[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 130 (Tuesday, July 29, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4854-S4855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3112. Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr. Rounds) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2296, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 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 title X, add the following:
Subtitle H--Robot Security
SEC. 1091. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(1) Covered foreign country.--The term ``covered foreign
country'' means any of the following:
(A) The People's Republic of China.
(B) The Russian Federation.
(C) The Islamic Republic of Iran.
(D) The Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
(2) Covered foreign entity.--The term ``covered foreign
entity'' means an entity that is domiciled in a covered
foreign country, or subject to influence or control by the
government of a covered foreign country as determined by the
Secretary of Homeland Security or the Secretary of Defense,
and any subsidiary or affiliate of such an entity.
(3) Covered unmanned ground vehicle system.--The term
``covered unmanned ground vehicle system''--
(A) means a mechanical device that--
(i) is capable of locomotion, navigation, or movement on
the ground; and
(ii) operates at a distance from one or more operators or
supervisors based on commands or in response to sensor data,
or through any combination thereof; and
(B) includes--
(i) remote surveillance vehicles, autonomous patrol
technologies, mobile robotics, and humanoid robots; and
(ii) the vehicle, its payload, and any external device used
to control the vehicle.
SEC. 1092. PROHIBITION ON PROCUREMENT OF COVERED UNMANNED
GROUND VEHICLE SYSTEMS FROM COVERED FOREIGN
ENTITIES.
(a) In General.--Except as provided under subsection (b),
the head of an executive agency may not procure any covered
unmanned ground vehicle system that is manufactured or
assembled by a covered foreign entity.
(b) Exemption.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the
Attorney General are exempt from the restriction under
subsection (a) if the procurement is required in the national
interest of the United States and--
(1) is for the sole purposes of research, evaluation,
training, testing, or analysis for electronic warfare,
information warfare operations, cybersecurity, or development
of unmanned ground vehicle system or counter-unmanned ground
vehicle system technology;
(2) is for the sole purposes of conducting counterterrorism
or counterintelligence activities, protective missions, or
Federal criminal or national security investigations,
including forensic examinations, or for electronic warfare,
information warfare operations, cybersecurity, or development
of an unmanned ground vehicle system or counter-unmanned
ground vehicle technology; or
(3) is an unmanned ground vehicle system that, as procured
or as modified after procurement but before operational use,
can no longer transfer to, or download data from, a covered
foreign entity and otherwise poses no national security
cybersecurity risks as determined by the exempting official.
SEC. 1093. PROHIBITION ON OPERATION OF COVERED UNMANNED
GROUND VEHICLE SYSTEMS FROM COVERED FOREIGN
ENTITIES..
(a) Prohibition.--
(1) In general.--Beginning on the date that is one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal
department or agency may operate a covered unmanned ground
vehicle system manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign
entity.
(2) Applicability to contracted services.--The prohibition
under paragraph (1) applies to any covered unmanned ground
vehicle systems that are being used by any executive agency
through the method of contracting for the services of covered
unmanned ground vehicle systems.
(b) Exemption.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the
Attorney General are exempt from the restriction under
subsection (a) if the operation is required in the national
interest of the United States and--
(1) is for the sole purposes of research, evaluation,
training, testing, or analysis for electronic warfare,
information warfare operations, cybersecurity, or development
of unmanned ground vehicle system or counter-unmanned ground
vehicle system technology;
(2) is for the sole purposes of conducting counterterrorism
or counterintelligence activities, protective missions, or
Federal criminal or national security investigations,
including forensic examinations, or for electronic warfare,
information warfare operations, cybersecurity, or development
of an unmanned ground vehicle system or counter-unmanned
ground vehicle system technology; or
(3) is an unmanned ground vehicle system that, as procured
or as modified after procurement but before operational use,
can no longer transfer to, or download data from, a covered
foreign entity and otherwise poses no national security
cybersecurity risks as determined by the exempting official.
SEC. 1094. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR
PROCUREMENT AND OPERATION OF COVERED UNMANNED
GROUND VEHICLE SYSTEMS MANUFACTURED BY CERTAIN
FOREIGN ENTITIES.
(a) In General.--Beginning on the date that is one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, except as
provided in subsection (b), no Federal funds awarded through
a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement, or otherwise
made available may be used--
(1) to procure a covered unmanned ground vehicle system
that is manufactured or assembled by a covered foreign
entity; or
(2) in connection with the operation of such a robot or
unmanned ground vehicle system.
(b) Exemption.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the
Attorney General are exempt from the restriction under
subsection (a) if the procurement or operation is required in
the national interest of the United States and--
(1) is for the sole purposes of research, evaluation,
training, testing, or analysis for electronic warfare,
information warfare operations, cybersecurity, or development
of unmanned ground vehicle system or counter-unmanned ground
vehicle system technology;
(2) is for the sole purposes of conducting counterterrorism
or counterintelligence activities, protective missions, or
Federal criminal or national security investigations,
including forensic examinations, or for electronic warfare,
information warfare operations, cybersecurity, or development
of an unmanned ground vehicle system or counter-unmanned
ground vehicle system technology; or
(3) is an unmanned ground vehicle system that, as procured
or as modified after procurement but before operational use,
can no longer transfer to, or download data from, a covered
foreign entity and otherwise poses no national security
cybersecurity risks as determined by the exempting official.
[[Page S4855]]
______