To require the Secretary of Defense to appropriately consider Taiwan for enhanced defense industrial base cooperation activities.

HR 8238 requires the U.S. Secretary of Defense to consider Taiwan for defense industrial cooperation under the Taiwan Relations Act. It directs the Secretary to evaluate Taiwan's eligibility for defense research funding, memoranda of understanding, and cooperative projects focused on supply chain resilience and defense needs. The bill mandates a 180-day feasibility study assessing strategic benefits, legal aspects, and specific defense capabilities (like Taiwan-developed items needing U.S. components or U.S. defense products Taiwan cannot supply). This study must be submitted to congressional committees and will inform future defense industrial agreements between the U.S. and Taiwan. The bill affects U.S. defense policy and Taiwan's defense industry by establishing a formal process for exploring deeper defense cooperation.