[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4488 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 638
117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4488

                          [Report No. 117-254]

To establish an interagency committee on global catastrophic risk, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 23, 2022

   Mr. Portman (for himself, Mr. Peters, Mr. Cornyn, and Ms. Hassan) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

                           December 13, 2022

               Reported by Mr. Peters, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish an interagency committee on global catastrophic risk, and 
                          for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Catastrophic Risk 
Management Act of 2022''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Basic need.--The term ``basic need''--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) means any good, service, or activity 
                necessary to protect the health, safety, and general 
                welfare of the civilian population of the United 
                States; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) includes--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) food;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) water;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) shelter;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) basic communication services; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (v) public safety.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Catastrophic incident.--The term 
        ``catastrophic incident'' means an incident, whether caused by 
        human or natural events, in which multiple levels of United 
        States critical infrastructure are destroyed, damaged or 
        interrupted in sufficient magnitude to threaten the health, 
        safety, or general welfare of the civilian population of the 
        United States.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Committee.--The term ``committee'' means the 
        interagency committee on global catastrophic risk established 
        under section 3.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical 
        infrastructure'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        1016(e) of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2001 
        (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Existential risk.--The term ``existential 
        risk'' means the risk of human extinction.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Global catastrophic risk.--The term ``global 
        catastrophic risk'' means the risk of events or incidents 
        consequential enough to significantly harm, set back, or 
        destroy human civilization at the global scale.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) Global catastrophic and existential threats.--
        The term ``global catastrophic and existential threats'' means 
        those threats that with varying likelihood can produce 
        consequences severe enough to result in significant harm or 
        destruction of human civilization at the global scale, or lead 
        to human extinction. Examples of global catastrophic and 
        existential threats include severe global pandemics, nuclear 
        war, asteroid and comet impacts, supervolcanoes, sudden and 
        severe changes to the climate, and intentional or accidental 
        threats arising from the use and development of emerging 
        technologies.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) National exercise.--The term ``national 
        exercise'' means a national exercise described in section 
        648(b) of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 
        2006 (6 U.S.C. 748(b)).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) Tribal government.--The term ``Tribal 
        government'' means the recognized governing body of any Indian 
        or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, 
        community, component band, or component reservation, that is 
        individually identified (including parenthetically) in the most 
        recent list published pursuant to section 104 of the Federally 
        Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 
        5131).</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON GLOBAL CATASTROPHIC 
              RISK.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the President shall establish an interagency 
committee on global catastrophic risk.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Membership.--The committee shall include senior 
representatives of--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Assistant to the President for National 
        Security Affairs;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Director of the Office of Science and 
        Technology Policy;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the Director of National Intelligence and the 
        Director of the National Intelligence Council;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the Secretary of Homeland Security and the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary 
        of State for Arms Control and International Security;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) the Attorney General and the Director of the 
        Federal Bureau of Investigation;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) the Secretary of Energy, the Under Secretary 
        of Energy for Nuclear Security, and the Director of 
        Science;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) the Secretary of Health and Human Services and 
        the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 
        Response;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) the Secretary of Commerce, the Under Secretary 
        of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and the Under Secretary 
        of Commerce for Standards and Technology;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) the Secretary of the Interior and the 
        Director of the United States Geological Survey;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (11) the Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (12) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 
        and Space Administration;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (13) the Director of the National Science 
        Foundation;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (14) the Secretary of the Treasury;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (15) the Chair of the Board of Governors of the 
        Federal Reserve System;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (16) the Secretary of Defense; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (17) other stakeholders the President determines 
        appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Chairmanship.--The committee shall be co-chaired by a 
senior representative of the President and the Deputy Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Resilience.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. REPORT REQUIRED.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the President, with support from the committee, 
shall conduct and submit to Congress a detailed assessment of global 
catastrophic and existential risk.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Matters Covered.--The report required under subsection 
(a) shall include--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) expert estimates of cumulative global 
        catastrophic and existential risk in the next 30 years, 
        including separate estimates for the likelihood of occurrence 
        and potential consequences;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) expert-informed analyses of the risk of the 
        most concerning specific global catastrophic and existential 
        threats, including separate estimates, where reasonably 
        feasible and credible, of each threat for its likelihood of 
        occurrence and its potential consequences, as well as 
        associated uncertainties;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) a comprehensive list of potential catastrophic 
        or existential threats, including even those that may have very 
        low likelihood;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) technical assessments and lay explanations of 
        the analyzed global catastrophic and existential risks, 
        including their qualitative character and key factors affecting 
        their likelihood of occurrence and potential 
        consequences;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) an explanation of any factors that limit the 
        ability of the President to assess the risk both cumulatively 
        and for particular threats, and how those limitations may be 
        overcome through future research or with additional resources, 
        programs, or authorities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) a review of the effectiveness of intelligence 
        collection, early warning and detection systems, or other 
        functions and programs necessary to evaluate the risk of 
        particular global catastrophic and existential threats, if any 
        exist and as applicable for particular threats;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) a forecast of if and why global catastrophic 
        and existential risk is likely to increase or decrease 
        significantly in the next 30 years, both qualitatively and 
        quantitatively, as well as a description of associated 
        uncertainties;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) proposals for how the Federal Government may 
        more adequately assess global catastrophic and existential risk 
        on an ongoing basis in future years;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) recommendations for legislative actions, as 
        appropriate, to support the evaluation and assessment of global 
        catastrophic and existential risk; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) other matters deemed appropriate by the 
        President.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Consultation Requirement.--In producing the report 
required under subsection (a), the President shall regularly consult 
with experts on global catastrophic and existential risks, including 
from non-governmental, academic, and private sector 
institutions.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
annex.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. REPORT ON CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS AND CONTINUITY OF 
              GOVERNMENT PLANNING.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the 
submission of the report required under section 4, the President shall 
produce a report on the adequacy of continuity of operations and 
continuity of government plans based on the assessed global 
catastrophic and existential risk.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Matters Covered.--The report required under subsection 
(a) shall include--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) a detailed assessment of the ability of 
        continuity of government and continuity of operations plans and 
        programs, as defined by Executive Order 13961, Presidential 
        Policy Directive-40, or successor policies, to maintain 
        national essential functions following global catastrophes, 
        both cumulatively and for particular threats;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) an assessment of the need to revise Executive 
        Order 13961, Presidential Policy Directive-40, or successor 
        policies to account for global catastrophic and existential 
        risk cumulatively or for particular threats;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) a budget proposal for continuity of government 
        and continuity of operations programs necessary to adequately 
        maintain national essential functions during global 
        catastrophes;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) recommendations for legislative actions 
        necessary to improve continuity of government and continuity of 
        operations plans and programs; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) other matters deemed appropriate by the co-
        chairs.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
annex.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. STRATEGY TO ENSURE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND GENERAL 
              WELFARE OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION OF THE UNITED 
              STATES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the President, with support from the committee, 
shall develop and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a 
strategy to--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) provide for the basic needs of the civilian 
        population of the United States that is impacted by 
        catastrophic incidents in the United States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) coordinate response efforts with State and 
        local governments, the private sector, and nonprofit relief 
        organizations;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) promote personal and local readiness and non-
        reliance on government relief during periods of heightened 
