[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2179. Mr. WYDEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 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 appropriate place in subtitle B of title II, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. 2___. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO STEERING COMMITTEE ON 
                   EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND NATIONAL SECURITY.

       Section 236 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 
     116-283), is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``may'' and inserting 
     ``shall'';
       (2) by redesignating subsection (e) and (f) as subsections 
     (f) and (g), respectively;
       (3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
       ``(e) Report on Comparative Capabilities of Adversaries 
     With Respect to Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than December 31, 2025, and 
     annually thereafter, the Steering Committee shall submit the 
     appropriate congressional committees a report comparing the 
     capabilities of the United States with the capabilities of 
     adversaries of the United States with respect to weapon 
     systems described in paragraph (3).
       ``(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include--
       ``(A) for each weapon system described in subsection (c)--
       ``(i) an evaluation of spending by the United States and 
     adversaries on such weapon system;
       ``(ii) an evaluation of the test infrastructure and 
     workforce supporting such weapon system; and
       ``(iii) an evaluation of the quantity of such weapon system 
     under development, developed, or deployed;
       ``(B) an assessment of the technological progress of the 
     United States and adversaries on lethal fully automated 
     weapon systems technology;
       ``(C) a description of the timeline for operational 
     deployment of such technology by the United States and 
     adversaries;
       ``(D) an assessment, conducted in coordination with the 
     Director of National Intelligence, of the intent or 
     willingness of adversaries to use such technology; and
       ``(E) the approval process of the United States for the 
     development and deployment of lethal automated weapon 
     systems.
       ``(3) Weapon systems described.--The weapon systems 
     described in this subsection are the following:
       ``(A) Weapon systems with lethal, offensive capabilities 
     that are fully-automated or have the potential to become 
     fully-automated.
       ``(B) Weapon systems with targeting assist capabilities.
       ``(C) Automated systems with intelligence, surveillance, 
     and reconnaissance capabilities.
       ``(4) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in classified form.
       ``(5) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In 
     this section, the term `appropriate congressional committees' 
     means--
       ``(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Select 
     Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and
       ``(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
     Representatives.''; and
       (4) in subsection (f), as redesignated by paragraph (2)--
       (A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
       (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) Fully automated; potential to become fully 
     automated.--
       ``(A) Fully automated.--The term `fully automated', with 
     respect to a weapon system, means that the weapon system, 
     once activated, can select and engage targets without further 
     intervention by an operator, as defined in Department of 
     Defense Directive 3000.09; or
       ``(B) Potential to become fully automated.--The term 
     `potential to become fully automated', with respect to a 
     weapon system, means that the weapon system has the potential 
     to be deployed in a manner that would qualify as an 
     autonomous weapon system under Department of Defense 
     Directive 3000.09.''.
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