I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2123 
To provide for United States actions to advance the United States-India 
strategic relationship. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2019 
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. HOLDING, 
Ms. GABBARD, Mr. YOHO, and Mr. BERA) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To provide for United States actions to advance the United 
States-India strategic relationship. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-India 
Enhanced Cooperation Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The turmoil in the world poses a serious 
threat to United States national security interests 
and requires cooperation with allies and friendly na-
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tions that are willing to work with the United States 
in pursuit of shared objectives. 
(2) The June 7, 2016, paragraph 17 of the 
India-United States Joint Statement entitled ‘‘The 
United States and India: Enduring Global Partners 
in the 21st Century’’, notes that the United States- 
India defense relationship can be an anchor of sta-
bility, and given the increasingly strengthened co-
operation in defense, the United States recognized 
India as a Major Defense Partner. 
(3) As such, the United States committed to 
continue to work toward facilitating technology shar-
ing with and transfer of advanced strategic military 
capability to India on a level commensurate with 
that of its closest allies and partners. The leaders of 
the two countries reached an understanding under 
which India would receive license-free access to a 
wide range of dual-use technologies in conjunction 
with steps that India has committed to take to ad-
vance its export control objectives. 
(4) As such, in support of India’s initiative to 
develop a domestic defense industrial capability and 
to support integration into the global supply chain, 
the United States committed to continuing to facili-
tate the export of goods and technologies, consistent 
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with United States law, for projects, programs and 
joint ventures in support of official United States- 
India defense and security cooperation. 
(5) Section 1292 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (22 U.S.C. 
2751 note), relating to enhancing defense and secu-
rity cooperation with India, requests that the Sec-
retary of Defense and Secretary of State jointly take 
such actions as may be necessary to recognize In-
dia’s status as a major defense partner of the 
United States, consistent with the June 7, 2016, 
India-United States Joint Statement. 
(6) On July 30, 2018, Secretary of Commerce 
Wilbur Ross announced that India, because of its 
status as a major defense partner, would be moved 
to the Department of Commerce’s Strategic Trade 
Authorization Tier 1 license designation list which 
enables greater availability for exports and reexports 
to, and transfers within, India for articles under the 
Export Administration Regulations. In its final rule 
issued on August 3, 2018, the Department of Com-
merce’s Bureau of Industry and Security stated that 
the rule, which enabled India to be moved to the 
Tier 1 list, ‘‘befits India’s status as a Major Defense 
Partner’’. 
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(7) The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 
2018 (Public Law 115–409) recognizes the ‘‘vital 
role of the strategic partnership between the United 
States and India’’, and finds that the designation of 
India as a major defense partner ‘‘elevates defense 
trade and technology cooperation between the 
United States and India to a level commensurate 
with the closest allies and partners of the United 
States’’. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States to— 
(1) approve and facilitate the transfer of ad-
vanced technology and strategic capability, con-
sistent with United States conventional arms trans-
fer policy, to support combined military planning 
with India for missions such as humanitarian assist-
ance and disaster relief, counter piracy, freedom of 
navigation, and maritime domain awareness mis-
sions, and to promote weapons systems interoper-
ability; 
(2) reassure India that the United States recog-
nizes the importance of security of supply for major 
defense capabilities acquired from the United States 
and its industries, and as such will endeavor, con-
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sistent with United States law, to not disrupt such 
supply; 
(3) collaborate with the Government of India in 
developing mutually agreeable mechanisms to verify 
the security of defense articles, defense services, and 
related technology, such as appropriate cyber secu-
rity and end-use monitoring arrangements, con-
sistent with United States export control laws and 
policy; 
(4) promote policies that will encourage the effi-
cient review and authorization of defense sales and 
export to India; and 
(5) continue to enhance defense and security 
cooperation with India in order to advance United 
States interests in the South Asia and greater Indo- 
Asia-Pacific regions. 
SEC. 4. UNITED STATES ACTIONS TO ADVANCE THE UNITED 
STATES-INDIA STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the United States should take the following ac-
tions to advance the United States-India strategic rela-
tionship: 
(1) Seek to enhance the capabilities of the 
United States and India to address emerging com-
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mon threats, increase security cooperation, and ex-
pand joint military exercises. 
(2) Encourage and facilitate the role as priority 
partners in the South Asia and greater Indo-Asia- 
Pacific regions. 
(3) Support the mutual interest in maritime se-
curity and maritime domain awareness, as well as 
enhanced military cooperation in joint exercises, 
training, and humanitarian assistance and disaster 
relief. 
(4) Conduct a joint assessment, led by the Sec-
retary of State in partnership with the Secretary of 
Defense, of the extent to which India possesses ca-
pabilities to support and carry out military oper-
ations of mutual interest to the United States and 
India, including an assessment of the defense export 
control regulations and policies that need appro-
priate modification, in recognition of India’s capa-
bilities and its status as a major defense partner. 
(b) 
REPORT.—Subparagraph 
(B) 
of 
section 
1292(a)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 130 Stat. 2559; 
22 U.S.C. 2751 note) is amended— 
(1) in clause (iv), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon at the end; 
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(2) in clause (v), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(vi) a description in the progress 
made in implementing existing agreements 
between the United States and India, in-
cluding the Communications Compatibility 
and 
Security 
Agreement 
(COMCASA) 
signed at the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial 
Dialogue in September 2018, the Defense 
Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), 
and the Memorandum of Intent between 
the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) 
and the Indian Defence Innovation Organi-
zation—Innovation for Defence Excellence 
(DIO–iDEX).’’. 
(c) FOREIGN MILITARY SALES AND EXPORT STATUS 
UNDER ARMS EXPORT CONTROL ACT.—The Arms Ex-
port Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 3(b)(2), by inserting ‘‘the Govern-
ment of India,’’ before ‘‘or the Government of New 
Zealand’’; 
(2) 
in 
sections 
3(d)(2)(B), 
3(d)(3)(A)(i), 
3(d)(5), 21(e)(2)(A), 36(b)(1), 36(b)(2), 36(b)(6), 
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36(c)(2)(A), 36(c)(5), 36(d)(2)(A), 62(c)(1), and 
63(a)(2), by inserting ‘‘India,’’ before ‘‘or New Zea-
land’’ each place it appears; and 
(3) in sections 21(h)(1)(A) and 21(h)(2), by in-
serting ‘‘India,’’ before ‘‘or Israel’’ each place it ap-
pears. 
Æ 
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