Foreign aid

Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act

This act reauthorizes through FY2031 and modifies the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, and related pilot programs. (The SBIR and STTR programs are administered by various federal agencies and provide competitive awards for domestic small businesses to conduct research and development projects that have the potential for commercialization.)

Specifically, the act expands the requirements for federal agencies administering these programs to evaluate the security risks of the small businesses that apply for awards under the programs. If an agency denies an application for security reasons, the agency must provide the small business with the basis for such determination.

Further, each agency must set a maximum number of proposals per fiscal year that a small business concern may submit in response to Phase I and Phase II solicitations.

The act expands the training requirements for agencies' contracting officers and acquisition workforce with respect to Phase III (commercialization of technologies) awards under the SBIR and STTR programs.

The act also establishes strategic breakthrough allocations for critical technology areas. These are additional Phase II SBIR and STTR awards to small businesses that demonstrate an effective technology and receive matching funds.

Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025

This act reauthorizes the Department of Defense to sell its excess aircraft and aircraft parts that are acceptable for commercial sale for wildfire suppression purposes. Such authority begins June 12, 2025, and ends October 1, 2035.

The act also provides that such aircraft may be used to deliver water by air in order to suppress wildfire (the previous authority only provided for the delivery of fire retardant).

The act removes the previous limitation on providing international wildfire suppression assistance with such purchased aircraft.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2027 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs, activities, and military construction as well as the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE).

Among other elements, the bill

• authorizes the procurement of various items, including aircraft and ships;

• sets active duty and reserve component personnel strength levels;

• sets policy regarding various aspects of military health care and military compensation;

• sets policy regarding DOD acquisitions and acquisition management, including contracting authorities and the acquisition workforce;

• sets policy for various matters related to DOD interactions with foreign nations, including matters concerning Israel, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific;

• sets policy for various matters related to DOD cybersecurity and artificial intelligence;

• requires DOD to include projected demand for foreign military sales in certain contexts, including munitions production planning, sustainment planning for major defense acquisition programs, and decisions regarding production rate increases of defense articles;

• requires DOD to establish an expedited qualification process for new domestic and allied sources of certain strategic materials, including specified metals, alloys, oxides, and magnets;

• authorizes specified military construction projects and extends the authorization of certain projects from previous fiscal years; and

• authorizes the National Nuclear Security Administration, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Naval Petroleum Reserves, and Maritime Administration.

For additional information on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) see

• In Focus IF10516, Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA, and

• In Focus IF10515, Defense Primer: The NDAA Process.

Ukraine Support Act

This bill addresses the war between Russia and Ukraine by (1) providing assistance to Ukraine and certain European countries, and (2) establishing penalties for Russia and certain foreign persons (individuals and entities).

Assistance provided under the bill includes

• establishing a reconstruction trust fund for Ukraine,

• requiring the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to prioritize support for Ukraine,

• reviving the President’s authority to lend or lease defense articles to Ukraine or Eastern European countries affected by the war through FY2028,

• extending through 2027 the Department of Defense’s authority to provide security assistance and intelligence support to Ukrainian forces, and

• requiring the Department of State to take certain actions to build the capacity of the militaries and border forces of Baltic countries.

Additionally, the President must periodically determine if the Russian government or any proxy is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, refusing to sincerely negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine, or acting in violation of a negotiated peace agreement with Ukraine. If the President makes such a determination, the President must impose certain penalties including

• property- and visa-blocking sanctions on certain Russian officials;

• property-blocking sanctions on Russian companies in the oil and mining sectors, Rosatom (Russia's state-owned nuclear enterprise) and its subsidiaries, and certain Russian financial institutions; and

• increasing the rate of duty on all goods and services imported from Russia into the United States to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services.

No New Burma Funds Act

This bill requires the U.S. Executive Director at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to advocate and vote for a continued pause on IBRD disbursements and new financing commitments to Burma unless the Department of the Treasury determines this is not in the national interest.

The IBRD is one of the two major lending facilities of the World Bank and provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income countries and some creditworthy low-income countries. The World Bank paused disbursements and new financing to Burma after a 2021 military coup in that country.

FMS-Only List Review Act

This bill requires the Department of State to conduct an annual review to identify defense articles and services eligible to be sold only through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) (i.e., U.S. government to foreign government sales) that should also be eligible to be sold through Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) (i.e., U.S. company to foreign government sales).

For each article or service identified, the review must address (1) the length of time to complete a transfer of the article or service through the FMS program as compared to the DCS process; (2) the impact of a transfer of the article or service through the DCS process on the workload of the State Department and the Department of Defense; and (3) the benefits of the transfer of the article or service through the DCS process to U.S. national security and competitiveness.

