A bipartisan bill in the US House of Representatives is seeking to establish a formal United States-India Interparliamentary Group, reviving a long-stalled proposal for a structured legislative channel between the US Congress and the Indian Parliament. The bill, H.R. 10819, was introduced on Thursday, 17 October 2026, and has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The Bill and Its Sponsors

Republican Congressman James Gallagher of California introduced the legislation, titled 'To establish a United States-India Interparliamentary Group.' The bill has two original co-sponsors: Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga of Michigan and Indian American Democratic Congressman Shri Thanedar, also of Michigan. The bipartisan support signals cross-aisle interest in deepening India-US legislative ties.

Gallagher cited the constitutional basis for the bill, stating: 'The Constitutional authority on which this bill rests is the Necessary and Proper Clause under Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the U.S. Constitution.'

A Proposal That Has Stalled Twice Before

This is not the first time such a measure has been floated. Two earlier versions — titled the United States-India Interparliamentary Exchange Act — were introduced by Democratic Congressman Jim McDermott of Washington in 2007 and again in 2009. Neither bill received a floor vote, leaving the proposal dormant for over a decade.

Those earlier bills had proposed that 'not to exceed 12 Members of Congress shall be appointed to meet annually' with 'representatives of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of the Parliament of India for discussion of common issues in the interest of relations between the United States and India.' Half the members were to be appointed by the House Speaker — including both co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans — and the remaining half by the Senate President pro tempore. Those bills also authorised 'no more than $100,000 for each fiscal year' for group expenses and required an annual spending report to Congress.

How It Fits into Existing US Practice

The US Congress already maintains similar interparliamentary groups with a number of countries. Notably, Congressman Huizenga himself leads the US-Canada Interparliamentary Group, according to his House biography — bringing direct institutional experience to this initiative.

Congressional Delegation's Recent India Outreach

The bill's introduction comes weeks after Gallagher and Thanedar were part of a congressional delegation that met Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in New Delhi on 27 September. That meeting underscores the broader legislative-level engagement that backers of H.R. 10819 say this bill would formalise.

This comes amid an overall strengthening of India-US strategic ties, with both governments deepening cooperation on defence, trade, and technology. A formal interparliamentary channel, if eventually established, would give legislators on both sides a structured forum to discuss shared concerns — a mechanism that diplomats and think tanks have long argued is missing from the bilateral relationship.

Whether H.R. 10819 will advance further than its predecessors remains to be seen, with the bill now awaiting action in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.