[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3110 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3110
To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to establish a Climate
Security Intelligence Center within the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 5, 2019
Mr. Heck (for himself, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Welch, Mr. Himes, and Mr. Carson
of Indiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to establish a Climate
Security Intelligence 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Climate Security Intelligence Act of
2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The evidence for human-induced climate change is clear
and undeniable.
(2) According to the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of
the U.S. Intelligence Community, climate change will fuel
competition for resources, and cause economic distress and
social discontent through 2019 and beyond.
(3) In 2016, the National Intelligence Council found that
``climate change and its resulting effects are likely to pose
wide-ranging national security challenges for the United States
and other countries over the next 20 years.''.
(4) The intelligence community, the Department of Defense,
the Department of State, international organizations, and
national security experts have all concluded that the impacts
of climate change pose a significant risk to the national
security of the United States.
(5) The impacts of climate change--
(A) threaten the national security infrastructure
of the United States both domestically and abroad;
(B) negatively impact the readiness and operations
of the Armed Forces; and
(C) contribute to the conditions that lead to
subnational, national, regional, and global
instability.
(6) The intelligence community has previously analyzed,
studied, and engaged in public-private partnerships to improve
understanding about the effects of climate change on national
security, however, such efforts were undertaken in a sporadic
manner due to inconsistent policy commitment to such efforts.
(7) The United States needs to be fully prepared to respond
to the threats to and harmful impacts on national security from
climate change, but is not at the present time.
SEC. 3. CLIMATE SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
(a) Establishment.--Title I of the National Security Act of 1947
(50 U.S.C. 3021 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following
new section:
``SEC. 120. CLIMATE SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
``(a) Establishment.--There is within the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence a Climate Security Intelligence Center.
``(b) Director of Climate Security Intelligence Center.--There is a
Director of the Climate Security Intelligence Center, who shall be the
head of the Climate Security Intelligence Center, and who shall be
appointed by the Director of National Intelligence.
``(c) Duties of Center.--The duties of the Climate Security
Intelligence Center shall be as follows:
``(1) To serve as the primary organization within the
intelligence community for--
``(A) analyzing climate security threats and the
climate influence of the United States; and
``(B) identifying and disseminating climate
intelligence indications and warnings.
``(2) To assess and identify best practices in the analysis
of climate security, including identifying publicly available
information and clandestinely collected intelligence that
enables such analysis.
``(3) To assess and identify best practices with respect to
prior efforts of the intelligence community to analyze climate
security, including--
``(A) the Measurements of Earth Data for
Environmental Analysis program of the Central
Intelligence Agency;
``(B) the Center on Climate Change and National
Security of the Central Intelligence Agency; and
``(C) climate security-related activities of the
Director of National Intelligence.
``(4) To use the best practices identified under paragraphs
(2) and (3) to inform the work of the Climate Security
Intelligence Center.
``(5) To consult, as appropriate, with other elements of
the intelligence community and Federal agencies to avoid
duplication of existing efforts.
``(6) To perform such other duties as the Director of
National Intelligence shall specify.
``(d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the
enactment of the Climate Security Intelligence Act of 2019, and every
two years thereafter, the Climate Security Intelligence Center shall
submit to the congressional intelligence committees and the Director of
National Intelligence a report on the activities conducted by the
Center for the period covered by the report.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `climate security' means the effects of
climate change on the following:
``(A) The national security of the United States.
``(B) Infrastructure that enhances the national
security of the United States, including--
``(i) military installations, Department of
Defense facilities, intelligence community
facilities, and other physical facilities that
contribute to or otherwise support operations
of the intelligence community or the Department
of Defense; and
``(ii) critical infrastructure of the
United States (as defined in subsection (e) of
the Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of
2001 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e))).
``(C) Subnational, national, regional, and global
politics, governance, and political stability.
``(D) The security of allies and partners of the
United States.
``(E) Ongoing or potential political violence,
including unrest, rioting, guerrilla warfare,
insurgency, terrorism, rebellion, revolution, civil
war, and interstate war.
``(2) The term `climate influence of the United States'
means the global influence and leadership of the United States
with respect to the climate policies of other countries,
international organizations, and transnational groups.
``(3) The term `climate intelligence indications and
warnings' mean climate security developments with the potential
to--
``(A) imminently and substantially alter the
political stability or degree of human security in a
state or region; or
``(B) threaten the United States, the military,
political, or economic interests of allies or coalition
partners of the United States, or citizens of the
United States abroad.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 103(c) of the National Security
Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3025(c)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (14) as paragraph (15); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (13) the following new
paragraph:
``(14) The Climate Security Intelligence Center.''.
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the National
Security Act of 1947 is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 119B the following new item:
``Sec. 120. Climate Security Intelligence Center.''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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