S.Amdt. 2655

SA 2655. Mr. RISCH 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 end of subtitle A of title XII, add the following:

SEC. 1216. EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES TO EXPAND THE TIMELINESS AND
REACH OF UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL FOOD
ASSISTANCE.

(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development is authorized to procure life-
saving food aid commodities, including commodities available
locally and regionally, for the provision of emergency food
assistance to the most vulnerable populations in countries
and areas experiencing acute food insecurity that has been
exacerbated by rising food prices, particularly in countries
and areas historically dependent upon imports of wheat and
other staple commodities from Ukraine and Russia.
(b) Prioritization.--
(1) In general.--In responding to crises in which emergency
food aid commodities are unavailable locally or regionally,
or in which the provision of locally or regionally procured
agricultural commodities would be unsafe, impractical, or
inappropriate, the Administrator should prioritize
procurements of United States agricultural commodities,
including when exercising authorities under section 491 of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292).
(2) Local or regional procurements.--In making local or
regional procurements of food aid commodities pursuant to
subsection (a), the Administrator, to the extent practicable
and appropriate, should prioritize procurements from areas
supported through the international agricultural development
programs authorized under the Global Food Security Act of
2016 (22 U.S.C. 9301 et seq.) and from Ukraine, for the
purpose of promoting economic stability, resilience to price
shocks, and early recovery from such shocks in such areas.
(c) Do No Harm.--In making local or regional procurements
of food aid commodities pursuant to subsection (a), the
Administrator shall first conduct market assessments to
ensure that such procurements--
(1) will not displace United States agricultural trade and
investment; and
(2) will not cause or exacerbate shortages, or otherwise
harm local markets, for such commodities within the countries
of origin.
(d) Emergency Exceptions.--
(1) In general.--Commodities procured pursuant to
subsection (b) shall be excluded from calculations of gross
tonnage for purposes of determining compliance with section
55305(b) of title 46, United States Code.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 55305(b) of title 46,
United States Code, is amended by striking ``shall'' and
inserting ``should''.
(e) Exclusions.--The authority under subsection (a) shall
not apply to procurements from--
(1) the Russian Federation;
(2) the People's Republic of China; or
(3) any country subject to sanctions under--
(A) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2371);
(B) section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C.
2780); or
(C) section 1754(c) of the Export Control Reform Act of
2018 (50 U.S.C. 4813(c)).
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