H.R. 4505 — Export Controls Enforcement Act

This section states congressional findings concerning the Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) end-use checks to verify compliance with U.S. export licenses and regulations, including that BIS processed over 45,000 license applications valued at over $500 billion in 2024, conducted over 1,400 such checks in 60 countries in FY2024, and has only 11 export control officers stationed abroad as of 2025 (often covering multiple countries, with dozens unassigned). It expresses the sense of Congress that end-use checks are critical for verifying transactions, assessing diversion risks, and ensuring regulatory compliance and that additional officers are needed abroad to prevent illegal diversion of U.S. technologies and enforce BIS policies.

This section establishes a five-year Export Control Officer Program, to be administered by the Secretary of Commerce through the Under Secretary for Industry and Security (i.e., Bureau of Industry and Security), requiring the stationing of at least 20 export control officers at U.S. diplomatic or consular posts not later than 90 days after enactment. The section further requires the appointment of a program director from Commerce Department employees within 90 days to oversee hiring and coordinate with the Secretary of State for global geographic coverage, and it specifies the officers' duties as (1) managing and conducting end-use checks on export-controlled items, (2) advising U.S. posts on Bureau export control policies, (3) conducting industry outreach to enhance compliance, (4) liaising with foreign governments on enforcement cooperation, (5) sharing enforcement challenges, trends, and priorities with the Bureau, and (6) identifying optimal targets for end-use checks.