[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 745 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 745

    To establish the position of Climate Security Envoy within the 
  Department of State, who shall develop policies to address security 
concerns with climate change and serve as a liaison with other Federal 
  agencies and international partners on climate security issues, to 
 express concern with, and improved preparedness for, growing security 
      issues in the Arctic, to establish the position of Special 
         Representative for the Arctic, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 12, 2019

  Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Coons, Mr. 
Udall, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Booker, and 
  Mr. Schatz) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the position of Climate Security Envoy within the 
  Department of State, who shall develop policies to address security 
concerns with climate change and serve as a liaison with other Federal 
  agencies and international partners on climate security issues, to 
 express concern with, and improved preparedness for, growing security 
      issues in the Arctic, to establish the position of Special 
         Representative for the Arctic, 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 Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the impacts of climate change are--
                    (A) worsening natural disasters and global water, 
                food, health, and energy insecurities;
                    (B) contributing to the conditions that lead to 
                intrastate and interstate conflict, state instability, 
                and state failure; and
                    (C) straining United States and allied military 
                readiness, operations, and strategy;
            (2) the impacts of climate change on sea level and on the 
        Arctic region are among the most significant current and 
        projected impacts of climate change on national and 
        international security;
            (3) during the administrations of George H. W. Bush, 
        William J. Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack H. Obama, 
        various departments and agencies of the Federal Government 
        initiated actions to prepare for and reduce climate-change-
        related risks to national security;
            (4) the Intelligence Community, the Department of Defense, 
        the Department of State, a broad range of national security 
        experts and organizations, and key allies of the United States 
        have concluded that--
                    (A) the impacts of climate change already present a 
                strategically significant risk to the United States and 
                our allies and partners; and
                    (B) this risk will increase over time;
            (5) the collaboration of the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Navy, the 
        Department of the Air Force, the Department of Energy, the 
        National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National 
        Science Foundation on the National Earth System Prediction 
        Capability provides accurate global analysis and prediction 
        capabilities for the physical environment that enhances 
        response and prevention strategies to national security 
        threats;
            (6) comprehensive action must be taken to ensure that the 
        response of the United States and of our key international 
        partners is commensurate with the scale of the existing and 
        projected climate-related risks to national and international 
        security;
            (7) these responses should include actions--
                    (A) to reduce the contributions to climate change 
                caused by human activity; and
                    (B) to adapt to and to increase resiliency to the 
                impacts of climate change; and
            (8) the United States requires, but does not now have, 
        comprehensive and effective whole of government, whole of 
        nation, and international strategies to address existing 
        climate-related security risks and anticipated increases in 
        such risks.

SEC. 3. CLIMATE SECURITY ENVOY.