        tension or after catastrophic incidents; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) develop international partnerships with allied 
        nations for the provision of relief services and 
        goods.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Elements of the Strategy.--The strategy developed 
under subsection (a) shall include a description of--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) actions the President will take to ensure the 
        basic needs of the civilian population of the United States in 
        a catastrophic incident are met;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) how the President will coordinate with non-
        Federal entities to multiply resources and enhance relief 
        capabilities, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) State and local governments;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Tribal governments;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) State disaster relief 
                agencies;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) State and local disaster relief 
                managers;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) State National Guards;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) law enforcement and first response 
                entities; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) nonprofit relief services;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) actions the President will take to enhance 
        individual resiliency to the effects of a catastrophic 
        incident, which actions shall include--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) readiness alerts to the public during 
                periods of elevated threat;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) efforts to enhance domestic supply and 
                availability of critical goods and basic necessities; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) information campaigns to ensure the 
                public is aware of response plans and services that 
                will be activated when necessary;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) efforts the President will undertake and 
        agreements the President will seek with international allies to 
        enhance the readiness of the United States to provide for the 
        general welfare;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) how the strategic plan will be implemented 
        should multiple levels of critical infrastructure be destroyed 
        or taken offline entirely for an extended period of 
        time;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) how the strategic plan will be made 
        operational within the larger response strategy of the United 
        States; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) the authorities the President would implicate 
        in responding to a catastrophic incident.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Assumptions.--In designing the strategy under 
subsection (a), the President shall account for certain factors to make 
the strategy operationally viable, including the assumption that--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) multiple levels of critical infrastructure 
        have been taken offline or destroyed by catastrophic incidents 
        or the effects of catastrophic incidents;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) impacted sectors include--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the transportation sector;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the communication sector;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the energy sector;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the healthcare and public health 
                sector;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) the water and wastewater sector; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) the financial sector;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) State and local governments have been equally 
        affected or made largely inoperable by catastrophic incidents 
        or the effects of catastrophic incidents;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the emergency has exceeded the response 
        capabilities of State and local governments under the Robert T. 
        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
        U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and other relevant disaster response laws; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the United States military is sufficiently 
        engaged in armed or cyber conflict with State or non-State 
        adversaries, or is otherwise unable to augment domestic 
        response capabilities in a significant manner due to a 
        catastrophic incident.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Existing Plans.--The President may incorporate 
existing contingency plans in the strategy developed under subsection 
(a) so long as those contingency plans are amended to be operational in 
accordance with the requirements under this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Availability.--The strategy developed under subsection 
(a) shall be available to the public but may include a classified, or 
other restricted, annex to be made available to the appropriate 
committees of Congress and appropriate government entities.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Not later than 90 days after the issuance of the strategy 
required under section 6, the President shall issue a plan to implement 
and operationalize the strategy, which shall include--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) steps the President will take to prepare 
        implicated entities for mobilization under the strategy; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) specific actions the President will take to--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) ensure the continued readiness of the 
                United States to implement the strategy;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) educate the public on the strategy and 
                the role individual citizens should play to ensure the 
                objectives of the strategy are met;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) ensure the objectives of the strategy 
                are met; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) ensure foreign adversaries are not 
                able to undermine the operationalization of the 
                strategy.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 8. NATIONAL RESPONSE EXERCISE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the issuance 
of the implementation plan required under section 7, the Department of 
Homeland Security shall lead a national exercise, in coordination with 
the committee, to test and enhance the operationalization of the 
implementation plan.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Requirements.--A national exercise conducted under 
this section shall include participation from most or all entities 
implicated by the strategy required under section 4, 
including:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) State, local, and Tribal 
        governments.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Information sharing and analysis 
        centers.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Owners and operators of critical 
        infrastructure.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 9. RECOMMENDATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The President shall provide 
recommendations to Congress for--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) actions that should be taken to prepare the 
        United States to implement the strategy required under section 
        6, increase readiness, and address preparedness gaps for 
        responding to the impacts of catastrophic incidents on citizens 
        of the United States; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) additional authorities that should be 
        considered for Federal agencies and the President to more 
        effectively implement the strategy required under section 
        6.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Inclusion in Reports.--The President may include the 
recommendations required under subsection (a) in a report submitted 
under section 10.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 10. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Not later than 1 year after the date on which Department 
of Homeland Security leads the national exercise under section 8, the 
President shall submit to Congress a report that includes--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) a description of the efforts of the President 
        to develop and update the strategy required under section 
        6;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) a description of the efforts of the President 
        to develop and update the implementation plan required under 
        section 7; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) an analysis of the effectiveness and benefit 
        of the national exercise conducted under section 8.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Catastrophic Risk Management 
Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Basic need.--The term ``basic need''--
                    (A) means any good, service, or activity necessary 
                to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of 
                the civilian population of the United States; and
                    (B) includes--
                            (i) food;
                            (ii) water;
                            (iii) shelter;
                            (iv) basic communication services;
                            (v) basic sanitation and health services; 
                        and
                            (vi) public safety.
            (2) Catastrophic incident.--The term ``catastrophic 
        incident''--
                    (A) means any natural or man-made disaster that 
                results in extraordinary levels of casualties or 
                damage, mass evacuations, or disruption severely 
                affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, 
                economy, national morale, or government functions in an 
                area; and
                    (B) may include an incident--
                            (i) with a sustained national impact over a 
                        prolonged period of time;
                            (ii) that may rapidly exceed resources 
                        available to State and local government and 
                        private sector authorities in the impacted 
                        area; or
                            (iii) that may significantly interrupt 
                        governmental operations and emergency services 
                        to such an extent that national security could 
                        be threatened.
            (3) Committee.--The term ``committee'' means the 
        interagency committee on global catastrophic risk established 
        under section 3.
            (4) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical 
        infrastructure'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        1016(e) of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2001 
        (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)).
            (5) Existential risk.--The term ``existential risk'' means 
        the potential for an outcome that would result in human 
        extinction.
            (6) Global catastrophic risk.--The term ``global 
        catastrophic risk'' means the risk of events or incidents 
        consequential enough to significantly harm, set back, or 
        destroy human civilization at the global scale.
            (7) Global catastrophic and existential threats.--The term 
        ``global catastrophic and existential threats'' means those 
        threats that with varying likelihood can produce consequences 
        severe enough to result in significant harm or destruction of 
        human civilization at the global scale, or lead to human 
        extinction. Examples of global catastrophic and existential 
        threats include severe global pandemics, nuclear war, asteroid 
        and comet impacts, supervolcanoes, sudden and severe changes to 
        the climate, and intentional or accidental threats arising from 
        the use and development of emerging technologies.
            (8) National exercise program.--The term ``national 
        exercise program'' means activities carried out to test and 
        evaluate the national preparedness goal and related plans and 
        strategies as described in section 648(b) of the Post-Katrina 
        Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 748(b)).
            (9) Tribal government.--The term ``Tribal government'' 
        means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska 
        Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, 
        component band, or component reservation, that is individually 
        identified (including parenthetically) in the most recent list 
        published pursuant to section 104 of the Federally Recognized 
        Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).

SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON GLOBAL CATASTROPHIC RISK.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the President shall establish an interagency 
committee on global catastrophic risk.
    (b) Membership.--The committee shall include senior representatives 
of--
            (1) the Assistant to the President for National Security 
        Affairs;
            (2) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
        Policy;
            (3) the Director of National Intelligence and the Director 
        of the National Intelligence Council;
            (4) the Secretary of Homeland Security and the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
            (5) the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary of State 
        for Arms Control and International Security;
            (6) the Attorney General and the Director of the Federal 
        Bureau of Investigation;
            (7) the Secretary of Energy, the Under Secretary of Energy 
        for Nuclear Security, and the Director of Science;
            (8) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
        Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and the 
        Assistant Secretary of Global Affairs;
            (9) the Secretary of Commerce, the Under Secretary of 
        Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and the Under Secretary of 
        Commerce for Standards and Technology;
            (10) the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the 
        United States Geological Survey;
            (11) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency and the Assistant Administrator for Water;
            (12) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and 
        Space Administration;
            (13) the Director of the National Science Foundation;
            (14) the Secretary of the Treasury;
            (15) the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal 
        Reserve System;
            (16) the Secretary of Defense, the Assistant Secretary of 
        the Army for Civil Works, and the Chief of Engineers and 
        Commanding General of the Army Corps of Engineers;
            (17) the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
            (18) the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development; and
            (19) other stakeholders the President determines 
        appropriate.
    (c) Chairmanship.--The committee shall be co-chaired by a senior 
representative of the President and the Deputy Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency for Resilience.

