[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3547 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3547

To require the United States Government to assist in the establishment 
         of national security councils in specified countries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 14, 2023

 Ms. Ernst (for herself, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Van 
    Hollen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the United States Government to assist in the establishment 
         of national security councils in specified countries.

    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 ``Connecting Oceania's Nations with 
Vanguard Exercises and National Empowerment Act of 2023'' or the 
``CONVENE Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Select 
                Committee on Intelligence, the Armed Services 
                Committee, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
                Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Permanent 
                Select Committee on Intelligence, the Armed Services 
                Committee, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
                House of Representatives.
            (2) National security council.--The term ``national 
        security council'' means, with respect to a specified country, 
        an intergovernmental body under the jurisdiction of the freely 
        elected government of the specified country that acts as the 
        primary coordinating entity for security cooperation, disaster 
        response, and the activities described in section 3(e).
            (3) Specified country.--The term ``specified country'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Federated States of Micronesia;
                    (B) the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and
                    (C) the Republic of Palau.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCILS OF SPECIFIED COUNTRIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with other 
relevant Federal departments and agencies, as appropriate, may consult 
and engage with each specified country to advise and provide assistance 
to a national security council (including by developing a national 
security council, if appropriate), or to identify a similar 
coordinating body for national security matters, comprised of citizens 
of the specified country--
            (1) that enables the specified country--
                    (A) to better coordinate with the United States 
                Government, including the Armed Forces, as appropriate;
                    (B) to increase cohesion on activities, including 
                emergency humanitarian response, law enforcement, and 
                maritime security activities; and
                    (C) to provide trained professionals to serve as 
                members of the committees of the specified country 
                established under the applicable Compact of Free 
                Association; and
            (2) for the purpose of enhancing resilience capabilities 
        and protecting the people, infrastructure, and territory of the 
        specified country from malign actions.
    (b) Composition.--The Secretary of State, respecting the unique 
needs of each specified country, may seek to ensure that the national 
security council, or other identified coordinating body, of the 
specified country is composed of sufficient staff and members to enable 
the activities described in subsection (e).
    (c) Standards for Equipment and Services.--The Secretary of State 
may work with the national security council, or other identified 
coordinating body, of each specified country to ensure that--
            (1) the equipment and services used by the national 
        security council or other identified coordinating body are 
        compliant with security standards so as to minimize the risk of 
        cyberattacks or espionage;
            (2) the national security council or other identified 
        coordinating body takes all reasonable efforts not to procure 
        or use systems, equipment, or software that originates from any 
        entity identified under section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) 
        Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
        (Public Law 116-283; 10 U.S.C. 113 note); and
            (3) to the extent practicable, the equipment and services 
        used by the national security council or other identified 
        coordinating body are interoperable with the equipment and 
        services used by the national security councils, or other 
        identified coordinating bodies, of the other specified 
        countries.
    (d) Report on Implementation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 2 years, 
        the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
        committees of Congress a report that includes--
                    (A) an assessment as to whether a national security 
                council or a similar formal coordinating body is 
                helping or would help achieve the objectives described 
                in subsection (a) at acceptable financial and 
                opportunity cost;
                    (B) a description of all actions taken by the 
                United States Government to assist in the 
                identification or maintenance of a national security 
                council, or other identified coordinating body, in each 
                specified country;
                    (C) with respect to each specified country, an 
                assessment as to whether--
                            (i) the specified country has appropriately 
                        staffed its national security council or other 
                        identified coordinating body; and
                            (ii) the extent to which the national 
                        security council, or other identified 
                        coordinating body, of the specified country is 
                        capable of carrying out the activities 
                        described in subsection (e);
                    (D) an assessment of--
                            (i) any challenge to cooperation and 
                        coordination with the national security 
                        council, or other identified coordinating body, 
                        of any specified country;
                            (ii) current efforts by the Secretary of 
                        State to coordinate with the specified 
                        countries on the activities described in 
                        subsection (e); and
                            (iii) existing governmental entities within 
                        each specified country that are capable of 
                        supporting such activities;
                    (E) a description of any challenge with respect 
                to--
                            (i) the implementation of the national 
                        security council, or other identified 
                        coordinating body, of any specified country; 
                        and
                            (ii) the implementation of subsections (a) 
                        through (c);
                    (F) an assessment of any attempt or campaign by a 
                malign actor to influence the political, security, or 
                economic policy of a specified country, a member of a 
                national security council or other identified 
                coordinating body, or an immediate family member of 
                such a member; and
                    (G) any other matter the Secretary of State 
                considers relevant.
            (2) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) may be 
        submitted in unclassified form and may include a classified 
        annex.
    (e) Activities Described.--The activities described in this 
subsection are the following homeland security activities:
            (1) Coordination of--
                    (A) the prosecution and investigation of 
                transnational criminal enterprises;
                    (B) responses to national emergencies, such as 
                natural disasters;
                    (C) counterintelligence and counter- coercion 
                responses to foreign threats; and
                    (D) efforts to combat illegal, unreported, or 
                unregulated fishing.
            (2) Coordination with United States Government officials on 
        humanitarian response, military exercises, law enforcement, and 
        other issues of security concern.
            (3) Identification and development of an existing 
        governmental entity to support homeland defense and civil 
        support activities.
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