on the sanctions law (IEEPA), the old emergency rules would still apply. Those rules could be paired with other sanctions laws when needed. If the President also uses other emergency powers, the new rules in this bill would apply instead.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-4714: End Polluter Welfare Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-3908 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3908)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-4714: End Polluter Welfare Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4714)
- [119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3971)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3908 (as of 2026-09-10).