SEC. 4. REPORT REQUIRED.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and every 10 years thereafter, the President, with support 
from the committee, shall conduct and submit to Congress a report 
containing a detailed assessment of global catastrophic and existential 
risk.
    (b) Matters Covered.--Each report required under subsection (a) 
shall include --
            (1) expert estimates of cumulative global catastrophic and 
        existential risk in the next 30 years, including separate 
        estimates for the likelihood of occurrence and potential 
        consequences;
            (2) expert-informed analyses of the risk of the most 
        concerning specific global catastrophic and existential 
        threats, including separate estimates, where reasonably 
        feasible and credible, of each threat for its likelihood of 
        occurrence and its potential consequences, as well as 
        associated uncertainties;
            (3) a comprehensive list of potential catastrophic or 
        existential threats, including even those that may have very 
        low likelihood;
            (4) technical assessments and lay explanations of the 
        analyzed global catastrophic and existential risks, including 
        their qualitative character and key factors affecting their 
        likelihood of occurrence and potential consequences;
            (5) an explanation of any factors that limit the ability of 
        the President to assess the risk both cumulatively and for 
        particular threats, and how those limitations may be overcome 
        through future research or with additional resources, programs, 
        or authorities;
            (6) a review of the effectiveness of intelligence 
        collection, early warning and detection systems, or other 
        functions and programs necessary to evaluate the risk of 
        particular global catastrophic and existential threats, if any 
        exist and as applicable for particular threats;
            (7) a forecast of if and why global catastrophic and 
        existential risk is likely to increase or decrease 
        significantly in the next 30 years, both qualitatively and 
        quantitatively, as well as a description of associated 
        uncertainties;
            (8) proposals for how the Federal Government may more 
        adequately assess global catastrophic and existential risk on 
        an ongoing basis in future years;
            (9) recommendations for legislative actions, as 
        appropriate, to support the evaluation and assessment of global 
        catastrophic and existential risk; and
            (10) other matters deemed appropriate by the President.
    (c) Consultation Requirement.--In producing the report required 
under subsection (a), the President, with support from the committee, 
shall regularly consult with experts on global catastrophic and 
existential risks, including from non-governmental, academic, and 
private sector institutions.
    (d) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

