Sponsors (2)
The bill returns past export-license fees and bars new export-related charges to reduce costs for exporters (notably small businesses and semiconductor firms), but does so at the potential expense of agency funding, slower licensing, increased short-term taxpayer outlays, and possible weakening or legal uncertainty in export-control enforcement.
Exporters and license holders (including government contractors and financial institutions) will receive refunds of previously collected ECCN export-license fees within 30 days, restoring cash flow to affected firms.
Companies that export controlled items — especially small businesses and semiconductor firms — are protected from new or future federal export-license fees (including any semiconductor export fee), lowering ongoing compliance costs.
Exporters and taxpayers are reaffirmed protection against export taxes under the Constitution, preserving an existing legal safeguard that limits trade-related charges.
Exporters, financial institutions, and those relying on timely exports may face slower licensing reviews and delays because removing or restricting fee authority reduces agency funding and resources for export-control processing.
Taxpayers and national security interests could face greater risk because directing export-control policy to consider economic competitiveness as well as security may weaken controls and increase the chance of sensitive technology transfer.
Taxpayers and federal budgets will incur short-term costs because refunded fees require federal outlays or reallocation of agency funds.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Stops federal fees tied to export licenses under the Export Control Reform Act, requires refunds of any collected amounts, and orders Commerce to return funds within 30 days of enactment.
Introduced November 7, 2025 by Sydney Kamlager-Dove · Last progress November 7, 2025
Prohibits the federal government from collecting any revenue-sharing, fees, or other monetary charges tied to granting or maintaining export licenses or authorizations under the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, requires any such amounts collected on or before enactment to be returned to license holders, and directs the Secretary of Commerce to pay or return the full amount to affected licensees within 30 days of enactment. The measure includes congressional findings about the constitutional prohibition on export taxes and makes clear it does not authorize an export fee on semiconductors or assert consistency with existing statutory language.