[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 19, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3128-S3129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1593. Mr. COTTON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1502 proposed by Mr. Schumer to the bill S. 1260, to
establish a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the
National Science Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub
program, to require a strategy and report on economic security,
science, research, innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to
establish a critical supply chain resiliency program, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title V of division B, insert
the following:
[[Page S3129]]
SEC. 25__. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE IN
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Subtitle A of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 224B. OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the
Department an Office of Intelligence. The Office shall be
under the National Intelligence Program.
``(b) Director.--
``(1) In general.--The Office shall be headed by the
Director of the Office of Intelligence, who shall be an
employee in the Senior Executive Service and who shall be
appointed by the Secretary. The Director shall report
directly to the Secretary.
``(2) Qualifications.--The Secretary shall select an
individual to serve as the Director from among individuals
who have significant experience serving in the intelligence
community.
``(3) Staff.--The Director may appoint and fix the
compensation of such staff as the Director considers
appropriate, except that the Director may not appoint more
than 5 full-time equivalent positions at an annual rate of
pay equal to or greater than the maximum rate of basic pay
for GS-15 of the General Schedule.
``(4) Detail of personnel of intelligence community.--Upon
the request of the Director, the head of an element of the
intelligence community may detail any of the personnel of
such element to assist the Office in carrying out its duties.
Any personnel detailed to assist the Office shall not be
taken into account in determining the number of full-time
equivalent positions of the Office under paragraph (3).
``(c) Duties.--The Office shall carry out the following
duties:
``(1) The Office shall be responsible for leveraging the
capabilities of the intelligence community and National
Laboratories intelligence-related research, to ensure that
the Secretary is fully informed of threats by foreign actors
to United States agriculture.
``(2) The Office shall focus on understanding foreign
efforts to--
``(A) steal United States agriculture knowledge and
technology; and
``(B) develop or implement biological warfare attacks,
cyber or clandestine operations, or other means of sabotaging
and disrupting United States agriculture.
``(3) The Office shall prepare, conduct, and facilitate
intelligence briefings for the Secretary and appropriate
officials of the Department.
``(4) The Office shall operate as the liaison between the
Secretary and the intelligence community, with the authority
to request intelligence collection and analysis on matters
related to United States agriculture.
``(5) The Office shall collaborate with the intelligence
community to downgrade intelligence assessments for broader
dissemination within the Department.
``(6) The Office shall facilitate sharing information on
foreign activities related to agriculture, as acquired by the
Department with the intelligence community.
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated for the Office $970,000 for fiscal year
2022.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section, the following
definitions apply:
``(1) The term `Director' means the Director of the Office
of Intelligence appointed under subsection (b).
``(2) The terms `intelligence community' and `National
Intelligence Program' have the meaning given such terms in
section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003).
``(3) The term `Office' means the Office of Intelligence of
the Department established under subsection (a).''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--
(A) Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by redesignating the
first section 225 (relating to Food Access Liaison) (7 U.S.C.
6925) as section 224A.
(B) Section 296(b) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry out section
224B.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments Relating to Existing Functions
and Authorities.--
(1) Existing functions of office of homeland security of
department relating to intelligence on threats to food and
agriculture critical infrastructure sector.--
(A) In general.--Section 221(d) of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act (7 U.S.C. 6922(d)) is
amended--
(i) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5); and
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (8) as
paragraphs (4) through (6), respectively.
(B) Transfer of related personnel and assets of office of
homeland security.--The functions which the Office of
Homeland Security of the Department of Agriculture exercised
under paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 221(d) of the
Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7
U.S.C. 6922(d)) before the effective date of this paragraph,
together with the funds, assets, and other resources used by
the Director of the Office of Homeland Security of the
Department of Agriculture to carry out such functions before
the effective date of this paragraph, are transferred to the
Director of the Office of Intelligence of the Department of
Agriculture.
(2) Carrying out interagency exchange program for defense
of food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector.--
Section 221(e) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act (7 U.S.C. 6922(e)) is amended by adding at
the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) Authority of director of office of intelligence and
counterintelligence.--The Secretary shall carry out this
subsection acting through the Director of the Office of
Intelligence of the Department.''.
(3) Coordinating with intelligence community on potential
threats to agriculture.--Section 335(a)(3) of the Public
Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3354(a)(3)) is amended by striking
``strengthen coordination'' and inserting ``acting through
the Director of the Office of Intelligence in the Department
of Agriculture, strengthen coordination''.
(4) Effective date.--This subsection and the amendments
made by this subsection shall take effect upon the
appointment of the Director of the Office of Intelligence in
the Department of Agriculture under section 224B(b) of the
Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (as
added by subsection (a)(1)).
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