Vice President Gore offered an executive order that would ease export restrictions by 1 ) raising the export limit from 40 bits to 56 bits for at least the next two years ( allowing U.S. companies to meet the current minimum commercial standard ) ; 2 ) transferring export-license authority from a State Department military office , which almost always refuses applications , to the more friendly Commerce Department ; 3 ) permitting export of encryption of unlimited strength , provided the technology incorporates key recovery . This is similar to key escrow , except there is no single key and the government holds nothing .
Export limits being raised from 40 to 46 bits over the course of the next 2 years was part of the relaxed export restrictions offered in Vice President Gore 's executive order .