119th Congress (2025-2026)

HR 4215

International Traffic in Arms Regulations Licensing Reform Act

In Second Chamber

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Official source

Chamber

House

Session

119th Congress (2025-2026)

Jurisdiction

US Congress

Bill overview

This bill, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations Licensing Reform Act, aims to speed up the process for exporting defense articles and services. It requires the Secretary of State to create a list of countries and end-users where expedited licensing is crucial for U.S. national security and to establish fixed timelines for license decisions. The bill also mandates regular reporting on export application delays and provides for coordination between the State Department and the Department of Defense to ensure timely reviews.

Key provisions

Establishes expedited decision-making timelines for license applications to countries and end-users deemed vital to U.S. national security.
Requires the Secretary of State to create and maintain a list of prioritized countries and end-users.
Sets a 45-day deadline for decisions on applications to prioritized countries/end-users and a 60-day deadline for all other applications.
Mandates reporting to Congress on applications exceeding established deadlines.
Requires reports to include details about the application, recipient, and reasons for delays.
Allows for temporary suspension of deadlines for Congressional review or DoD approvals.
Requires coordination between the State Department and the Department of Defense.
Establishes a semi-annual reporting schedule for identified delays.

Who is affected

U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of Defense
Companies involved in defense exports

Positions across the country

No public positions recorded for this legislation.

Arguments in favor

Reasons to support this legislation.

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Arguments opposed

Reasons to oppose this legislation.

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Legislative history

2025-06-27House

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

2025-06-27

Introduced in House

2025-06-27

Introduced in House

2025-07-22House

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 47 - 3.

Passage without roll call

The official record shows passage by unanimous consent or voice vote where no roll call was taken. No member-level tally is available for these steps, and the district map does not apply.

9/2/2025HouseVoice vote
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3726)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.
9/2/2025Voice vote
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3726)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

Floor votes and chamber actions

Recorded roll calls list how each member voted. Unanimous consent or voice vote appears in the official action history without a roll call; no member-level tally is available for those steps.

Passage without roll call

9/2/2025HouseVoice vote
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3726)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.
9/2/2025Voice vote
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3726)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

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Jun 27, 2025XMLView source

119th CONGRESS — 1st Session

H. R. 4215

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

A BILL

To require the Secretary of State to promulgate expedited and fixed timelines for the decision-making process to license the export of certain defense articles and defense services, and for other purposes.

1.Short title

This Act may be cited as the

International Traffic in Arms Regulations Licensing Reform Act

2.List of countries and end-users to receive priority for direct commercial sales

(a)In generalNot later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and maintain a 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, consistent with the requirements of the Arms Export Control Act and other applicable provisions of law.

(b)Submission to CongressNot later than 30 days after the development of the list required by subsection (a), and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate an updated copy of the list.

3.Decision-making process for applications for direct commercial sales

Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary of State publishes the list required by section 2, the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall initiate a rulemaking process to establish an expedited timeline for the decision-making process with respect to applications to export defense articles or defense services under the Arms Export Control Act to countries or end-users identified by such list and a fixed timeline for decisions for all other applications for such exports. The timelines so established shall provide that, to the maximum extent practicable—

(1)

an application to export defense articles or defense services to a listed country or end-user shall be approved, returned, or denied not later than 45 days after the date on which the application is submitted to the Secretary;

(2)an application to export defense articles or defense services to any country or end-user shall be approved, returned, or denied not later than 60 days after the date on which the application is submitted to the Secretary; and

(3)

the deadlines described in paragraphs (1) and (2) may be suspended with respect to an application if necessary—

(A)

for applicable time periods specified in subsection (b), (c), or (d) of section 36 of such Act, during which Congress may enact a joint resolution prohibiting the approval of such application; or

(B)for such time as may be required to receive a decision from the Secretary of Defense with respect to an application that is subject to approval by the Department of Defense, including technology security and foreign disclosure release determinations.

4.Reports

(a)In generalThe Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate on a semi-annual basis a report, which may be submitted in classified form, that identifies each application to export defense articles or defense services during the preceding 180-day period with respect to which the time to reach a decision exceeded the applicable deadline described in section 3(1) or 3(2).

(b)Matter To be included

The report required by this section shall also include the following information with respect to each application so identified:

(1)

The defense articles or defense services included in the application.

(2)The recipient country, end-user, and any corporate entities involved in the application.

(3)

Whether the United States has previously exported similar defense articles or defense services to the recipient country or end-user.

(4)

A justification for the delay in reaching a decision with respect to the application.

(5)

The anticipated timeline for reaching a decision with respect to the application, if still pending as of the date of the submission of the report.

HR 4215

Bill overview

Key provisions

Who is affected

Sponsors

Primary sponsor

Cosponsors

Positions across the country

Arguments in favor

Arguments opposed

Passage without roll call

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Bill text

Notable changes

Positions across the country

Passage without roll call

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call