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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9637 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9637

   To improve defense cooperation between the United States and the 
                      Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 17, 2024

Mr. Phillips (for himself and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
  Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To improve defense cooperation between the United States and the 
                      Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

    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 ``United States-Jordan Defense 
Cooperation Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) expeditious consideration of certifications of letters 
        of offer to sell defense articles, defense services, design and 
        construction services, and major defense equipment to the 
        Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan under section 36(b) of the Arms 
        Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776(b)) is fully consistent with 
        United States security and foreign policy interests and the 
        objectives of world peace and security; and
            (2) the United States commitment to the stability and 
        security of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is ironclad, as 
        demonstrated by the signing of the fourth Memorandum of 
        Understanding on Strategic Partnership in September 2022, which 
        provides $1,450,000,000 per year in United States bilateral 
        foreign assistance to Jordan beginning in fiscal year 2023 and 
        ending in fiscal year 2029.

SEC. 3. ENHANCED DEFENSE COOPERATION.

    (a) Arms Export Control Act.--
            (1) In general.--During the 3-year period beginning on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Hashemite Kingdom of 
        Jordan shall be treated as if it were a country listed in each 
        of the provisions of law described in paragraph (2) for 
        purposes of applying and administering such provisions of law.
            (2) Covered provisions of law.--The provisions of law 
        described in this paragraph are the following provisions of the 
        Arms Export Control Act:
                    (A) Subsections (b)(2), (d)(2)(B), (d)(3)(A)(i), 
                and (d)(5) of section 3 (22 U.S.C. 2753).
                    (B) Subsections (e)(2)(A), (h)(1)(A), and (h)(2) of 
                section 21 (22 U.S.C. 2761).
                    (C) Subsections (b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(6), (c), and 
                (d)(2)(A) of section 36 (22 U.S.C. 2776).
                    (D) Section 62(c)(1) (22 U.S.C. 2796a(c)(1)).
                    (E) Section 63(a)(2) (22 U.S.C. 2796b(a)(2)).
    (b) Establishment of Capabilities.--
            (1) Authorization.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the 
                Secretary of Defense, acting through the Commander of 
                United States Central Command, shall seek to work in 
                cooperation with the Minister of Defense of the 
                Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to establish or further 
                capabilities for countering rockets, cruise and 
                ballistic missiles, and manned and unmanned aerial 
                systems that threaten the United States, Jordan, and 
                other allies and partners of the United States, 
                including threats from Iran and its terrorist proxies.
                    (B) Protection of sensitive technology and 
                information.--The Secretary shall ensure that any 
                activities carried out under this subsection are 
                conducted in a manner that appropriately protects 
                sensitive technology and information and the national 
                security interests of the United States and the 
                Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
            (2) Limitation and report.--Activities may not be carried 
        out under the authority provided by paragraph (1) until the 
        date on which the Secretary submits to the appropriate 
        congressional committees a report setting forth the following:
                    (A) A memorandum of agreement between the United 
                States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan regarding 
                sharing of research and development costs for the 
                capabilities described in paragraph (1)(A), including 
                any supporting documents.
                    (B) A certification that such memorandum of 
                agreement--
                            (i) requires sharing of costs of projects, 
                        including in-kind support, between the United 
                        States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan;
                            (ii) establishes a framework to negotiate 
                        the rights to any intellectual property 
                        developed under the memorandum of agreement; 
                        and
                            (iii) requires the United States Government 
                        to receive semiannual reports on expenditure of 
                        funds, if any, by the Government of the 
                        Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, including a 
                        description of what the funds have been used 
                        for, when funds were expended, and an 
                        identification of entities that expended the 
                        funds.
            (3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
        subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 
                on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on 
                Appropriations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 
                on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations 
                of the House of Representatives.
    (c) Middle East Integrated Air and Missile Defense.--
            (1) In general.--Pursuant to section 1658 of the James M. 
        Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 
        (Public Law 117-263), the Secretary of Defense shall, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of State and with the 
        concurrence of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, develop a plan 
        to bolster the participation of Jordan in a multinational 
        integrated air and missile defense architecture to protect the 
        people, infrastructure, and territory of Jordan from cruise and 
        ballistic missiles, manned and unmanned aerial systems, and 
        rocket attacks from Iran or groups linked to Iran.
            (2) Briefing.--Not later than March 1, 2025, the Secretary 
        and the Commander of United States Central Command shall 
        provide to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
        Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Armed 
        Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives--
                    (A) a briefing on the progress of the Department of 
                Defense towards bolstering the participation of Jordan 
                in a multinational integrated air and missile defense 
                architecture; and
                    (B) a list of requirements, including cost 
                estimates, for strengthening the defense of Jordan 
                within this architecture.
    (d) Sunset.--The authority to carry out activities described in 
subsection (b) and to provide support described in subsection (c) shall 
expire on December 31, 2028.

SEC. 4. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.

    Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of 
State is authorized to enter into a new memorandum of understanding 
with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, following the expiration of the 
current memorandum in fiscal year 2029, to further increase economic 
support funds, military cooperation, including joint military 
exercises, personnel exchanges, support for international peacekeeping 
missions, and enhanced strategic dialogue.
                                 <all>
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