The House of Representatives International Relations Committee has voted in favour of US government funding for training both the Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
If passed into US law, the measure will authorise the US government aid agency, USAID, to fund training of both police forces and encourage inter-force operation.
Congress has resisted funding Northern Ireland police in previous years because of humans rights concerns.
The new State Department Reauthorisation Bill will allow USAID to provide "computer-based, human rights and other professional training" to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and also to provide training to the Garda Síochána "for the purposes of fostering greater cooperation and communication" between the two police forces.
The Bill is written as an adjustment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, and is likely to go before a full House of Representatives vote next month.
It will then go before the US Senate and a House of Representatives Senate conference before being signed into law by the President.
The new measure was introduced by New York Congressman, Mr Joseph Crowley, who also introduced another measure which would authorise $1 million funding for the George Mitchell Scholarship for the next two years. The scholarship, now in its forth year, funds US students who wish to study in Ireland.
"At this time, it is crucially important that USAID be allowed to work with the new police force of Northern Ireland. In order to come to a genuine and lasting peace between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, open channels of communication must exist," said Mr Crowley.
He added that the measure was in line with the Patten Commission recommendations for police reform in Northern Ireland.