109-163 , as amended. Enacted in 2005 as a temporary authority, "Section 1206" authority, as it is known, has been regularly extended. (2) Should Section 1206 be codified as permanent law? From FY2010 on, Section 1206 has also provided considerable funding to train and equip foreign military forces for stability operations, in particular to support the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Section 1206 Programs and Funding, FY2015

For FY2015, DOD submitted in November 2014 a request for a first tranche of $136.4 million for programs in 12 countries. As of the date of this report, congressional committees have not completed their review of those programs. Trends FY2006-FY2014

Total funding FY2006-FY2014 is some $2.2 billion. During this period, Section 1206 funding supported bilateral programs in over 40 countries, several multilateral programs, and an associated global human rights program. Section 1206 authority permits the Secretary of Defense to provide Section 1206 support with the "concurrence" (i.e., the approval) of the Secretary of State. Congressional Action: FY2015

		Senate Armed Services Committee Proposal and Conference Action

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) version of the FY2015 NDAA ( S. 2410 , as reported June 2, 2014) would codify (i.e., make permanent law) current Section 1206 global train and equip authority as part of Title X (Armed Services) of the U.S. Code, with a number of modifications. The conference version of the FY2015 NDAA, entitled the Carl Levin and Howard "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act of FY2015 ( S. 1847 , as contained in Rules Committee Print 113-58) retains the SASC proposal with a few changes. 3979), the conference version would make the following changes to current Section 1206 authority: 
expand the uses of support to foreign national military forces for participating in or supporting military and stability operations from operations in which the U.S. Armed Forces are participating to include allied or coalition operations that benefit U.S. national security interests; expand the types of support that DOD may provide under Section 1206 from equipment, supplies, training, and small-scale military construction to include defense services; redefine forces eligible for assistance, with counterterrorism training limited to foreign national military forces, maritime and border security forces, and other national-level security forces that have a counterterrorism mission, rather than available to all security forces as currently in law; retain for FY2015 the authorized limit of $350 million on funding specifically authorized and appropriated for use under Section 1206 authority, but, in effect, virtually eliminate a cap on funding for Section 1206 activities by allowing programs to be conducted with funds "otherwise made available" through annual appropriations; raise the cap on funding for Section 1206's second purpose (i.e., to train and equip foreign military forces to participate in or support allied or coalition military or stability operations) from $100 million to $150 million; change the limit on small-scale military construction from $25 million per fiscal year to 5% of all funds made available for Section 1206 programs in a fiscal year; permit the use of funds for supplies, training, defense services, and small-scale military construction associated with equipment that is delivered the fiscal year after a program commences for the year that a foreign country takes receipt of such equipment and the following fiscal year; and permit the use of Section 1206 funds to conduct assessments of the effectiveness of the program.
Section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2006, as amended and regularly extended, provides the Secretary of Defense with authority to train and equip foreign military forces for two specified purposes—counterterrorism and stability operations—and foreign security forces for counterterrorism operations. Section 1206 authority now extends through FY2017.
The conference version of the FY2015 NDAA somewhat modifies a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) proposal it its version of the FY2015 NDAA to codify this authority as permanent law under Title 10. In doing so, both the SASC proposal and the conference version would make several changes to the current temporary law.
The Department of Defense (DOD) values this authority as an important tool to train and equip military partners. Funds may be obligated only with the concurrence of the Secretary of State. Through 2009, DOD used Section 1206 authority primarily to provide counterterrorism support. Since FY2010, Section 1206 authority has also been used to provide significant assistance to train and equip foreign military forces for military and stability operations in which U.S. forces participate. Currently, there is a cap of $350 million on Section 1206 obligations per fiscal year.
Total funding thus far for Section 1206 programs since its inception in FY2006 is some $2.2 billion. During this period, Section 1206 funding supported bilateral programs in over 40 countries, several multilateral programs, and an associated global human rights program.
FY2014 programs notified to Congress totaled $314 million. These provided assistance to enable 10 European countries to participate in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, as well as assistance to five African countries.
For FY2015, DOD submitted in November 2014 a request for a first tranche of $136.4 million for programs in 12 countries. As of the date of this report, congressional committees have not completed their review of those programs.
For several years, some Members have been concerned with several issues related to Section 1206 authority, both narrow and broad. Specific current concerns have included whether Section 1206 funds are being used appropriately and effectively. Some of these concerns have been partially addressed. One key Section 1206 issue for the lame duck session of the 113th Congress is whether Section 1206 should be made permanent law by codifying it under Title 10, as the Senate Armed Services Committee proposes in its version of the FY2015 NDAA (S. 2410). The conference committee version of that bill (S. 1847, as contained in the Rules Committee Print 113-58) contains a modified version of the SASC proposal. The codification proposal raises questions of effectiveness and utility, as well whether the codification to Title 10 is consistent with past practice and whether it has implications for DOD budgets, roles, and missions.