[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 742. Mr. MERKLEY 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 D of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1269. STUDY ON AVOIDING INADVERTENT NUCLEAR WAR WITH THE 
                   PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

       (a) Study.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
     seek to enter into a contract with a federally funded 
     research and development center to conduct a study on 
     avoiding inadvertent nuclear war with the People's Republic 
     of China.
       (2) Elements.--The study required by paragraph (1) shall, 
     at a minimum--
       (A) provide a detailed description of the current 
     composition of the nuclear forces of the People's Republic of 
     China, including the quantity of nuclear warheads and 
     nuclear-capable delivery systems, as well as anticipated 
     changes in its nuclear force structure through fiscal year 
     2030;
       (B) assess the nuclear doctrine of the People's Republic of 
     China; and
       (C) identify potential pathways to inadvertent escalation 
     to nuclear war.
       (b) Report to Department of Defense.--Not later than 240 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     federally funded research and development center that 
     conducted the study under subsection (a) shall submit to the 
     Secretary a report containing the results of the study.
       (c) Report to Congress.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress the report submitted to 
     the Secretary under subsection (b), without making any 
     changes.
       (2) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this 
     subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Appropriations, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
     Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
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