S.Amdt. 2956

SA 2956. Mr. RICKETTS (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Coons, and Mr.
Scott of Florida) 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 D of title XII, add the following:

SEC. 1266. IMPROVING MULTILATERAL COOPERATION TO IMPROVE THE
SECURITY OF TAIWAN.

(a) Short Titles.--This section may be cited as the
``Building Options for the Lasting Security of Taiwan through
European Resolve Act'' or the ``BOLSTER Act''.
(b) Consultations With European Governments Regarding
Sanctions Against the PRC Under Certain Circumstances.--
(1) In general.--The head of the Office of Sanctions
Coordination at the Department of State, in consultation with
the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the
Department of the Treasury, shall engage in regular
consultations with the International Special Envoy for the
Implementation of European Union Sanctions and appropriate
government officials of European countries, including the
United Kingdom, to develop coordinated plans and share
information on independent plans to impose sanctions and
other economic measures against the PRC, as appropriate, if
the PRC is found to be involved in--
(A) overthrowing or dismantling the governing institutions
in Taiwan, including engaging in disinformation campaigns in
Taiwan that promote the strategic interests of the PRC;
(B) occupying any territory controlled or administered by
Taiwan as of the date of the enactment of this Act;
(C) violating the territorial integrity of Taiwan;
(D) taking significant action against Taiwan, including--
(i) creating a naval blockade or other quarantine of
Taiwan;

[[Page S5227]]

