Title: United States-India Enhanced Cooperation Act of 2018
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
United States-India Enhanced Cooperation Act of 2018
This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should conduct a joint assessment of the extent to which India possesses capabilities to carry out military operations of mutual interest to the United States and India, including an assessment of defense export control regulations and policies that need modification, in recognition of India's capabilities and its status as a major defense partner.
The Arms Export Control Act is amended to extend foreign military sales status to India.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6506 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6506

To provide for United States actions to advance the United States-India 
                        strategic relationship.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2018

 Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Holding, Ms. Gabbard, 
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 Representatives 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 2018''.

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 nations 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 
        stability, and given the increasingly strengthened cooperation 
        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 sharing 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 advance 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 facilitate the export of goods and 
        technologies, consistent 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 Authorization Act 
        for Fiscal Year 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2751 note), relating to 
        enhancing defense and security cooperation with India, requests 
        that the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State jointly 
        take such actions as may be necessary to recognize India's 
        status as a major defense partner of the United States, 
        consistent with the June 7, 2016, India-United States Joint 
        Statement.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States--
            (1) to approve and facilitate the transfer of advanced 
        technology and strategic capability, consistent with United 
        States conventional arms transfer policy, to support combined 
        military planning with India for missions such as humanitarian 
        assistance and disaster relief, counter piracy, freedom of 
        navigation, and maritime domain awareness missions, and to 
        promote weapons systems interoperability;
            (2) to reassure India that the United States recognizes the 
        importance of security of supply for major defense capabilities 
        acquired from the United States and its industries, and as such 
        will endeavor, consistent with United States law, to not 
        disrupt such supply;
            (3) to 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 security and end-use monitoring 
        arrangements, consistent with United States export control laws 
        and policy;
            (4) to promote policies that will encourage the efficient 
        review and authorization of defense sales and export to India; 
        and
            (5) to 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 Congress that the United 
States should take the following actions to advance the United States-
India strategic relationship:
            (1) Seek to enhance the capabilities of the United States 
        and India to address emerging common threats, increase security 
        cooperation, and expand 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 security 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 Secretary of 
        State in partnership with the Secretary of Defense, of the 
        extent to which India possesses capabilities to support and 
        carry out military operations of mutual interest to the United 
        States and India, including an assessment of the defense export 
        control regulations and policies that need appropriate 
        modification, in recognition of India's capabilities and its 
        status as a major defense partner.
    (b) Use of Assessment.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that 
the assessment described in subsection (a)(4) is used, consistent with 
United States conventional arms transfer policy, to inform the review 
by the United States of requests to export defense articles, defense 
services, or related technology to India under the Arms Export Control 
Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), and to inform any regulatory and policy 
adjustments that may be appropriate.
    (c) Foreign Military Sales and Export Status Under Arms Export 
Control Act.--The Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) is 
amended--
            (1) 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), 36(c)(2)(A), 
        36(c)(5), 36(d)(2)(A), 62(c)(1), and 63(a)(2), by inserting 
        ``India,'' before ``or New Zealand'' each place it appears;
            (2) in section 3(b)(2), by inserting ``the Government of 
        India,'' before ``or the Government of New Zealand''; and
            (3) in sections 21(h)(1)(A) and 21(h)(2), by inserting 
        ``India,'' before ``or Israel'' each place it appears.
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