[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2924 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2924

 To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to establish the National 
  Russian Threat Response Center within the Office of the Director of 
             National Intelligence, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2017

Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Neal, Ms. Maxine Waters of 
California, Mr. Deutch, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr. 
   Keating) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and in addition to the 
Committee on Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to establish the National 
  Russian Threat Response Center within the Office of the Director of 
             National Intelligence, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. NATIONAL RUSSIAN THREAT RESPONSE CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--The National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
3001 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 119B the following 
new section:

``SEC. 119C. NATIONAL RUSSIAN THREAT RESPONSE CENTER.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is within the Office of the Director of 
National Intelligence a National Russian Threat Response Center (in 
this section referred to as the `Center').
    ``(b) Mission.--The primary missions of the Center shall be as 
follows:
            ``(1) To serve as the primary organization in the United 
        States Government for analyzing and integrating all 
        intelligence possessed or acquired by the United States 
        Government pertaining to threats posed by the Russian 
        Federation to the national security, political sovereignty, and 
        economic activity of the United States and its allies.
            ``(2) To synchronize the efforts of the intelligence 
        community with respect to countering efforts by Russia to 
        undermine the national security, political sovereignty, and 
        economic activity of the United States and its allies, 
        including by--
                    ``(A) ensuring that each such element is aware of 
                and coordinating on such efforts; and
                    ``(B) overseeing the development and implementation 
                of comprehensive and integrated policy responses to 
                such efforts.
            ``(3) In coordination with the relevant elements of the 
        Department of State, the Department of Defense, the 
        intelligence community, and other departments and agencies of 
        the United States--
                    ``(A) to develop policy recommendations for the 
                President to detect, deter, and respond to the threats 
                posed by Russia described in paragraph (1), including 
                with respect to covert activities pursuant to section 
                503; and
                    ``(B) to monitor and assess efforts by Russia to 
                carry out such threats.
            ``(4) In coordination with the head of the Global 
        Engagement Center established by section 1287 of the National 
        Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
        328), to examine current and emerging efforts by Russia to use 
        propaganda and information operations relating to the threats 
        posed by Russia described in paragraph (1).
            ``(5) To identify and close gaps across the departments and 
        agencies of the Federal Government with respect to expertise, 
        readiness, and planning to address the threats posed by Russia 
        described in paragraph (1).
    ``(c) Director.--
            ``(1) Appointment.--There is a Director of the Center, who 
        shall be the head of the Center, and who shall be appointed by 
        the Director of National Intelligence, with the concurrence of 
        the Secretary of State. The Director may not simultaneously 
        serve in any other capacity in the executive branch.
            ``(2) Reporting.--The Director of the Center shall directly 
        report to the Director of National Intelligence.
            ``(3) Responsibilities.--The Director of the Center shall--
                    ``(A) ensure that the relevant departments and 
                agencies of the Federal Government participate in the 
                mission of the Center, including by recruiting 
                detailees from such departments and agencies in 
                accordance with subsection (e)(1); and
                    ``(B) have primary responsibility within the United 
                States Government, in coordination with the Director of 
                National Intelligence, for establishing requirements 
                for the collection of intelligence related to, or 
                regarding, the threats posed by Russia described in 
                subsection (b)(1), in accordance with applicable 
                provisions of law and Executive orders.
    ``(d) Annual Reports.--
            ``(1) In general.--At the direction of the Director of 
        National Intelligence, but not less than once each year, the 
        Director of the Center shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees a report on threats posed by Russia to 
        the national security, political sovereignty, and economic 
        activity of the United States and its allies.
            ``(2) Matters included.--Each report under paragraph (1) 
        shall include, with respect to the period covered by the 
        report, a discussion of the following:
                    ``(A) The nature of the threats described in such 
                paragraph.
                    ``(B) The ability of the United States Government 
                to address such threats.
                    ``(C) The progress of the Center in achieving its 
                missions.
                    ``(D) Recommendations the Director determines 
