BIS Licensing Efficiency Act of 2026

Summary

Requires the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to make export licensing decisions within 90 days of application and to notify applicants of status and reasons for delay if a decision is not made within 120 days. It also requires subject-matter expert licensing officers to play a central role in reviews, mandates frequent public reporting to two congressional committees on license processing metrics, and directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit BIS’s licensing process and publish findings within one year.

• BIS must notify applicants of a licensing decision within 90 days of submission.
• If no decision is reached within 120 days, BIS must inform the applicant of status, reasons for delay, and any needed information.
• Licensing officers with relevant subject-matter expertise must play an essential role in reviews.
• BIS must provide an initial report (covering the prior year) within 90 days of enactment, then quarterly reports with detailed processing metrics to two congressional committees.
• GAO must audit BIS licensing processes, begin within 90 days, and publish findings within one year.
• Reports must break out processing times by end-user country, ECCN, and transaction type and explain applications pending over 90 days.
• The bill focuses on procedural timelines, transparency, and oversight; it does not change approval standards or fees.
• Intended to reduce uncertainty for exporters and improve predictability for U.S. technology companies and supply chains.
• Could create operational pressure on BIS and interagency reviewers to meet deadlines while preserving national security review processes.