Review - HR 2683 Introduced – Remote Access Export Controls

Back in April Rep Lawler (R, NY) introduced HR 2683, the Remote Access Security Act. The bill would authorize the DOC’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to regulate the use of remote access by a foreign person of items subject to the jurisdiction of the United States under the export control regulations. No new funding is authorized by this bill.

Committee Action

The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a business meeting on April 19^th, 2025, where nine bills were considered, including HR 2683. The Committee adopted substitute language offered by Lawler and ordered it reported favorably by a vote of 57 to 0.

Moving Forward

The unanimous vote to adopt the bill in Committee suggests that the bill will be considered by the House under the suspension of the rules process. The problem, as with most legislation, will be in how this bill is considered in the Senate. It does not appear that this bill would be politically important enough to be considered under regular order. Again, the unanimous vote in Committee suggests that this bill could be considered under the unanimous consent process, but that is far from a sure thing.

Commentary

This is a broadly written bill that would give the DOC’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) comprehensive authority to regulate the control of remote access to most devices on the export control list. Just how the Committee expects BIS to accomplish this regulatory task is not made clear.

 

For more information on the provisions of this bill, including a more detailed look at the changes in the substitute language, and an expanded commentary on the enforcement implications, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-2683-introduced-remote-access - subscription required.