International Emergency Economic Powers Act facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
International Emergency Economic Powers Act

Long title	An Act with respect to the powers of the President in time of war or national emergency.
Acronyms (colloquial)	IEEPA
Enacted by	the 95th United States Congress
Effective	December 28, 1977
Citations
Public law	95-223
Statutes at Large	91 Stat. 1625
Codification
Titles amended	50 U.S.C.: War and National Defense
U.S.C. sections created	50 U.S.C. ch. 35 § 1701 et seq.
Legislative history
Introduced in the House as H.R. 7738 by Jonathan Brewster Bingham (D–NY) on June 13, 1977 Committee consideration by House Foreign Affairs, Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Passed the House on July 12, 1977 (passed) Passed the Senate on October 11, 1977 (passed) with amendment House agreed to Senate amendment on November 30, 1977 (agreed) with further amendment Senate agreed to House amendment on December 7, 1977 (agreed) Signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on December 28, 1977
United States Supreme Court cases
Dames & Moore v. Regan, 453 U.S. 654 (1981)

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is a United States federal law. It gives the President special powers. These powers allow the President to control international business. This happens when a national emergency is declared. The emergency must be caused by a serious threat to the United States. This threat must come from outside the country.

President Jimmy Carter signed this law on December 28, 1977. It helps the U.S. government protect the country's safety and economy.

What IEEPA Allows the President to Do

The IEEPA is part of the United States Code, specifically Title 50, sections 1701 to 1707. This law lets the President announce a "very unusual and serious threat." This threat must be to the country's safety, foreign policy, or economy. It must also come mostly from outside the United States.

President's Powers During an Emergency

Once such a threat is declared, the President gains certain powers. They can stop financial deals and freeze money or property (called assets). This is done to deal with the threat. The President must also tell Congress every six months about the situation. This report includes details about the threats and actions taken.

If the United States is actually attacked, the President can do even more. They can take property linked to any country, group, or person that helped with the attack.

How IEEPA Connects to Other Laws

The IEEPA works with another law called the National Emergencies Act. This means that any emergency declared under IEEPA must be renewed each year. If it's not renewed, the emergency declaration ends.

What the President Cannot Do Under IEEPA

The IEEPA does not give the President unlimited power. For example, the President cannot stop certain types of communication. This includes messages that don't involve sending money or valuable items. The law also doesn't allow stopping the import or export of information or educational materials. Travel-related transactions are also generally protected.

Also, donations meant to help people in need are usually safe. This includes things like food, clothing, or medicine. The President can only stop these donations if it's absolutely necessary to deal with the emergency.

See also

• National Emergencies Act
• List of national emergencies in the United States