[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7635 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7635

 To prohibit the importation of certain energy storage systems made by 
entities within the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 20, 2026

  Mr. Steube introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit the importation of certain energy storage systems made by 
entities within the People's Republic of China, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Countering Harmful Adversarial 
Rechargeable and Generative Energy Act'' or the ``CHARGE Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The People's Republic of China (PRC) presents an 
        incredible risk in infiltrating the energy grid of the United 
        States.
            (2) Energy storage systems manufactured in the PRC, and 
        imported to the United States, are capable of containing remote 
        monitoring capabilities.
            (3) Such remote monitoring capabilities give the PRC 
        unfiltered access to the electric grid of the United States, 
        and such backdoor affords the PRC the capability to interfere 
        with the reliability of our critical infrastructure systems.
            (4) The Secretary of Commerce, through the Bureau of 
        Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce, is 
        responsible for ensuring that import and export control 
        mechanisms are in accordance with strengthening the national 
        security of the United States.
            (5) Restricting the import of energy storage systems 
        containing remote monitoring capabilities is necessary to 
        protect the energy grid of the United States and safeguard the 
        American people.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION.

    (a) In General.--No person may import, or cause to be imported to 
the United States, any energy storage system containing remote 
monitoring capabilities manufactured with technology licensed or owned 
by--
            (1) any entity organized under the laws of the People's 
        Republic of China (PRC) or any jurisdiction within the PRC; or
            (2) any entity under the jurisdiction, control, authority, 
        or oversight of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
    (b) Regulations.--
            (1) CBP enforcement.--Not later than 60 days after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
        Border Protection shall issue regulations to carry out this 
        section, including by establishing mechanisms to allow U.S. 
        Customs and Border Protection to identify products covered 
        under such prohibition and enforce the prohibition.
            (2) Periodic review.--Not later than 180 days after 
        enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
        Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall review 
        and determine whether to impose additional restrictions 
        concerning energy storage systems containing remote monitoring 
        capabilities.
    (c) Penalties.--Whoever knowingly violates, or causes a violation 
of, the prohibition under subsection (a) shall be imprisoned for not 
more than 5 years, fined not more than $250,000, or both, for each 
shipment of imports that contains one or more such articles.
    (d) Annual Report on Implementation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security, shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees a report on PRC-developed energy 
        storage systems containing remote monitoring capabilities in 
        the United States.
            (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) may 
        include a classified annex.
            (3) Termination.--The requirement to submit reports under 
        paragraph (1) shall terminate on the date that is 6 years after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the 
                Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select 
                Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, & 
                Transportation, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and 
                the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate;
            (2) the term ``energy storage system'' means any device, 
        module, or product that is capable of storing an electric 
        current to discharge such current for use at a later time; and
            (3) the term ``remote monitoring capability'' means any 
        device that is capable of observing, collecting, analyzing, and 
        disrupting the data of any information technology, 
        communication, or critical infrastructure system.
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