    Section 1 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 
U.S.C. 2651a) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (i); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g) Climate Security Envoy.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint, by 
        and with the advice and consent of the Senate, a Climate 
        Security Envoy, who shall serve within the Office of the 
        Secretary of State.
            ``(2) Duties.--The Climate Security Envoy--
                    ``(A) shall develop a climate security policy in 
                accordance with paragraph (3);
                    ``(B) shall coordinate the integration of the 
                climate security policy into applied strategies across 
                programmatic and regional bureaus and into the 
                Department of State's decision-making processes;
                    ``(C) shall serve as a key point of contact for 
                other Federal agencies, including the Department of 
                Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the 
                Intelligence Community, on climate security issues;
                    ``(D) shall use the voice, vote, and influence of 
                the United States to encourage other countries and 
                international multilateral organizations to support the 
                principles of the climate security policy implemented 
                under paragraph (3);
                    ``(E) shall perform such other duties and exercise 
                such powers as the Secretary of State shall prescribe; 
                and
                    ``(F) may not perform the functions of the Special 
                Envoy for Climate Change to the United Nations or serve 
                as the United States negotiator in any international 
                fora to address climate change.
            ``(3) Climate security policy.--The Climate Security Envoy 
        shall develop and implement a climate security policy that 
        includes requirements for the Bureau of Conflict and 
        Stabilization Operations, the Bureau of Political-Military 
        Affairs, embassies, regional bureaus, and other offices with a 
        role in conflict avoidance, prevention and security assistance, 
        or humanitarian disaster response, prevention, and assistance 
        to assess, develop, budget for, and (upon approval) implement 
        plans, policies, and actions--
                    ``(A) to enhance resilience to the effects of 
                climate change as a principal means of reducing the 
                risk of conflict and instability;
                    ``(B) to evaluate specific added risks to certain 
                regions and countries that are--
                            ``(i) vulnerable to the effects of climate 
                        change; and
                            ``(ii) strategically significant to the 
                        United States;
                    ``(C) to account for the impacts on human health, 
                safety, stresses, reliability, food production, fresh 
                water and other critical natural resources, and 
                economic activity;
                    ``(D) to coordinate the integration of climate 
                change risk and vulnerability assessments into the 
                decision-making process on foreign assistance awards;
                    ``(E) to advance principles of good governance by 
                encouraging foreign governments, particularly nations 
                that are least capable of coping with the effects of 
                climate change--
                            ``(i) to conduct climate security 
                        evaluations; and
                            ``(ii) to facilitate the development of 
                        climate security action plans to ensure 
                        stability and public safety in disaster 
                        situations in a humane and responsible fashion; 
                        and
                    ``(F) to evaluate the vulnerability, security, 
                susceptibility, and resiliency of United States assets 
                and interests abroad.
            ``(4) Report.--The Climate Security Envoy shall regularly 
        report to the Secretary of State on activities described in 
        paragraphs (2) and (3) to integrate climate concerns into 
        agendas and program budget requests.
            ``(5) Rank and status of ambassador.--The Climate Security 
        Envoy shall have the rank and status of Ambassador at Large.
            ``(6) Defined term.--In this subsection, the term `climate 
        security' means the effects of climate change on--
                    ``(A) United States national security concerns and 
                subnational, national, and regional political 
                stability; and
                    ``(B) overseas security and conflict situations 
                that are potentially exacerbated by dynamic 
                environmental factors and events, including--
                            ``(i) the intensification and frequency of 
                        droughts, floods, wildfires, tropical storms, 
                        and other extreme weather events;
                            ``(ii) changes in historical severe 
                        weather, drought, and wildfire patterns;
                            ``(iii) the expansion of geographical 
                        ranges of droughts, floods, and wildfires into 
                        regions that had not regularly experienced such 
                        phenomena;
                            ``(iv) global sea level rise patterns and 
                        the expansion of geographical ranges affected 
                        by drought; and
                            ``(v) changes in marine environments that 
                        effect critical geostrategic waterways, such as 
                        the Arctic Ocean, the South China Sea, the 
                        South Pacific Ocean, the Barents Sea, and the 
                        Beaufort Sea.''.

SEC. 4. ENHANCING UNITED STATES UNDERSTANDING ON GLOBAL CLIMATE 
              DISRUPTIONS.

    (a) In General.--The President shall conduct periodic comprehensive 
evaluations of present and ongoing disruptions to the global climate 
system that analyze--
            (1) the intensity, frequency, and range of natural 
        disasters;
            (2) the scarcity of global natural resources, including 
        fresh water;
            (3) global food, health, and energy insecurities;
            (4) conditions that contribute to--
                    (A) intrastate and interstate conflict;
                    (B) political and economic instability;
                    (C) migration of vulnerable and underserved 
                populations;
                    (D) state failure; and
                    (E) gender based violence; and
            (5) United States and allied military readiness, 
        operations, and strategy.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the evaluations conducted under 
subsection (a) shall be--
            (1) to support the practical application of scientific data 
        and research on climate change's dynamic effects around the 
        world towards improving resilience, adaptability, security, and 
        stability in the face of growing global environmental risks and 
        changes;
            (2) to ensure that the strategic planning and mission 
        execution of United States international development and 
        diplomatic missions adequately account for heightened and 
        dynamic risks and challenges associated with the effects of 
        climate change;
            (3) to improve coordination between United States science 
        agencies conducting research and forecasts on the causes and 
        effects of climate change and United States national security 
        agencies; and
            (4) to better understand the effects of global climate 
        disruptions on all genders, thereby leading to better, more 
        sustainable, and targeted solutions.
    (c) Scope.--The evaluations conducted under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) examine developing countries' vulnerabilities and risks 
        associated with global, regional, and localized effects of 
        climate change, including utilizing gender analysis; and
            (2) assess and make recommendations regarding necessary 
        measures to mitigate risks and reduce vulnerabilities 
        associated with effects, including--
                    (A) sea level rise;
                    (B) freshwater resource scarcity;
                    (C) wildfires; and
                    (D) increased intensity and frequency of extreme 
                weather conditions and events, including flooding, 
                drought, and extreme storm events, including tropical 
                cyclones.
    (d) Report.--The President shall--
            (1) compile a report containing a summary of the results of 
        the evaluations conducted under this section; and
            (2) make such report available to the public.