Within 30 days of the completion of each annual review, the State Department must report to Congress on the results of the review.

No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act

This bill requires the Department of State to develop and implement a strategy to discourage foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations from providing financial or material support to the Taliban, including by using U.S.-provided foreign assistance to discourage countries and organizations from providing such support to the Taliban.

The State Department must report to Congress on (1) foreign countries and nongovernmental organizations that have provided financial or material support to the Taliban and U.S. efforts to oppose such support; (2) the strategy to discourage such support and a plan for the strategy's implementation; (3) U.S.-funded direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan; and (4) the Afghan Fund, including Taliban influence over Da Afghanistan Bank (the Afghan central bank).

Uyghur Policy Act of 2025

This bill addresses human rights issues concerning the Uyghurs and other minority groups residing primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in China.

The bill directs the Department of State to prioritize policies and programs to support the Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in the XUAR and to lead coordination efforts for the release of certain political prisoners in the XUAR.

The State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs may make certain funds available to human rights advocates working on behalf of Uyghurs and members of other persecuted minority groups from the XUAR. The funds shall be used to facilitate the presence of such human rights advocates at public diplomacy forums to speak on issues related to the human rights and religious freedoms of persecuted minority groups in China.

The State Department must ensure that Uyghur language training is available to Foreign Service officers. It must also ensure that a Uyghur-speaking member of the Foreign Service is assigned to U.S. diplomatic and consular posts in China.

Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025

This bill requires the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that are involved in or have direct ties to prominent criminal gangs in Haiti.

Specifically, the Department of State must periodically report to Congress on the ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti. The report must list (1) prominent criminal gangs in Haiti and the leaders thereof, and (2) Haitian political and economic elites who have direct links to criminal gangs and any organizations or entities controlled by these individuals. The President must impose sanctions on listed individuals and entities.

Under the bill, the term economic elites means board members, officers, and executives of groups, corporations, or other entities that exert substantial influence or control over Haiti’s economy, infrastructure, or particular industries. Political elites means current and former government officials and their high-level staff and political party or committee leaders.

The bill also applies civil and criminal penalties to persons that violate, attempt to violate, conspire to violate, or cause a violation of the regulations promulgated to carry out such sanctions.

Allied Defense Sales Act

This bill directs the Department of State to implement a strategy to encourage foreign entities to participate in a multinational military procurement process. The State Department must also periodically report on the strategy and its implementation.

Under the bill, this process involves the sale by the United States to a lead foreign nation of defense articles or services which are subsequently transferred to other qualifying countries.

The strategy must incorporate existing efforts by the State Department to, for example, survey interest, identify countries and partners who could serve as lead purchase coordinators, review pathways for participation for countries that are ineligible for foreign military financing loans, identify challenges and solutions regarding compliance with the Arms Export Control Act, and identify opportunities to develop and promote exportable defense articles and services (including for purposes of supporting the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

International Traffic in Arms Regulations Licensing Reform Act

This bill requires the Department of State to establish deadlines for the review of applications to export defense articles or services.

Specifically, the State Department must develop and maintain a list of countries and end users with respect to which expedited decision-making on applications to export defense articles and services is vital to U.S. national security. The State Department must submit this list to Congress annually.

Following publication of the list, the State Department, in coordination with the Department of Defense, must initiate a rulemaking process to establish timelines for decision-making with respect to (1) applications to export defense articles and services to countries or end users identified in the list, and (2) all other applications to export defense articles and services.

To the maximum extent practicable, applications for export to listed countries or end users must be acted on within 45 days of submission, and applications for export to other countries or end users must be acted on within 60 days of submission. These deadlines may be suspended under specified circumstances.

Finally, the State Department must submit a semiannual report to Congress identifying each application to export defense articles or services during the preceding 180 days that was not acted upon by the applicable deadline.

AUKUS Reform for Military Optimization and Review Act or the ARMOR Act

This bill expedites review processes for the export of certain defense articles and services to Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and Canada.

Specifically, the bill exempts from certain congressional notification requirements the export or transfer of defense articles or services subject to the defense trade partnership between Australia, the UK, and the United States (AUKUS). (Under current law, exports and transfers of defense articles and services to Australia and the UK are exempt from certain export controls pursuant to AUKUS. Separately, approvals of certain commercial agreements and the export of certain defense articles, services, and equipment are generally subject to congressional notification requirements and a waiting period.) Under the bill, exports and transfers that are exempt from export controls pursuant to AUKUS are also exempt from these congressional notification requirements.

Further, the bill requires the Department of State to periodically review the list of defense articles and services excluded from AUKUS to ensure it includes only items that (1) are required by statute to be included, or (2) require licensing review for national security reasons.