                necessary for legislative actions to improve the 
                ability of the Center to achieve its missions.
            ``(3) Form.--Each report under paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex.
    ``(e) Employees.--
            ``(1) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be 
        detailed to the Center on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable 
        basis, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of 
        civil service status or privilege for a period of not more than 
        8 years.
            ``(2) Personal service contractors.--The Director of 
        National Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of 
        State, may hire United States citizens or aliens as personal 
        services contractors for purposes of personnel resources of the 
        Center, if--
                    ``(A) the Director of National Intelligence 
                determines that existing personnel resources are 
                insufficient;
                    ``(B) the period in which services are provided by 
                a personal services contractor, including options, does 
                not exceed 3 years, unless the Director of National 
                Intelligence determines that exceptional circumstances 
                justify an extension of up to 1 additional year;
                    ``(C) not more than 10 United States citizens or 
                aliens are employed as personal services contractors 
                under the authority of this paragraph at any time; and
                    ``(D) the authority of this paragraph is only used 
                to obtain specialized skills or experience or to 
                respond to urgent needs.
            ``(3) Security clearances.--Each employee detailed to the 
        Center and contractor of the Center shall have the security 
        clearance appropriate for the assigned duties of the employee 
        or contractor.
    ``(f) Board.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established a Board of the 
        National Russian Threat Response Center (in this section 
        referred to as the `Board').
            ``(2) Functions.--The Board shall conduct oversight of the 
        Center to ensure the Center is achieving the missions of the 
        Center. In conducting such oversight, upon a majority vote of 
        the members of the Board, the Board may recommend to the 
        Director of National Intelligence that the Director of the 
        Center should be removed for failing to achieve such missions.
            ``(3) Membership.--
                    ``(A) Appointment.--The Board shall consist of 6 
                members. The head of each department or agency of the 
                Federal Government specified in subparagraph (B) shall 
                appoint a senior official from that department or 
                agency, who shall be a member of the Senior Executive 
                Service, as a member.
                    ``(B) Departments and agencies represented.--The 
                department or agency of the Federal Government 
                specified in this subparagraph are the following:
                            ``(i) The Department of State.
                            ``(ii) The Department of Defense.
                            ``(iii) The Department of Justice.
                            ``(iv) The Department of the Treasury.
                            ``(v) The Department of Homeland Security.
                            ``(vi) The Central Intelligence Agency.
            ``(4) Meetings.--The Board shall meet not less than 
        biannually and shall be convened by the member appointed by the 
        Secretary of State.
    ``(g) International Engagement.--The Director of the Center may 
convene biannual conferences to coordinate international efforts 
against threats posed by Russia described in subsection (b)(1).
    ``(h) Termination.--The Center shall terminate on the date that is 
8 years after the date of the enactment of this section.
    ``(i) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
section, the term `appropriate congressional committees' means--
            ``(1) the congressional intelligence committees;
            ``(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
            ``(3) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee 
        on Armed Services of the Senate.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents at the beginning of 
such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
119B the following new item:

``Sec. 119C. National Russian Threat Response Center.''.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 507(a) of such Act (50 U.S.C. 
3106) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(6) An annual report submitted under section 
        119C(d)(1).''.
    (d) Funding.--
            (1) In general.--In addition to any other authority of the 
        Director of National Intelligence to transfer or reprogram 
        funds, the Director may transfer not more than $10,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2018 and 2019 to carry out the functions 
        of the National Russian Threat Response Center established by 
        section 119C of the National Security Act of 1947, as added by 
        subsection (a), during such fiscal years.
            (2) Notice.--The Director of National Intelligence shall 
        notify the congressional intelligence committees (as defined in 
        section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
        3003)) of a proposed transfer under paragraph (1) not less than 
        15 days prior to making such transfer.
            (3) Inapplicability of reprogramming requirements.--The 
        authority to transfer amounts under paragraph (1) shall not be 
        subject to any transfer or reprogramming requirements under any 
        other provision of law.
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