SEC. 5. TRANSPARENCY.

    (a) In General.--Any commission, advisory panel, or committee 
designated by the President to examine or evaluate climate security (as 
defined in section 1(g)(6) of the State Department Basic Authorities 
Act of 1956, as added by section 3) shall comply with the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).
    (b) Whistleblower Protections.--Section 2302(b)(8)(A) of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``, or'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
            (3) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
                            ``(ii) a deliberate manipulation, 
                        misjudgment, removal, or obfuscation of, or 
                        failure to take into account, data and 
                        information critical to fulsome or accurate 
                        national security assessment and planning; 
                        or''.
    (c) Accessibility of Processes.--The President shall ensure that 
the draft and final reports, studies, and policy recommendations 
relating to climate security research that are compiled by entities 
working under the direction of the Federal Government are made 
available to the public.

SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ARCTIC SECURITY.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the rapidly changing Arctic environment--
                    (A) creates new national and regional security 
                challenges due to increased military activity in the 
                Arctic;
                    (B) heightens the risks of potential conflicts 
                spilling over into the Arctic region from interventions 
                and theaters of tension in other regions of the world;
                    (C) threatens maritime safety due to inadequate 
                regional resource capacity to patrol the increases in 
                vessel traffic this remote region is experiencing from 
                the increased expanses of open Arctic water from 
                diminished annual levels of sea ice;
                    (D) impacts public safety due to increased human 
                activity in the Arctic region where search and rescue 
                capacity remains very limited; and
                    (E) threatens the health of the Arctic's fragile 
                and historically pristine environment and the unique 
                and highly sensitive species found in the Arctic's 
                marine and terrestrial ecosystems; and
            (2) the United States should reduce the consequences 
        outlined in paragraph (1) by--
                    (A) carefully evaluating the wide variety and 
                extremely dynamic set of security and safety risks 
                unfolding in the Arctic;
                    (B) developing policies and making preparations for 
                mitigating and responding to threats and risks in the 
                Arctic;
                    (C) adequately funding the National Earth System 
                Prediction Capability to substantively improve weather, 
                ocean, and ice predictions on time scales necessary for 
                ensuring regional security and trans-Arctic shipping;
                    (D) investing in resources, including a 
                significantly expanded icebreaker fleet, to ensure that 
                the United States has adequate capacity to prevent and 
                respond to security threats in the Arctic region; and
                    (E) pursuing diplomatic engagements with all 
                nations in the Arctic region to reach an agreement 
                for--
                            (i) maintaining peace and stability in the 
                        Arctic region; and
                            (ii) fostering cooperation on stewardship 
                        and safety initiatives in the Arctic region.

SEC. 7. UNITED STATES SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE ARCTIC.

    Section 1 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, as 
amended by section 3, is further amended by inserting after subsection 
(g) the following:
    ``(h) Special Representative for the Arctic.--
            ``(1) Designation.--The Secretary of State shall designate 
        a Special Representative for the Arctic--
                    ``(A) to coordinate the United States Government 
                response to international disputes and needs in the 
                Arctic;
                    ``(B) to represent the United States Government, as 
                appropriate, in multilateral fora in discussions 
                concerning access, cooperation, conservation, cultural 
                relations, and transit in the Arctic; and
                    ``(C) to formulate United States policy to assist 
                in the resolution of international conflicts in the 
                Arctic.
            ``(2) Other responsibilities.--The individual designated 
        under paragraph (1) may carry out the duties set forth in 
        paragraph (1) in addition to other assigned 
        responsibilities.''.
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