[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 357. Mr. LEE (for himself and Mr. Padilla) submitted an amendment 
intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle G of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1299L. PROTECTION AND LEGAL PREPAREDNESS FOR 
                   SERVICEMEMBERS ABROAD.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in coordination 
     with the Secretary of State, shall seek to ensure that 
     members of the Armed Forces stationed in each foreign country 
     with which the United States maintains a Status of Forces 
     Agreement are afforded, at a minimum:
       (1) the right to legal counsel for his or her defense, in 
     accordance with the Status of Forces Agreement or other 
     binding law or agreement with another country;
       (2) access to competent language translation services;
       (3) a prompt and speedy trial;
       (4) the right to be confronted with the witnesses against 
     him or her; and
       (5) a compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his or 
     her favor if they are within the foreign country's 
     jurisdiction.
       (b) Review Required.--Not later than December 31, 2024, the 
     Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the Secretary of 
     State, shall--
       (1) review the 10 largest foreign countries by United 
     States Armed Forces presence and evaluate local legal 
     systems, protections afforded by bilateral agreements between 
     the United States and countries being evaluated, and how the 
     rights and privileges afforded under such agreements may 
     differ from United States law; and
       (2) brief the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
     on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations of the Senate on the findings of the review.
       (c) Training Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
     review and improve as necessary training and educational 
     materials for members of the Armed Forces, their spouses, and 
     dependents, as appropriate, who are stationed in a country 
     reviewed pursuant to subsection (b)(1) regarding relevant 
     foreign laws, how such foreign laws may differ from the laws 
     of the United States, and the rights of accused in common 
     scenarios under such foreign laws.
       (d) Translation Standards and Readiness.--The Secretary of 
     Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall 
     review foreign language standards for servicemembers and 
     employees of the Department of Defense and Department of 
     State who are responsible for providing foreign language 
     translation services in situations involving foreign law 
     enforcement where a servicemember may be being detained, to 
     ensure such persons maintain an appropriate proficiency in 
     the legal terminology and meaning of essential terms in a 
     relevant language.
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