[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10279 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10279
To improve defense cooperation between the United States and Taiwan,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 3, 2024
Mr. Perry (for himself, Mr. Ogles, and Mr. Tiffany) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve defense cooperation between the United States and Taiwan,
and for other purposes.
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 ``Taiwan PLUS Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Taiwan is the 10th largest trading partner in goods
with the United States.
(2) Taiwan is recognized by 15 countries as an independent
state, and it is presently treated as a major non-NATO ally by
the United States under section 1206 of the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228; 22
U.S.C. 2321k note).
(3) The unclassified summary of the 2018 National Defense
Strategy notably prioritized United States efforts to protect
America's allies and partners, stating that United States
defense objectives include ``defending allies from military
aggression, and bolstering partners against coercion, and
fairly sharing responsibilities for common defense''.
(4) The Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8; 22 U.S.C.
3301 et seq.) states that ``the United States will make
available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services
in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to
maintain a sufficient self-defense capability''.
(5) Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, the United
States Congress has for four decades approved numerous defense
articles and defense services for Taiwan's self-defense,
including, since 2017, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems
(HIMARS), F-16 C/D fighter jets, MK 48 torpedoes, Harpoon
Coastal Defense Systems, Stinger man-portable air defense
systems, M109A6 Paladin howitzers, MS-110 Airborne
Reconnaissance Systems, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods, Field
Information Communications Systems, and recertification of MIM-
104 Patriot Missiles.
(6) Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) data
indicates that Taiwan was the United States' largest Foreign
Military Sales customer in fiscal year 2020.
(7) DSCA data also indicates that from fiscal years 1950
through 2020, Taiwan was the United States' third-largest
Foreign Military Sales customer, tied with Japan.
(8) The Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 (subtitle B of title
III of division FF of Public Law 116-260), states, ``the United
States should conduct regular sales and transfers of defense
articles to Taiwan in order to enhance its self-defense
capabilities, particularly its efforts to develop and integrate
asymmetric capabilities, including undersea warfare and air
defense capabilities, into its military forces''.
(9) Subparagraph (A) of section 1260(b)(1) of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-
283) states, ``[the United States should continue] supporting
acquisition by Taiwan of defense articles and services through
foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, and industrial
cooperation, with an emphasis on capabilities that support the
asymmetric defense strategy of Taiwan, including anti-ship,
coastal defense, anti-armor, air defense, undersea warfare,
advanced command, control, communications, computers,
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and resilient
command and control capabilities.''.
(10) Subparagraph (B) of section 1260(b)(1) of such Act
further states that the United States should continue
supporting the development of defense forces necessary for
Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability by
``ensuring timely review of an response to response to requests
of Taiwan for defense articles and services''.
(11) In its 2019 Recommendations to Congress, the
bipartisan U.S.-China Economic and Security Commission issued
the following judgement: ``Congress [should] raise the
threshold of congressional notification on sales of defense
articles and services to Taiwan to the highest tier set to U.S.
allies and partners. Congress [should] also terminate any
requirement to provide prior notification of maintenance and
sustainment of military equipment and capabilities previously
sold to Taiwan.''.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) enhanced support for defense cooperation with Taiwan is
critical to the national security of the United States,
including through designation of Taiwan as a member of the
colloquially titled ``NATO Plus'' community of states, which
presently includes Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea,
Israel, and New Zealand, with respect to consideration by
Congress of Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan, as well as all
other rights, privileges, and responsibilities afforded to such
community of states; and
(2) Taiwan should be so designated as a member of the
``NATO Plus'' community of states.
SEC. 4. ENHANCED DEFENSE COOPERATION.
(a) In General.--During the 5-year period beginning on the date of
the enactment of this Act, Taiwan shall be treated as if it were a
country listed in the provisions of law described in subsection (b) for
purposes of applying and administering such provisions of law.
(b) Provisions of Law Described.--The provisions of law described
in this subsection are--
(1) subsections (b)(2), (d)(2)(B), (d)(3)(A)(i), and (d)(5)
of section 3 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2753);
(2) subsections (e)(2)(A), (h)(1)(A), and (h)(2) of section
21 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2761);
(3) the matter following subparagraph (P) of subsection
(b)(1) and subsections (b)(2), (b)(6), (c)(2)(A), (c)(5), and
(d)(2)(A) of section 36 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2776);
(4) section 62(c)(1) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2796a(c)(1));
and
(5) section 63(a)(2) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2796b(a)(2)).
(c) Continued Application.--The Secretary of State is authorized to
continue to apply this section with respect to Taiwan for additional 5-
year periods beginning after the end of the 5-year period described in
subsection (a) if, with respect to each such additional 5-year period,
the Secretary--
(1) determines that such continued application is in the
national security interests of the United States; and
(2) submits such determination to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate not later than 14 days before
the start of such additional 5-year period.
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