S.Amdt. 988

SA 988. Ms. ERNST (for herself, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Van
Hollen) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA
935 proposed by Mr. Schumer (for Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Wicker))
to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024
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:

TITLE ___--CONNECTING OCEANIA'S NATIONS WITH VANGUARD EXERCISES AND
NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT

SEC. __01. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.--This title may be cited as the
``Connecting Oceania's Nations with Vanguard Exercises and
National Empowerment'' or the ``CONVENE Act of 2023''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this
title is as follows:

TITLE ___--CONNECTING OCEANIA'S NATIONS WITH VANGUARD EXERCISES AND
NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT

Sec. __01. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. __02. Definitions.
Sec. __03. National security councils of specified countries.

SEC. __02. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Armed Services of the Senate; and
(B) the Committees on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
(2) Congressional defense committees.--The term
``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given
such term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.
(3) National security council.--The term ``national
security council'' means, with respect to a specified
country, an intergovernmental body under the jurisdiction of
the freely elected government of the specified country that
acts as the primary coordinating entity for security
cooperation, disaster response, and the activities described
section 6103(f).
(4) Specified country.--The term ``specified country''
means--
(A) the Federated States of Micronesia;
(B) the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and
(C) the Republic of Palau.

SEC. __03. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCILS OF SPECIFIED COUNTRIES.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in consultation
with other relevant Federal departments and agencies, as
appropriate, may consult and engage with each specified
country to advise and provide assistance to a national
security council (including by developing a national security
council, if appropriate), or to identify a similar
coordinating body for national security matters, comprised of
citizens of the specified country--
(1) that enables the specified country--
(A) to better coordinate with the United States Government,
including the Armed Forces, as appropriate;
(B) to increase cohesion on activities, including emergency
humanitarian response, law enforcement, and maritime security
activities; and
(C) to provide trained professionals to serve as members of
the committees of the

[[Page S3465]]

specified country established under the applicable Compact of
Free Association; and
(2) for the purpose of enhancing resilience capabilities
and protecting the people, infrastructure, and territory of
the specified country from malign actions.
(b) Composition.--The Secretary of State, respecting the
unique needs of each specified country, may seek to ensure
that the national security council, or other identified
coordinating body, of the specified country is composed of
sufficient staff and members to enable the activities
described in subsection (f).
(c) Access to Sensitive Information.--The Secretary of
State, with the concurrence of the Director of National
Intelligence, may establish, as appropriate, for use by the
members and staff of the national security council, or other
identified coordinating body, of each specified country
standards and a process for vetting and sharing sensitive
information.
(d) Standards for Equipment and Services.--The Secretary of
State may work with the national security council, or other
identified coordinating body, of each specified country to
ensure that--
(1) the equipment and services used by the national
security council or other identified coordinating body are
compliant with security standards so as to minimize the risk
of cyberattacks or espionage;
(2) the national security council or other identified
coordinating body takes all reasonable efforts not to procure
or use systems, equipment, or software that originates from
any entity identified under section 1260H of the William M.
(Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283; 134 Stat. 3965; 10
U.S.C. 113 note); and
(3) to the extent practicable, the equipment and services
used by the national security council or other identified
coordinating body are interoperable with the equipment and
services used by the national security councils, or other
identified coordinating bodies, of the other specified
countries.
(e) Report on Implementation.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for two
years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a report that includes--
(A) an assessment as to whether a national security council
or a similar formal coordinating body is helping or would
help achieve the objectives described in subsection (a) at
acceptable financial and opportunity cost;
(B) a description of all actions taken by the United States
Government to assist in the identification or maintenance of
a national security council, or other identified coordinating
body, in each specified country;
(C) with respect to each specified country, an assessment
as to whether--
(i) the specified country has appropriately staffed its
national security council or other identified coordinating
body; and
(ii) the extent to which the national security council, or
other identified coordinating body, of the specified country
is capable of carrying out the activities described in
subsection (f);
(D) an assessment of--
(i) any challenge to cooperation and coordination with the
national security council, or other identified coordinating
body, of any specified country;
(ii) current efforts by the Secretary of State to
coordinate with the specified countries on the activities
described in subsection (f); and
(iii) existing governmental entities within each specified
country that are capable of supporting such activities;
(E) a description of any challenge with respect to--
(i) the implementation of the national security council, or
other identified coordinating body, of any specified country;
and
(ii) the implementation of subsections (a) through (d);
(F) an assessment of any attempt or campaign by a malign
actor to influence the political, security, or economic
policy of a specified country, a member of a national
security council or other identified coordinating body, or an
immediate family member of such a member; and
(G) any other matter the Secretary of State considers
relevant.
(2) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) may be
submitted in unclassified form and may include a classified
annex.
(f) Activities Described.--The activities described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Homeland security activities.--
(A) Coordination of--
(i) the prosecution and investigation of transnational
criminal enterprises;
(ii) responses to national emergencies, such as natural
disasters;
(iii) counterintelligence and counter-coercion responses to
foreign threats; and
(iv) efforts to combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated
fishing.
(B) Coordination with United States Government officials on
humanitarian response, military exercises, law enforcement,
and other issues of security concern.
(C) Identification and development of an existing
governmental entity to support homeland defense and civil
support activities.
______