SEC. 5. REPORT ON CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS AND CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT 
              PLANNING.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the submission of 
the report required under section 4, the President, with support from 
the committee, shall produce a report on the adequacy of continuity of 
operations and continuity of government plans based on the assessed 
global catastrophic and existential risk.
    (b) Matters Covered.--The report required under subsection (a) 
shall include--
            (1) a detailed assessment of the ability of continuity of 
        government and continuity of operations plans and programs, as 
        defined by Executive Order 13961 (85 Fed. Reg. 79379; relating 
        to governance and integration of Federal mission resilience), 
        Presidential Policy Directive-40 (July 15, 2016; relating to 
        national continuity policy), or successor policies, to maintain 
        national essential functions following global catastrophes, 
        both cumulatively and for particular threats;
            (2) an assessment of the need to revise Executive Order 
        13961 (85 Fed. Reg. 79379; relating to governance and 
        integration of Federal mission resilience), Presidential Policy 
        Directive-40 (July 15, 2016; relating to national continuity 
        policy), or successor policies to account for global 
        catastrophic and existential risk cumulatively or for 
        particular threats;
            (3) an assessment of any technology gaps limiting 
        mitigation of global catastrophic and existential risks for 
        continuity of operations and continuity of government plans;
            (4) a budget proposal for continuity of government and 
        continuity of operations programs necessary to adequately 
        maintain national essential functions during global 
        catastrophes;
            (5) recommendations for legislative actions and technology 
        development and implementation actions necessary to improve 
        continuity of government and continuity of operations plans and 
        programs;
            (6) a plan for increased senior leader involvement in 
        continuity of operations and continuity of government 
        exercises; and
            (7) other matters deemed appropriate by the co-chairs of 
        the committee.
    (c) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

SEC. 6. ENHANCED CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT ANNEX.