(ii) seizing the outer lying islands of Taiwan; or
(iii) initiating a cyberattack that threatens civilian or
military infrastructure in Taiwan; or
(E) providing assistance that helps the security forces of
the Russian Federation in executing Russia's unprovoked,
illegal war against Ukraine.
(2) Semiannual congressional briefings.--Not later than 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and
semiannually thereafter for the following 5 years, the head
of the Office of Sanctions Coordination shall provide a
briefing regarding the progress of the consultations required
under paragraph (1) to--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of
the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of
Representatives.
(c) Coordination of Humanitarian Support in a Taiwan
Contingency.--
(1) Plan.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development (referred to in this
section as the ``Administrator''), in coordination with the
Secretary of State, shall develop a plan to deliver
humanitarian aid to Taiwan in the event of a blockade,
quarantine, or military invasion of Taiwan by the People's
Liberation Army (referred to in this section as the ``PLA'').
(2) Consultation requirement.--In developing the plan
required under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consult
with the European Commission's Emergency Response
Coordination Centre and appropriate government officials of
European countries regarding cooperation to provide aid to
Indo-Pacific countries as the result of a blockade,
quarantine, or military invasion of Taiwan by the PLA,
including the extent to which European countries could
backfill United States humanitarian aid to other parts of the
world.
(3) Congressional engagement.--Upon completion of the plan
required under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall provide
a briefing regarding the details of such plan and the
consultations required under paragraph (2) to the Committee
on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(d) Report on the Economic Impacts of PRC Military Action
Against Taiwan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit a
report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives that contains an independent assessment of
the expected economic impact of--
(A) a 30-day blockade or quarantine of Taiwan by the PLA;
and
(B) a 180-day blockade or quarantine of Taiwan by the PLA.
(2) Assessment elements.--The assessment required under
paragraph (1) shall contain a description of--
(A) the impact of the blockade or quarantine of Taiwan on
global trade and output;
(B) the 10 economic sectors that would be most disrupted by
a sustained blockade of Taiwan by the PLA; and
(C) the expected economic impact of a sustained blockade of
Taiwan by the PLA on the domestic economies of European
countries that are members of NATO or the European Union.
(3) Independent assessment.--
(A) In general.--The assessment required under paragraph
(1) shall be conducted by a federally-funded research and
development center or another appropriate independent entity
with expertise in economic analysis.
(B) Use of data from previous studies.--The entity
conducting the assessment required under paragraph (1) may
use and incorporate information contained in previous studies
on matters relevant to the elements of the assessment.
(e) Consultations With the European Union and European
Governments Regarding Increasing Political and Economic
Relations With Taiwan.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(A) the United States, Europe, and Taiwan are like-minded
partners that--
(i) share common values, such as democracy, the rule of law
and human rights; and
(ii) enjoy a close trade and economic partnership;
(B) bolstering political, economic, and people-to-people
relations with Taiwan would benefit the European Union,
individual European countries, and the United States;
(C) the European Union can play an important role in
helping Taiwan resist the economic coercion of the PRC by
negotiating with Taiwan regarding new economic, commercial,
and investment agreements;
(D) the United States and European countries should
coordinate and increase diplomatic efforts to facilitate
Taiwan's meaningful participation in international
organizations;
(E) the United States and European countries should--
(i) publicly and repeatedly emphasize the differences
between their respective ``One China'' policies and the PRC's
``One China'' principle; and
(ii) counter the PRC's propaganda and false narratives
about United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI),
which claim the resolution recognizes PRC territorial claims
to Taiwan; and
(F) Taiwan's inclusion in the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology
Council's Secure Supply Chain working group would bring
valuable expertise and enhance transatlantic cooperation in
the semiconductor sector.
(2) Congressional briefing.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually
thereafter for the following 5 years, the Secretary of State
shall provide a briefing to the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs
of the House of Representatives regarding the Department of
State's engagements with the European Union and the
governments of European countries to increase political and
economic relations with Taiwan, including--
(A) public statements of support for Taiwan's democracy and
its meaningful participation in international organizations;
(B) unofficial diplomatic visits to and from Taiwan by
high-ranking government officials and parliamentarians;
(C) the establishment of parliamentary caucuses or groups
that promote strong relations with Taiwan;
(D) strengthening subnational diplomacy, including
diplomatic and trade-related visits to and from Taiwan by
local government officials;
(E) strengthening coordination between United States and
European business chambers, universities, think tanks, and
other civil society groups with similar groups in Taiwan;
(F) establishing new representative, economic, or cultural
offices in a European country or in Taiwan;
(G) promoting direct flights to and from Taiwan;
(H) facilitating visits by religious leaders to Taiwan; and
(I) increasing economic engagement and trade relations.
(f) Consultations With European Governments on Supporting
Taiwan's Self-defense.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(A) preserving peace and security in the Taiwan Strait is a
shared interest of the United States and Europe;
(B) European countries, particularly countries with
experience combating Russian aggression and malign
activities, can provide Taiwan with lessons learned from
their ``total defense'' programs to mobilize the military and
civilians in a time of crisis;
(C) the United States and Europe should increase
coordination to strengthen Taiwan's cybersecurity, especially
for critical infrastructure and network defense operations;
(D) the United States and Europe should work with Taiwan--
(i) to improve its energy resiliency;
(ii) to strengthen its food security;
(iii) to combat misinformation, disinformation, digital
authoritarianism, and foreign interference; and
(iv) to provide expertise on how to improve defense
infrastructure;
(E) European naval powers, in coordination with the United
States, should increase freedom of navigation transits
through the Taiwan Strait; and
(F) European naval powers, the United States, and Taiwan
should establish exchanges and partnerships among their coast
guards to counter coercion by the PRC.
(2) Congressional briefings.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually
thereafter for the following 5 years the Secretary of State,
in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall provide
a briefing to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate, the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives,
and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives regarding discussions with governments of
European NATO countries about contributions to Taiwan's self-
defense through--
(A) public statements of support for Taiwan's security;
(B) arms transfers or arms sales, particularly of weapons
consistent with an asymmetric defense strategy;
(C) transfers or sales of dual-use items and technology;
(D) transfers or sales of critical nonmilitary supplies,
such as food and medicine;
(E) increasing the military presence of such countries in
the Indo-Pacific region;
(F) joint training and military exercises;
(G) enhancing Taiwan's critical infrastructure resiliency,
including communication and digital infrastructure;
(H) coordination to counter disinformation;
(I) coordination to counter offensive cyber operations; and
(J) any other matter deemed important by the Secretary of
State and the Secretary of Defense.
(g) Expedited Licensing for European Countries Transferring
Military Equipment to Taiwan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
establish an expedited decision-making process for blanket
third party transfers of defense articles and services from
NATO countries to Taiwan, including transfers and re-
transfers of United States origin grant, Foreign Military
Sales,

[[Page S5228]]

and Direct Commercial Sales end-items not covered by an
exemption under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations
under subchapter M of chapter I of title 22, Code of Federal
Regulations.
(2) Availability.--The expedited decision-making process
described in paragraph (1)--
(A) shall be available for classified and unclassified
items; and
(B) shall, to the extent practicable--
(i) require the approval, return, or denial of any
licensing application to export defense articles and services
that is related to a government-to-government agreement
within 15 days after the submission of such application; and
(ii) require the completion of the review of all other
licensing requests not later than 30 days after the
submission of such application.
______