§1549 Report on and Notice of Changes Made to the Legal and Policy Frameworks for the United States’ Use of Military Force and Related National Security Operations

Summary

The President must send Congress, by March 1 each year, a report about any changes to the legal and policy rules for using U.S. military force and related national security actions. The report must explain the legal, factual, and policy reasons for the changes. It must list every foreign force, irregular force, group, or person the President has determined could be targeted under the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40), give the basis for each determination, say whether force was used, and describe the criteria and any changes for calling someone targetable, a high value target, or a formal or functional member of a covered group. The President must also notify the same congressional committees within 30 days of any change and give the reasons. Reports and notices must be unclassified but may include a classified annex. The unclassified part must list each change from the prior year with reasons and be made public when sent to Congress. "Appropriate congressional committees" means the Senate Committees on Armed Services, Appropriations, Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the House Committees on Armed Services, Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.