To improve section 1204, relating to the National Guard State Partnership Program.

SA 1474. Mr. COONS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1463 submitted by Mr. McCain and intended to be proposed
to the bill H.R. 1735, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016
for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military
construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal
year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:

Strike section 1204 and insert the following:

SEC. 1204. PERMANENCE AND MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITIES
RELATING TO NATIONAL GUARD STATE PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAM.

(a) Authority.--Subsection (a)(1) of section 1205 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014
(Public Law 113-66; 127 Stat. 897; 32 U.S.C. 107 note) is
amended by adding at the end before the period the following:
``to support the national interests and security cooperation
goals and objectives of the United States, including
applicable policy and guidelines for United States security
sector assistance''.
(b) Limitation.--Subsection (b) of such section is amended
by inserting ``that is not'' after ``an activity that the
Secretary of Defense determines is a matter''.
(c) Procedures.--Such section, as so amended, is further
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (c) through (g) as
subsections (d) through (h), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Procedures.--
``(1) In general.--The Chief of the National Guard Bureau
shall--
``(A) establish, maintain, and update as appropriate a list
of core competencies to support each program established
under subsection (a), collectively and for each State and
territory, and shall submit for approval to the Secretary of
Defense the list of core competencies and additional
information needed to make use of such core competencies; and
``(B) designate a director for each State and territory who
shall be responsible for the coordination of activities under
a program established under subsection (a) for such State or
territory and reporting on activities under the program.
``(2) Military-to-civilian core competencies.--The
Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary
of State, may conduct an activity under a program established
under subsection (a) relating to military-to-civilian core
competencies.''.
(d) National Guard State Partnership Program Fund.--
Subsection (e) of such section (as redesignated) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
``(3) National guard state partnership program fund.--
``(A) Establishment.--
``(i) Books of dod.--Except as provided in clause (ii), the
Secretary of Defense shall establish on the books of the
Department of Defense a National Guard State Partnership
Program Fund.
``(ii) Books of treasury.--If not later than February 1,
2016, the Secretary determines and reports to the appropriate
congressional committees that in the opinion of the Secretary
a fund such as the Fund described in clause (i) should be
established on the books of the Department of the Treasury,
the Secretary of the Treasury shall establish on the books of
the Treasury on that date a Fund to be known as the National
Guard State Partnership Program Fund.
``(B) Credits.--In administering the Fund established under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall, to the extent the
Secretary determines it to be appropriate, provide for the
following amounts to be credited to the Fund:
``(i) Amounts authorized and appropriated to carry out
operations under this section.
``(ii) Amounts that the Secretary of Defense transfers, in
such amounts as provided in appropriations Acts, to the Fund
from

[[Page S3630]]

amounts authorized and appropriated to the Department of
Defense, including amounts authorized to be appropriated for
the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.
``(C) Inclusion in annual budget.--The President shall
include the Fund established under subparagraph (A) in the
budget that the President submits to Congress under section
1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, for each fiscal year
in which the authority under subsection (a) is in effect.''.
(e) Annual Report.--Paragraph (2)(B) of subsection (f) of
such section (as redesignated) is amended--
(1) in clause (iii), by inserting ``or other government
organizations'' after ``and security forces'';
(2) in clause (iv), by adding at the end before the period
the following: ``and country'';
(3) in clause (v), by striking ``training'' and inserting
``activities''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(vi) An assessment of the extent to which the activities
conducted during the previous year met the objectives
described in clause (v).
``(vii) The list of core competencies required by
subsection (c)(1) and any update to any changes to the list
of core competencies required by subsection (c)(1).''.
(f) Definitions.--Subsection (h) of such section (as
redesignated) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B)
and inserting the following:
``(A) the congressional defense committees; and
``(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.'';
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);
(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as amended) the
following:
``(2) Core competencies.--The term `core competencies'
means military-to-military and military-to-civilian skills
and capabilities of the National Guard, consistent with the
roles and missions of the Armed Forces as established by the
Secretary of Defense.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) State.--The term `State' means each of the several
States and the District of Columbia.
``(5) Territory.--The term `territory' means the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.''.
(g) Permanent Authority.--Such section is further amended
by striking subsection (i).
______