National Energy Emergency Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
National Energy Emergency Act - Title I: Statement of Findings and Purposes - Sets forth the determination of Congress that there is currently an energy shortage in the United States and enumerates the purposes of this Act. Title II: Emergency Fuel Shortage Contingency Programs - Declares that current and imminent fuel shortages have created a nationwide energy emergency. Authorizes the President, for the duration of the energy emergency, to enter into appropriate agreements with foreign states, foreign nationals, or international organizations to adjust and allocate imports of fossil fuels. Provides that any such formal agreement shall not become final until the Senate has had fifteen days to disapprove of such agreement. Provides that the declared nationwide energy emergency and the authority granted by this Act shall terminate one year after the date of enactment of this Act unless extended by Congress. Sets forth limitations for the export of domestically mined coal during the term of any energy emergency declared by or under this Act. Revises the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act by directing the President to provide for an ordering of priorities among users of crude oil, residual fuel oil, or any refined petroleum product and to assign to such users rights entitling them to obtain any such oil or product in precedence to other users not similarly entitled, if the President finds that such action is necessary. Authorizes the President to require adjustments in the production rates of refineries in the United States whenever he finds that such adjustments are necessary to assure the production of residual fuel oil and refined petroleum products in such proportions necessary to meet the priorities for use of such products established under the Energency Petroleum Allocation Act. Directs the President to propose one or more energy conservation plans within thirty days of enactment of this Act which will result in a reduction of energy consumption to a level which can be supplied by available energy resources.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on December 5, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 5, 1973: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
KENNETH HECHLER (D-WV) introduced it on December 5, 1973, and 7 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 7 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on December 5, 1973, 19320 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19320 days ago, on December 5, 1973.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers