text: SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds the following:
              (1) Since 2011, the terrorist group now known as the 
          Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has rapidly 
          expanded, now possessing greater funding, more personnel, and 
          heavier weapons than any other terrorist force.
              (2) ISIL has threatened to continue attacking United States 
          persons and interests and has an apocalyptic vision for a 
          larger confrontation with the United States and its allies in 
          the Middle East.
              (3) According to the United States intelligence community, 
          approximately 20,000 to 30,000 ISIL fighters operate in Iraq 
          and Syria, an estimated 3,000 of which are believed to have 
          western passports.
              (4) ISIL finances itself through looting, smuggling, taxes, 
          oil sales, kidnapping, and human trafficking.
              (5) According to United States officials, ISIL captured 
          approximately 1,500 Humvees, a number of other modern armored 
          vehicles and transport trucks, over 50 long-range Global 
          Positioning System (GPS)-guided artillery pieces, a substantial 
          number of artillery shells, a large quantity of small arms, 
          approximately 4,000 heavy machine guns, and other weapons from 
          the Iraqi Security Forces in June 2014, and has also reportedly 
          captured a number of other weapons and vehicles from Bashar al-
          Assad's forces in Syria.
              (6) The rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in 
          Iraq caused by ISIL advances in Iraq and Syria has resulted in 
          approximately 1,500,000 refugees and internally displaced 
          people from Syria and Iraq taking refuge in the Iraqi Kurdistan 
          region. The Kurdistan Regional Government is facing a 
          humanitarian and budget crisis while defending itself from 
          ISIL.
              (7) The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is the 
          democratically elected government of the Kurdistan Region in 
          Iraq, and Iraqi Kurds have been a reliable and stable partner 
          of the United States.
              (8) The Iraqi constitution guarantees the right of Iraqi 
          regions, such as Iraqi Kurdistan, to maintain ``internal 
          security forces for the region such as police, security forces, 
          and guards of the region''.
              (9) The Kurdish Peshmerga forces are officially organized 
          under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and commanded by the 
          Minister of Peshmerga, who reports to the President of the 
          Kurdistan Regional Government.
              (10) ISIL has positioned its forces along a 650-mile border 
          with the Kurdistan Regional Government's Peshmerga forces.
              (11) ISIL has employed captured armored vehicles, long-
          range artillery, and heavy weapons in attacking thinly 
          stretched Kurdish forces along the border.
              (12) United States airstrikes against ISIL targets have 
          helped stall the terrorist organization's advance on territory 
          held by Kurdish forces, but have not proven to be militarily 
          decisive against ISIL.
              (13) The United States and its allies have provided the 
          resupply of various small arms and training to Peshmerga forces 
          since June 2014.
              (14) Such resupply efforts, to comply with United States 
          law, must be approved and coordinated through the Government of 
          Iraq. In the initial phase of the resupply effort, the 
          Government of Iraq constrained and delayed the emergency supply 
          of weapons to the Kurdistan Regional Government.
              (15) The Peshmerga forces lack battle-ready armored 
          vehicles and the ability to take significant offensive action 
          against ISIL forces, leading to requests for such assistance.
              (16) Armored vehicles, anti-armor weapons, long-range 
          artillery, and other weapons are consistent with the Kurdistan 
          Regional Government's constitutional right to defend itself 
          against the clear and present danger posed by ISIL.
              (17) A strong Peshmerga force is essential to countering 
          the ISIL threat to Iraq, the region, and United States 
          interests.
              (18) The longer ISIL's sanctuary remains largely 
          unchallenged, the more time it will have to reinforce its 
          positions, and plan attacks against United States interests.
  
  SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
  
      It is the sense of Congress that--
              (1) defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant 
          (ISIL) is critical to maintaining a unified Iraq in which all 
          faiths and ethnicities are afforded equal protection and full 
          integration into the Iraqi government and society;
              (2) the people of Kurdistan face an urgent and deadly 
          threat from ISIL which the Iraqi Security Forces, of which the 
          Peshmerga are a component, are currently unable to match in 
          armaments;
              (3) any outstanding issues between the Government of Iraq 
          and the Kurdistan Regional Government should be resolved by the 
          two parties expeditiously to allow for a resumption of normal 
          relations; and
              (4) ISIL's recent advances and continued growth present an 
          imminent threat to Iraqi Kurdistan, the rest of Iraq and the 
          Middle East, and international security.
  
  SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
  
      It shall be the policy of the United States to directly provide the 
  Kurdistan Regional Government with advanced conventional weapons, 
  training, and defense services, on an emergency and temporary basis, to 
  more effectively partner with the United States and other international 
  coalition members to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant 
  (ISIL).
  
  SEC. 4. TEMPORARY EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION OF DEFENSE ARTICLES, DEFENSE 
                SERVICES, AND RELATED TRAINING DIRECTLY TO THE KURDISTAN 
                REGIONAL GOVERNMENT.
  
      (a) In General.--The President should consult with the Government 
  of Iraq in carrying out the authority provided in subsection (b).
      (b) Authorization.--
              (1) Military assistance.--The President is authorized to 
          provide defense articles, defense services, and related 
          training directly to the Kurdistan Regional Government for the 
          purpose of supporting international coalition efforts against 
          the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or any 
          successor group.
              (2) Defense exports.--The President is authorized to issue 
          licenses authorizing United States exporters to export defense 
          articles, defense services, and related training directly to 
          the Kurdistan Regional Government. For purposes of processing 
          applications for such export licenses, the President is 
          authorized to accept End Use Certificates approved by the 
          Kurdistan Regional Government.
              (3) Types of assistance.--Assistance authorized under 
          paragraph (1) and exports authorized under paragraph (2) may 
          include anti-tank and anti-armor weapons, armored vehicles, 
          long-range artillery, crew-served weapons and ammunition, 
          secure command and communications equipment, body armor, 
          helmets, logistics equipment, excess defense articles and other 
          military assistance that the President determines to be 
          appropriate.
      (c) Relationship to Existing Authorities; Conditions of 
  Eligibility.--
              (1) Relationship to existing authorities.--Assistance 
          authorized under subsection (b)(1) and licenses for exports 
          authorized under subsection (b)(2) shall be provided pursuant 
          to the applicable provisions of the Arms Export Control Act (22 
          U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
          U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), notwithstanding any requirement in such 
          applicable provisions of law that a recipient of assistance of 
          the type authorized under subsection (b)(1) shall be a country 
          or international organization.
              (2) Conditions of eligibility.--In addition to such other 
          provisions as the President may require, no defense article, 
          defense service, or related training may be provided to the 
          Kurdistan Regional Government under the authority of subsection 
          (b)(1) or (b)(2) unless the Kurdistan Regional Government 
          agrees that--
                      (A) it will not provide any such defense article, 
                  defense service, or related training to anyone who is 
                  not an officer, employee, or agent of the Kurdistan 
                  Regional Government, and
                      (B) it will not use or permit the use of any such 
                  defense article, defense service, or related training 
                  for purposes other than the purposes for which it was 
                  provided,
          unless the consent of the President has first been obtained.
      (d) Report.--
              (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
          the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
          appropriate congressional committees a report on the following:
                      (A) The anticipated defense articles, defense 
                  services, and related training to be provided under the 
                  authority of subsections (b)(1) and (b)(2).
                      (B) A timeline for the provision of such defense 
                  articles, defense services, and related training.
                      (C) A description of mechanisms and procedures for 
                  end-use monitoring of such defense articles, defense 
                  services, and related training.
                      (D) How such defense articles, defense services, 
                  and related training would contribute to the foreign 
                  policy and national security of the United States, as 
                  well as impact security in the region.
              (2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``appropriate 
          congressional committees'' means--
                      (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
                  on Appropriations, and the Committee on Armed Services 
                  of the House of Representatives; and
                      (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
                  Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Armed 
                  Services of the Senate.
      (e) Notification.--The President should provide notification to the 
  Government of Iraq prior to defense articles, defense services, or 
  related training being provided to the Kurdistan Regional Government 
  under the authority of subsection (b)(1) or (b)(2).
      (f) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``defense article'', 
  ``defense service'', and ``training'' have the meanings given those 
  terms in section 47 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2794).
      (g) Termination.--The authority to provide defense articles, 
  defense services, and related training under subsection (b)(1) and the 
  authority to issue licenses for exports authorized under subsection 
  (b)(2) shall terminate on the date that is 3 years after the date of 
  the enactment of this Act.
target: Expresses the sense of Congress that:   defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is critical to maintaining a unified Iraq in which all faiths and ethnicities are afforded equal protection and full integration into the government and society;  the people of Kurdistan face a deadly threat from ISIL which the Iraqi Security Forces, of which the Peshmerga are a component, are currently unable to match in armaments;  any outstanding issues between the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional government (KRG) should be resolved expeditiously to allow for a resumption of normal relations; and  ISIL's continued growth presents an imminent threat to Iraqi Kurdistan, the rest of Iraq and the Middle East, and international security.  Authorizes the President to: (1) provide defense articles, defense services, and related training directly to the KRG to support international coalition efforts against ISIL or any successor group; and (2) issue licenses authorizing U.S. exporters to export defense articles, defense services, and related training directly to the KRG. Prohibits the provision of any defense article, service, or related training to the KRG under this Act unless the KRG agrees that it will not:   provide any such defense article, service, or training to anyone who is not a KRG officer, employee, or agent; or  use or permit the use of any such defense article, service, or training for purposes other than those for which it was provided, unless the President's consent has been obtained.  
feat_title: To authorize the direct provision of defense articles, defense services, and related training to the Kurdistan Regional Government, and for other purposes.