The House of Representatives passed a bill Friday to allow the Self-Defense Forces to use land transportation to rescue Japanese and foreigners caught up in emergencies abroad.
At present, the SDF law only allows the military to transport Japanese citizens who are overseas, and only by sea and air.
The revision was drafted in response to the hostage crisis in Algeria in January that left 10 Japanese and dozens of other foreigners dead. It will be sent to the Upper House for approval and is expected to clear the Diet before the extra sessions ends Dec. 6.