[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 673 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 673

     To establish within the executive branch of the Government an 
     interagency committee to review and coordinate United States 
nonproliferation efforts in the independent states of the former Soviet 
                                 Union.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               April 2 (legislative day, March 30), 2001

   Mr. Hagel (for himself, Mr. Biden, and Mr. Lugar) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                          Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To establish within the executive branch of the Government an 
     interagency committee to review and coordinate United States 
nonproliferation efforts in the independent states of the former Soviet 
                                 Union.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Nonproliferation Assistance 
Coordination Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) United States nonproliferation efforts in the 
        independent states of the former Soviet Union have achieved 
        important results in ensuring that weapons of mass destruction, 
        weapons-usable material and technology, and weapons-related 
        knowledge remain beyond the reach of terrorists and weapons-
        proliferating states;
            (2) although these efforts are in the United States 
        national security interest, the effectiveness of these efforts 
        suffers from a lack of coordination within and among United 
        States Government agencies;
            (3) increased spending and investment by the United States 
        private sector on nonproliferation efforts in the independent 
        states of the former Soviet Union, specifically, spending and 
        investment by the United States private sector in job creation 
        initiatives and proposals for unemployed Russian weapons 
        scientists and technicians, is making an important contribution 
        in ensuring that knowledge related to weapons of mass 
        destruction remains beyond the reach of terrorists and weapons-
        proliferating states; and
            (4) increased spending and investment by the United States 
        private sector on nonproliferation efforts in the independent 
        states of the former Soviet Union requires the establishment of 
        a coordinating body to ensure that United States public and 
        private efforts are not in conflict, and to ensure that public 
        spending on efforts by the independent states of the former 
        Soviet Union is maximized to ensure efficiency and further 
        United States national security interests.

SEC. 3. INDEPENDENT STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``independent states of the former Soviet 
Union'' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the FREEDOM 
Support Act (22 U.S.C. 5801).

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEE ON NONPROLIFERATION ASSISTANCE TO 
              THE INDEPENDENT STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established within the executive 
branch of the Government an interagency committee known as the 
``Committee on Nonproliferation Assistance to the Independent States of 
the Former Soviet Union'' (in this Act referred to as the 
``Committee'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of five 
        members, as follows:
                    (A) A representative of the Department of State 
                designated by the Secretary of State.
                    (B) A representative of the Department of Energy 
                designated by the Secretary of Energy.
                    (C) A representative of the Department of Defense 
                designated by the Secretary of Defense.
                    (D) A representative of the Department of Commerce 
                designated by the Secretary of Commerce.
                    (E) A representative of the Assistant to the 
                President for National Security Affairs designated by 
                the Assistant to the President.
            (2) Level of representation.--The Secretary of a department 
        named in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (1) 
        shall designate as the department's representative an official 
        of that department who is not below the level of an Assistant 
        Secretary of the department.
    (b) Chair.--The representative of the Assistant to the President 
for National Security Affairs shall serve as Chair of the Committee. 
The Chair may invite the head of any other department or agency of the 
United States to designate a representative of that department or 
agency to participate from time to time in the activities of the 
Committee.

SEC. 5. DUTIES OF COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The Committee shall have primary continuing 
responsibility within the executive branch of the Government for--
            (1) monitoring United States nonproliferation efforts in 
        the independent states of the former Soviet Union; and
            (2) coordinating the implementation of United States policy 
        with respect to such efforts.
    (b) Duties Specified.--In carrying out the responsibilities 
described in subsection (a), the Committee shall--
            (1) arrange for the preparation of analyses on the issues 
        and problems relating to coordination within and among United 
        States departments and agencies on nonproliferation efforts of 
        the independent states of the former Soviet Union;
            (2) arrange for the preparation of analyses on the issues 
        and problems relating to coordination between the United States 
        public and private sectors on nonproliferation efforts in the 
        independent states of the former Soviet Union, including 
        coordination between public and private spending on 
        nonproliferation programs of the independent states of the 
        former Soviet Union and coordination between public spending 
        and private investment in defense conversion activities of the 
        independent states of the former Soviet Union;
            (3) provide guidance on arrangements that will coordinate, 
        de-conflict, and maximize the utility of United States public 
        spending on nonproliferation programs of the independent states 
        of the former Soviet Union to ensure efficiency and further 
        United States national security interests;
            (4) encourage companies and nongovernmental organizations 
        involved in nonproliferation efforts of the independent states 
        of the former Soviet Union to voluntarily report these efforts 
        to the Committee;
            (5)(A) arrange for the preparation of analyses on the 
        issues and problems relating to the coordination between the 
        United States and other countries with respect to 
        nonproliferation efforts in the independent states of the 
        former Soviet Union; and
            (B) provide guidance and arrangements that will coordinate, 
        de-conflict, and maximize the utility of United States public 
        spending on nonproliferation programs of the independent states 
        of the former Soviet Union to ensure efficiency and further 
        United States national security interests; and
            (6) consider, and make recommendations to the President and 
        Congress with respect to, proposals for new legislation or 
        regulations relating to United States nonproliferation efforts 
        in the independent states of the former Soviet Union as may be 
        necessary.

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.

    All United States departments and agencies shall provide, to the 
extent permitted by law, such information and assistance as may be 
requested by the Committee or the Secretary of State in carrying out 
their functions and activities under this Act.

SEC. 7. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION.

    Information which has been submitted or received in confidence 
shall not be publicly disclosed, except to the extent required by law, 
and such information shall be used by the Committee only for the 
purpose of carrying out the functions and activities set forth in this 
Act.

SEC. 8. STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act--
            (1) applies to the data-gathering, regulatory, or 
        enforcement authority of any existing United States department 
        or agency over nonproliferation efforts in the independent 
        states of the former Soviet Union, and the review of those 
        efforts undertaken by the Committee shall not in any way 
        supersede or prejudice any other process provided by law; or
            (2) applies to any activity that is reportable pursuant to 
        title V of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 413 et 
        seq.).
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