CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

Pete Ricketts (R-NE)

To make improvements to the AUKUS partnership.

S.Amdt. 3788 · Senate amendment to an amendment

A Republican amendment with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor

Changes S.Amdt. 3748, an amendment to S. 2296 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Last activity — Amendment SA 3788 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

Adopted

The Senate agreed to this amendment, so its changes are part of the bill from here on.

Its path through Congress

  1. Introduced
  2. Passed Senate
  3. Adopted

What this amendment would do

SA 3788, also known as the AUKUS Improvement Act of 2025, is an amendment proposed by Mr. Ricketts to be added to bill S. 2296. This bill focuses on authorizations for military activities of the Department of Defense, military construction, and defense activities of the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2026.

The purpose of this amendment is to change and add the following:

  • Arms Transfer Flexibility: It amends the Arms Export Control Act to allow defense articles sold by the United States to be reexported, retransferred, or temporarily imported exclusively between the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom, or eligible entities. This can happen regardless of the requirement for consent from the President.

  • Authorized Transfers: It authorizes intra-company, intra-organizational, and intra-governmental transfers of defense articles and services between agents, employees, and officers who meet specific regulations, including third country or dual nationals.

  • Certification Requirements: It removes the need for congressional notification for Manufacturing Licensing Agreements and Technical Licensing Agreements involving Australia and the United Kingdom, provided they do not involve defense articles that are not subject to the licensing exemption under section 38(l) of the Arms Export Control Act.