    (a) In General.--The President, with support from the committee, 
shall supplement each Federal Interagency Operational Plan to include 
an annex containing a strategy to ensure the health, safety, and 
general welfare of the civilian population affected by catastrophic 
incidents by--
            (1) providing for the basic needs of the civilian 
        population of the United States that is impacted by 
        catastrophic incidents in the United States;
            (2) coordinating response efforts with State and local 
        governments, the private sector, and nonprofit relief 
        organizations;
            (3) promoting personal and local readiness and non-reliance 
        on government relief during periods of heightened tension or 
        after catastrophic incidents; and
            (4) developing international partnerships with allied 
        nations for the provision of relief services and goods.
    (b) Elements of the Strategy.--The strategy required under 
subsection (a) shall include a description of--
            (1) actions the President will take to ensure the basic 
        needs of the civilian population of the United States in a 
        catastrophic incident are met;
            (2) how the President will coordinate with non-Federal 
        entities to multiply resources and enhance relief capabilities, 
        including--
                    (A) State and local governments;
                    (B) Tribal governments;
                    (C) State disaster relief agencies;
                    (D) State and local disaster relief managers;
                    (E) State National Guards;
                    (F) law enforcement and first response entities; 
                and
                    (G) nonprofit relief services;
            (3) actions the President will take to enhance individual 
        resiliency to the effects of a catastrophic incident, which 
        actions shall include--
                    (A) readiness alerts to the public during periods 
                of elevated threat;
                    (B) efforts to enhance domestic supply and 
                availability of critical goods and basic necessities; 
                and
                    (C) information campaigns to ensure the public is 
                aware of response plans and services that will be 
                activated when necessary;
            (4) efforts the President will undertake and agreements the 
        President will seek with international allies to enhance the 
        readiness of the United States to provide for the general 
        welfare;
            (5) how the strategy will be implemented should multiple 
        levels of critical infrastructure be destroyed or taken offline 
        entirely for an extended period of time; and
            (6) the authorities the President would implicate in 
        responding to a catastrophic incident.
    (c) Assumptions.--In designing the strategy under subsection (a), 
the President shall account for certain factors to make the strategy 
operationally viable, including the assumption that--
            (1) multiple levels of critical infrastructure have been 
        taken offline or destroyed by catastrophic incidents or the 
        effects of catastrophic incidents;
            (2) impacted sectors may include--
                    (A) the transportation sector;
                    (B) the communication sector;
                    (C) the energy sector;
                    (D) the healthcare and public health sector;
                    (E) the water and wastewater sector; and
                    (F) the financial sector;
            (3) State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments have 
        been equally affected or made largely inoperable by 
        catastrophic incidents or the effects of catastrophic 
        incidents;
            (4) the emergency has exceeded the response capabilities of 
        State and local governments under the Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et 
        seq.) and other relevant disaster response laws; and
            (5) the United States military is sufficiently engaged in 
        armed or cyber conflict with State or non-State adversaries, or 
        is otherwise unable to augment domestic response capabilities 
        in a significant manner due to a catastrophic incident.
    (d) Existing Plans.--The President may incorporate existing 
contingency plans in the strategy developed under subsection (a) so 
long as those contingency plans are amended to be operational in 
accordance with the requirements under this section.
    (e) Availability.--The strategy developed under subsection (a) 
shall be available to the public but may include a classified, or other 
restricted, annex to be made available to the appropriate committees of 
Congress and appropriate government entities.

SEC. 7. VALIDATION OF THE STRATEGY THROUGH AN EXERCISE.

    Not later than 1 year after the addition of the annex required 
under section 6, the Department of Homeland Security shall lead an 
exercise as part of the national exercise program, in coordination with 
the committee, to test and enhance the operationalization of the 
strategy required under section 6.

SEC. 8. RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The President shall provide recommendations to 
Congress for--
            (1) actions that should be taken to prepare the United 
        States to implement the strategy required under section 6, 
        increase readiness, and address preparedness gaps for 
        responding to the impacts of catastrophic incidents on citizens 
        of the United States; and
            (2) additional authorities that should be considered for 
        Federal agencies and the President to more effectively 
        implement the strategy required under section 6.
    (b) Inclusion in Reports.--The President may include the 
recommendations required under subsection (a) in a report submitted 
under section 9.

SEC. 9. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date on which Department of 
Homeland Security leads the exercise under section 7, the President 
shall submit to Congress a report that includes--
            (1) a description of the efforts of the President to 
        develop and update the strategy required under section 6; and
            (2) an after-action report following the conduct of the 
        exercise described in section 7.

SEC. 10. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede the civilian 
emergency management authority of the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) or the 
Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (6 U.S.C. 701 et seq.).
                                                       Calendar No. 638

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 4488

                          [Report No. 117-254]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish an interagency committee on global catastrophic risk, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           December 13, 2022

                       Reported with an amendment