Department of State Authorization Act, Sec. 931 ("Priority for Australia and UK in Military Sales")

Summary

Requires the President to institute expedited policies for defense article and service requests from Australia and the United Kingdom under the AUKUS partnership.

Mandates prioritization of these requests over all others, except those from Taiwan and Ukraine.

Instructs the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to establish an anticipatory release policy for technology transfers to Australia, the UK, and Canada.

Specifies the inclusion of technologies related to submarines, combat systems, hypersonic missiles, cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and other advanced technologies.

Subjects technology transfer reviews to an expedited decision-making process.

Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense to update interagency policies and guidance to incorporate these anticipatory release provisions.

Requires expedited processing of defense requests from Australia and the United Kingdom under the AUKUS partnership.

SEC. 931. PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM IN FOREIGN MILITARY SALES AND DIRECT COMMERCIAL SALES.

(a) In General.—The President shall institute policies and procedures for letters of request from Australia and the United Kingdom to transfer defense articles and services under section 21 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2761) related to the AUKUS partnership to receive expedited consideration and processing relative to all other letters of request other than from Taiwan and Ukraine.

Requires the Secretary to create anticipatory release policy for technology transfer to Australia, UK, and Canada.

(b) Technology Transfer Policy For Australia, Canada, And The United Kingdom.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall create an anticipatory release policy for the transfer of technologies described in paragraph (2) to Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada through Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales that are not covered by an exemption under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

(2) CAPABILITIES DESCRIBED.—The capabilities described in this paragraph are—

(A) Pillar One-related technologies associated with submarine and associated combat systems; and

(B) Pillar Two-related technologies, including hypersonic missiles, cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, undersea capabilities, and other advanced technologies.

(3) EXPEDITED DECISION-MAKING.—Review of a transfer under the policy established under paragraph (1) shall be subject to an expedited decision-making process.

Requires joint review and update of interagency policies for Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales.

(c) Interagency Policy And Guidance.—The Secretary and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly review and update interagency policies and implementation guidance related to requests for Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales, including by incorporating the anticipatory release provisions of this section.