The NATO Burden Sharing Report Act requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a detailed annual report to Congress by March 1 each year on how much NATO member countries and NATO membership action plan participants are spending on defense and contributing to military operations involving the United States. The report must include each country's defense budget in both dollar amounts and as a percentage of their economy, their contributions to Ukraine, limitations they place on military assistance, details about their defense industrial capabilities and military readiness, and any weapons they purchase through U.S. military sales programs. The bill reflects congressional concern that the United States bears too much of the burden for European security while some NATO allies fail to meet defense spending commitments and targets. Congress will receive these reports unclassified, though they may contain classified sections, and any member of Congress can request access to the information. The legislation does not authorize new spending but instead creates an annual oversight mechanism to inform Congress about allied military contributions and capabilities.
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