Title 50, War and National DefenseRelease 119-110

§2912 Authority to Provide Assistance to Cooperative Countries

Title 50 › CHAPTER 43 — PREVENTING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION PROLIFERATION AND TERRORISM › SUBCHAPTER I — PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE › § 2912

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President can give help to a country that works with the United States and its allies to stop moving dangerous materials through its land, air, or ships. That help can come through certain foreign-aid programs, and by sending excess defense equipment and services. Before giving help, the President must tell six congressional committees and wait at least 30 days, and must certify the aid will be used to build the country’s ability to stop transport and transshipment of proliferation items, to make laws that criminalize proliferation, tighten export controls, secure sensitive materials, and to work with PSI operations. Aid can be given for no more than 3 fiscal years to a single country. The President generally may not transfer surplus vessels or aircraft to a country that has not agreed to help interdict proliferation until 30 days after notifying those same committees. That rule does not apply to smaller transfers not involving significant military equipment if the craft will mainly be used for counternarcotics, counterterrorism, or counter-proliferation.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §2912

War and National Defense, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general
The President is authorized to provide assistance under subsection (b) to any country that cooperates with the United States and with other countries allied with the United States to prevent the transport and transshipment of items of proliferation concern in its national territory or airspace or in vessels under its control or registry.
(b)Types of assistance
The assistance authorized under subsection (a) consists of the following:
(1)Assistance under section 2763 of title 22.
(2)Assistance under chapters 4 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.) and 5 (22 U.S.C. 2347 et seq.) of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
(3)Drawdown of defense excess defense articles and services under section 516 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j).
(c)Congressional notification
Assistance authorized under this section may not be provided until at least 30 days after the date on which the President has provided notice thereof to the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, in accordance with the procedures applicable to reprogramming notifications under section 634A(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2394–1(a)), and has certified to such committees that such assistance will be used in accordance with the requirement of subsection (e) of this section.
(d)Limitation
Assistance may be provided to a country under subsection (a) in no more than 3 fiscal years.
(e)Use of assistance
Assistance provided under this section shall be used to enhance the capability of the recipient country to prevent the transport and transshipment of items of proliferation concern in its national territory or airspace, or in vessels under its control or registry, including through the development of a legal framework in that country to enhance such capability by criminalizing proliferation, enacting strict export controls, and securing sensitive materials within its borders, and to enhance the ability of the recipient country to cooperate in PSI operations.
(f)Limitation on ship or aircraft transfers
(1)Limitation
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the President may not transfer any excess defense article that is a vessel or an aircraft to a country that has not agreed, in connection with such transfer, that it will support and assist efforts by the United States, consistent with international law, to interdict items of proliferation concern until 30 days after the date on which the President has provided notice of the proposed transfer to the committees described in subsection (c) in accordance with the procedures applicable to reprogramming notifications under section 634A(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2394–1(a)), in addition to any other requirement of law.
(2)Exception
The limitation in paragraph (1) shall not apply to any transfer, not involving significant military equipment, in which the primary use of the aircraft or vessel will be for counternarcotics, counterterrorism, or counter-proliferation purposes.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is Pub. L. 87–195, Sept. 4, 1961, 75 Stat. 424. Chapters 4 and 5 of part II of the Act are classified generally to parts IV (§ 2346 et seq.) and V (§ 2347 et seq.), respectively, of subchapter II of chapter 32 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2151 of Title 22 and Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 2912

Title 50, War and National Defense

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110