[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 88 (Thursday, May 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3298-S3299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1895. Mr. KAINE 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:
Strike section 3114 and insert the following:
[[Page S3299]]
SEC. 3114. INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSACTION AND ASSISTANCE NETWORK.
(a) Authority.--The Secretary of State is authorized to
establish an initiative, to be known as the ``Infrastructure
Transaction and Assistance Network'', under which the
Secretary of State, in consultation with other relevant
Federal agencies, including those represented on the Global
Infrastructure Coordinating Committee, may carry out various
programs to advance the development of sustainable,
transparent, and high-quality physical and digital
infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific and Latin America and
Caribbean regions by--
(1) strengthening capacity-building programs to improve
project evaluation processes, regulatory and procurement
environments, and project preparation capacity of countries
that are partners of the United States in such development;
(2) providing transaction advisory services and project
preparation assistance to support sustainable infrastructure;
and
(3) coordinating the provision of United States assistance
for the development of infrastructure, including
infrastructure that utilizes United States manufactured goods
and services, and catalyzing investment led by the private
sector.
(b) Transaction Advisory Fund.--As part of the
``Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network''
described under subsection (a), the Secretary of State is
authorized to provide support, including through the
Transaction Advisory Fund, for advisory services to help
boost the capacity of partner countries to evaluate contracts
and assess the financial, environmental, and digital security
impacts of potential infrastructure projects, including
through providing services such as--
(1) legal services;
(2) project preparation and feasibility studies;
(3) debt sustainability analyses;
(4) digital vulnerability analyses;
(5) bid or proposal evaluation; and
(6) other services relevant to advancing the development of
sustainable, transparent, and high quality infrastructure.
(c) Strategic Infrastructure Fund.--
(1) In general.--As part of the ``Infrastructure
Transaction and Assistance Network'' described under
subsection (a), the Secretary of State is authorized to
provide support, including through the Strategic
Infrastructure Fund, for technical assistance, project
preparation, pipeline development, and other infrastructure
project support.
(2) Joint infrastructure projects.--Funds authorized for
the Strategic Infrastructure Fund should be used in
coordination with the Department of Defense, the
International Development Finance Corporation, like-minded
donor partners, and multilateral banks, as appropriate, to
support joint infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific and
Latin America and Caribbean regions.
(3) Strategic infrastructure projects.--Funds authorized
for the Strategic Infrastructure Fund should be used to
support strategic infrastructure projects that are in the
national security interest of the United States and
vulnerable to strategic competitors.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2022 to 2026,
$125,000,000 to the Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance
Network, of which $35,000,000 is to be provided for the
Transaction Advisory Fund.
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