H.R. 383: War Powers Reform Act

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H.R. 383: War Powers Reform Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-01-23 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: 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.

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Official title

War Powers Reform Act

Plain 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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Gibson, Christopher P. [R-NY-19] · 45 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Virginia Foxx (R-NC), John Garamendi (D-CA), Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ), Jim Jordan (R-OH), James Lankford (R-OK), Austin Scott (R-GA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Andy Harris (R-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113hr383.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>

Record fed-us-cong113-hr383 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113