Finally, the bill explicitly states that the existing expedited review process for applications to export certain commercial, advanced-technology defense articles and services to Australia, the UK, and Canada is available to all exports and transfers, including reexports, retransfers, temporary imports, and brokering activity. Such exports and transfers must take place wholly within or between the territory of these countries or the United States.

Foreign Service Modernization Act

This bill requires or authorizes certain actions related to U.S. Foreign Service (FS) management and operations, including an increased focus on expeditionary diplomacy (a concept that emphasizes diplomats conducting direct diplomacy in high-risk environments outside of the embassy), expanded hiring pathways, and additional training requirements.

For example, the bill requires the Department of State to establish

• a team to develop a plan to improve the capability and willingness of FS members and leaders to engage in expeditionary diplomacy;

• a program to recruit qualified veterans and separating military personnel into the FS, including by integrating FS recruitment into military transition programs; and

• a Diplomatic Reserve Corps pilot program to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of a trained reserve cadre providing a surge workforce to support foreign affairs contingencies.

Additionally, the State Department is authorized to establish a structured training framework that is integrated into normal career progression with protected training periods (similar to the Armed Forces' professional military education model).

The bill specifies that FS members

• must successfully complete specified leadership and management training prior to assuming leadership assignments;

• who participate in approved external training, education, or details shall have certain employment protections (such as eligibility for promotions and pay increases on the same basis as those not on such assignments); and

• who undergo full-time, department-funded language training for more than six months must serve at least three consecutive tours in positions requiring proficiency in that language, with assignments beginning immediately after such language training.

Combatting International Drug Trafficking and Human Smuggling Partnership Act of 2025

This bill expands permitted U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) activities in foreign countries and provides for tort claims against the United States for certain CBP operations in foreign countries.

The bill allows officers and agents of the Air and Marine Operations of CBP to provide specified support to the government of foreign countries. In particular, officers and agents may provide support for

• monitoring, locating, and deterring the smuggling of illegal drugs, persons, or goods into the United States;

• tracking terrorist or other threats to the United States;

• emergency humanitarian efforts; and

• law enforcement capacity-building efforts.

The bill also allows CBP to expend appropriated funds to pay claims for money damages made against the United States that arise in a foreign country in connection with CBP operations. This includes money damages for injury, loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by certain acts or omissions of an employee of the agency while acting within the scope of his or her office or employment. Under current law, acts occurring in foreign countries are excepted from the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Claims made under the bill must be made no more than two years after the date of the incident. The authority to expend funds for such damages expires five years after the date of enactment of the bill.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2027 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs, activities, and military construction as well as the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE).

Among other elements, the bill

• authorizes the procurement of various items, including aircraft and ships;

• sets active duty and reserve component personnel strength levels;

• sets policy regarding various aspects of military health care and military compensation;

• sets policy regarding DOD acquisitions and acquisition management, including contracting authorities;

• sets policy for various matters related to DOD interactions with foreign nations, including matters concerning the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific;

• sets policy for various matters related to DOD cyber operations, cyber forces, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence;

• requires DOD to review certain materials (including boron carbide, copper foil, and synthetic diamond) to determine actions to maintain access to critical defense industry components and materials, and report to Congress on such matters;

• authorizes DOD's Office of Strategic Capital to make equity investments in non-federal entities with respect to batteries and critical minerals, materials, and chemicals;

• authorizes specified military construction projects and extends the authorization of certain projects from previous fiscal years; and

• authorizes the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.

For additional information on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) see

• In Focus IF10516, Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA, and

• In Focus IF10515, Defense Primer: The NDAA Process.

Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes programs and activities that combat international trafficking; establishes a new program to help victims of trafficking; and updates various elements of the federal framework to combat international trafficking.

Specifically, this bill reauthorizes through FY2029 programs and activities at various federal departments and agencies to combat international trafficking and reduce the prevalence of modern slavery. The bill also reauthorizes International Megan’s Law through FY2029. Among its provisions, the law requires sex offenders to provide certain information about their intended travel outside of the United States.

Additionally, the bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out a new program to help victims of trafficking integrate or reintegrate into society.

The bill requires the Department of State's Trafficking in Persons Report to include information about trafficking in persons for the purposes of organ removal.

With respect to country rankings for anti-trafficking efforts, the bill narrows the types of countries that are listed on the Tier 2 Watch List and increases the length of time a country may remain on the Tier 2 Watch List after being downgraded to the lowest ranking and then reinstated to the watch list. (The Tier 2 Watch List refers to countries that are making efforts to meet international standards for combatting human trafficking but still have a significant number of severe trafficking cases.)

Finally, the bill requires counter-trafficking strategies, activities, and efforts to be further incorporated into U.S. foreign assistance.