HR-8285 — Protecting American Competition Act of 2026

YourVoice.Now Summary

Corporate BenefitsTransparency & Accountability

A first export license could not sideline rivals — Commerce must process competitors' applications and report yearly.

Corporate Benefits

First-mover export advantage — Later applicants for the same buyer get timely review

Transparency & Accountability

Reporting requirements — Annual report to Congress on initial licenses and competing applications
Reporting requirements — Implementation report due within 90 days of enactment

The details

Export licenses for controlled technology would face a competition check. A company may apply to sell restricted technology to a foreign buyer. The Commerce Department must consider whether this would be that buyer's first license. After granting that first license, officials should handle other companies' applications for similar sales to the same buyer without undue delay. Commerce must report to Congress every year on cases where rivals applied, what happened to those applications, and why. A first report is due within 90 days. The bill does not require any licensing decision that runs against national security.

Congressional Summary

Protecting American Competition Act of 2026This bill establishes additional requirements for the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to review applications for export licenses and establishes related reporting requirements.Specifically, the bill directs BIS, when reviewing an application for a license or other authorization for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of controlled items, to consider whether the requested license or other authorization would be the initial license or other authorization for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of the item to an ultimate consignee or end user.After issuing an initial license or other authorization, BIS must attempt to administer in a timely manner any subsequent license application by a different applicant for the same or a similar item to the same ultimate consignee or end user as the initial license.The bill requires BIS to submit annual reports to specified congressional committees on initial licenses granted by BIS. Additionally, BIS must report to Congress on how it is implementing the bill's provisions.

Legislative Subjects

Congressional oversightGovernment information and archivesLicensing and registrationsTrade restrictions

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: House
Status: summarized
Action: Introduced in House
Action Date: 2026-04-15
Date Added: 2026-07-30
Source: Congress.gov →

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