[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6124. Mr. SULLIVAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2027 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, insert the following:
SEC. ___. ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN HUMANOID OR QUADRUPED ROBOTICS
COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT OR SERVICES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Select
Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Homeland Security, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House
of Representatives.
(2) Appropriate national security agency; communications
equipment or service.--The terms ``appropriate national
security agency'' and ``communications equipment or service''
have the meanings given those terms in section 9 of the
Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47
U.S.C. 1608).
(3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(4) Country of concern.--The term ``country of concern''
has the meaning given the term in section 1(m)(1) of the
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C.
2651a(m)(1)).
(5) Covered foreign entity.--The term ``covered foreign
entity'' means--
(A) an entity that--
(i) is headquartered in, has its principal place of
business in, or is organized under the laws of a country of
concern; or
(ii) is subject to the influence, direction, or control of
the government of a country of concern;
(B) an affiliate or wholly or partially owned subsidiary of
an entity described in subparagraph (A);
(C) an entity in a joint venture with an entity described
in subparagraph (A); or
(D) an entity with which an entity described in
subparagraph (A) has a technology sharing or licensing
agreement.
(6) Covered list.--The term ``covered list'' means the list
of covered communications equipment or services published by
the Commission under section 2(a) of the Secure and Trusted
Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601(a)).
(7) Covered robotics communications equipment or service.--
The term ``covered robotics communications equipment or
service'' means--
(A) any humanoid or quadruped robot that--
(i) is produced or provided by a covered foreign entity;
and
(ii) requires communications equipment or service; and
(B) any software designed to control a humanoid or
quadruped robot described in subparagraph (A).
(8) Humanoid or quadruped robot.--The term ``humanoid or
quadruped robot'' means--
(A) a mechanical device that--
(i) possesses a body structure that uses 1 or more
articulated limbs, or a combination of articulated limbs and
wheels, for locomotion, navigation, or movement on the
ground; and
(ii) operates at a distance from a human operator or
supervisor autonomously, semi-autonomously, based on commands
or response to sensor data or any combination thereof; and
(B) any external device designed to control a mechanical
device described in subparagraph (A).
(b) Evaluation of Covered Robotics Communications Equipment
or Services.--
(1) Determination of risk.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, an appropriate national
security agency shall determine if covered robotics
communications equipment or services pose an unacceptable
risk to the national security of the United States or the
security and safety of United States persons.
(2) Addition to covered list.--If, as of the date that is 1
year after the date of enactment of this Act, an appropriate
national security agency has not made the determination
required under paragraph (1), the Commission shall add all
covered robotics communications equipment or services to the
covered list.
(3) Exception.--Paragraph (2) shall not apply with respect
to any covered robotics communications equipment or service
that an appropriate national security agency determines, not
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act,
does not pose an unacceptable risk to the national security
of the United States or the safety and security of United
States persons.
(c) Effect of Other Determinations.--
(1) Determined to pose unacceptable risk.--Not later than
30 days after an appropriate national security agency
determines that any covered robotics communications equipment
or service poses an unacceptable risk to the national
security of the United States or the security and safety of
United States persons under subsection (b)--
(A) the Commission shall place that covered robotics
communications equipment or service on the covered list; and
(B) the appropriate national security agency shall submit
to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
determination of that appropriate national security agency,
which shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain
a classified annex.
(2) Determined not to pose unacceptable risk.--If an
appropriate national security agency determines that any
covered robotics communications equipment or service does not
pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the
United States or the security and safety of United States
persons--
(A) not later than 30 days after the date on which that
appropriate national security agency makes that
determination, that appropriate national security agency
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and
all other appropriate national security agencies a report on
the determination, which shall be submitted in unclassified
form but may contain a classified annex; and
(B) not later than 180 days after the date on which that
appropriate national security agency makes that
determination, all other appropriate national security
agencies shall review the determination and shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
respective determinations of those appropriate national
security agencies, which shall be submitted in unclassified
form but may contain a classified annex.
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to apply to any country that is not a country of
concern, including a member of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization or a major non-NATO ally (as defined in section
644 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2403)).
______