The House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday to extend the antiterrorism law another year to allow the Maritime Self-Defense Force to continue refueling U.S.-led coalition vessels in the Indian Ocean.
The bill is expected to clear the House of Councilors and become law around Oct. 26, lawmakers said.
The special antiterrorism law, due to expire Nov. 1, was enacted in October 2001 after the 9/11 attacks in the United States. The legislation was extended for two years in October 2003.
As of early September, the MSDF had provided 410,000 kiloliters, worth 16.2 billion, yen of fuel to vessels from 11 countries, according to the Defense Agency.
The bill passed the Lower House on a majority vote by members of the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito.
The main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, had earlier considered supporting the extension as a means of strengthening the Japan-U.S. security alliance under the initiative of DPJ President Seiji Maehara and some other party leaders.
But the DPJ decided to vote against it after party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa opposed the idea.