§10411 Aukus Partnership Oversight and Accountability Framework

Summary

The Secretary of State must pick a Senior Advisor at the State Department to run and coordinate AUKUS work. That person can come from current leaders but cannot hold another job at the same time and must report directly to the Secretary. The Secretary must tell all State Department offices that the Senior Advisor leads AUKUS coordination. The Senior Advisor must coordinate across offices on arms exports, non‑proliferation, deterrence, security assistance, and relations with the Indo‑Pacific and the United Kingdom; lead interagency work; conduct diplomacy to explain how AUKUS will help security and stability; and regularly inform the appropriate congressional committees about Australia’s purchase of conventionally armed, nuclear‑powered submarines, joint development of advanced military capabilities, and any new AUKUS programs. The Senior Advisor must have enough State Department staff assigned with the right expertise. The Secretary must also create a Task Force on AUKUS led by the Senior Advisor that meets regularly to coordinate implementation. The Task Force should keep a single list of defense transactions, set up a way to track companies or people who threaten the security of shared military technology, and run an industry forum open to industry partners including non‑traditional defense contractors and foreign firms. Staff assigned to the Senior Advisor will also support the Task Force and no extra staff may be added. Within 180 days after December 22, 2023, or within 90 days after the Senior Advisor is named (whichever is earlier), the Secretary must tell the congressional committees how many staff support the Senior Advisor and Task Force, their expertise, and their duties. Within 120 days after December 22, 2023, the Secretary must send a report describing planned work and providing data on licensing review times and approvals/denials for defense exports and foreign military sales to Australia and the United Kingdom, and counts of voluntary disclosures that led to violations of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (see section 2780) or involved proscribed countries (see section 126.1), including unauthorized access, security shortfalls, unauthorized retransfers, or unauthorized U.S. persons providing defense services. Starting one year after December 22, 2023, and every year after, the Senior Advisor must send an annual report on problems that threaten AUKUS goals and efforts to fix them, disclosure policy work, State Department investigations of violations under section 2778, possible regulatory changes to subsection (l) of section 2778, and changes in average licensing review times. The Senior Advisor and Task Force end seven years after December 22, 2023, unless the Secretary renews them once for four more years after notifying the congressional committees. Appropriate congressional committees means the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and Appropriations.