House passes bill to speed up arms export licensing decisions

The US House of Representatives passed legislation Monday requiring the State Department to establish expedited timelines for arms export licensing decisions, with priority countries receiving decisions within 45 days and all other applications processed within 60 days.

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations Licensing Reform Act, which now moves to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, would require the Secretary of State to develop a priority list of countries and end users ‘with respect to which expedited decision-making for applications for licenses for the export of defense articles and defense services is vital to the national security of the United States’.

Under the bill, applications to export defence articles or services to listed priority countries or end users must be ‘approved, returned, or denied’ within 45 days of submission, while all other applications would face a 60-day deadline.

The deadlines could be suspended during Congressional review periods when lawmakers may enact joint resolutions prohibiting specific sales, or when additional time is needed for Defence Department approval, including technology security and foreign disclosure determinations.

The legislation requires the State Department to submit the priority list to Congress within 90 days of enactment, with annual updates thereafter. Semi-annual reports must identify applications that exceeded processing deadlines, including justifications for delays and anticipated timelines for pending decisions.

The measure addresses longstanding industry and congressional concerns about delays in arms export licensing that can affect defence partnerships and commercial competitiveness. Current processing times vary widely depending on the complexity of applications and interagency coordination requirements.

The bill would require the State Department, coordinating with the Defence Department, to initiate rulemaking within 30 days of publishing the priority list to establish the expedited timelines.

Defence trade advocates have argued that lengthy licensing delays undermine US strategic partnerships and allow competitors to gain market advantages in key allied countries. The legislation aims to balance national security oversight with more predictable processing timelines.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will now consider the measure, which passed the House on 2 September. If enacted, the law would represent the most significant reform of arms export licensing procedures in recent years.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4215/text