Safeguarding the Use of the National Guard Act (H.R. 4998)

This bill, introduced in the House of Representatives on August 19, 2025, aims to provide for congressional oversight of domestic use of the reserve components of the Armed Forces.

Key Points

• Requires the President to submit a report to Congress within 15 days of deploying or using members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces at a U.S. location.
• The report must include the legal basis and goals for deployment, assessments of interactions between military personnel and civilians engaged in violence, cost estimates, and certification that the deployment will not interfere with disaster response.
• Exempts deployments made under a presidential declaration for natural disasters or other weather-related events.

Details

The bill specifies that except for certain circumstances, the President must submit a report to Congress within 15 days of deploying or using members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces at a U.S. location. The report must include various details about the deployment or use, such as the legal basis and goals, assessments of interactions between military personnel and civilians engaged in violence, cost estimates, and certification that the deployment will not interfere with disaster response.

The bill also provides for a briefing by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau on whether the deployment or use resulted in a reduction of violence and met the stated goals identified by the President.

Exemptions to this requirement are provided for deployments made under a presidential declaration for natural disasters or other weather-related events.

Source: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119hr4998ih