The bill amends the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 to require more help for U.S. persons, especially small- and medium-sized businesses, in meeting export control rules. It directs the President to submit a plan every two years describing counseling, trainings, seminars, conferences, and company-specific help the Department of Commerce will offer. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) must host an annual "Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy" open to the public. BIS must also do public and industry outreach before major new rules are finalized. The bill changes the required annual report to Congress to include a detailed list of compliance efforts and new data on Advisory Opinion and Commodity Classification requests (numbers submitted and issued, average processing times, and number of redacted general-use Advisory Opinions posted).
If this bill becomes law, U.S. exporters — especially small and medium businesses — would have more access to counseling, trainings (virtual and in-person), and an annual public conference about export controls. Companies could get more help identifying controlled items, help filing license applications, and opportunities for company-specific consultations. The annual report to Congress would provide more information about advisory opinion and classification request processing.
No publicly available information.
Supporters say it is important for U.S. national security and technological leadership that BIS consistently inform and educate businesses about changing export rules. They argue that seminars, trainings, and direct assistance are valuable resources, particularly for small- and medium-sized enterprises that lack large compliance teams.
No publicly available information.