State Partnership Program Enhancement Act of 2015

Summary: State Partnership Program Enhancement Act of 2015 Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 to revise and extend indefinitely the authority of the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish exchange programs for members of the National Guard under the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP). (Currently, the authority is scheduled to terminate on September 30, 2016.)   Authorizes DOD, with the concurrence of the Department of State, to establish such programs for exchanges of members of the National Guard of a state or territory and the military forces or security forces or other government organizations of a foreign country to support the national interests and security cooperation goals and objectives of the United States as defined by the current and evolving national global strategic policies of the United States. (Currently, the primary function of the SPP is disaster and emergency response.) Directs DOD, with the concurrence of the State Department, to establish procedures for SPP planning, programming, budgeting, accounting, and performance metrics. Requires the National Guard Bureau to: (1) maintain a list of core competencies of the National Guard to support SPP activities, and (2) designate a director for each state and territory. Requires DOD to coordinate SPP regulations with combatant commanders to ensure that program activities meet theater security cooperation objectives. Requires the State Department to coordinate such regulations with relevant chiefs of mission to meet diplomatic objectives. Establishes the National Guard State Partnership Program Fund in the Treasury, into which appropriated amounts shall be credited and transferred for program activity uses, including payment of costs for personnel, training, operations, and equipment.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``State Partnership Program 
Enhancement Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION AND EXTENSION OF 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--
            (1) by striking ``whose primary functions include disaster 
        response or emergency response,''; and
            (2) 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 as defined by the 
        current and evolving national global strategic policies of the 
        United States''.
    (b) Limitation.--Subsection (b) of such section is amended by 
striking ``whose primary functions include disaster response or 
emergency response''.
    (c) Regulations.--Such section, as so amended, is further amended 
by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Regulations.--
            ``(1) Regulations.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, with 
                the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall 
                prescribe regulations to carry out this section. Such 
                regulations shall establish procedures relating to 
                planning, programming, budgeting, accounting 
                procedures, and performance metrics to ensure--
                            ``(i) appropriate use of funds to carry out 
                        this section; and
                            ``(ii) expenditures of funds to carry out 
                        this section are accounted for and appropriate.
                    ``(B) Consultation.--The Secretary of Defense, with 
                the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall 
                consult with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau 
                on--
                            ``(i) the development of and changes to 
                        regulations prescribed under subparagraph (A); 
                        and
                            ``(ii) the development of the annual report 
                        under subsection (e).
            ``(2) Role of chief of the national guard bureau.--The 
        Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall--
                    ``(A) establish, maintain, and update as 
                appropriate a list of core competencies of the National 
                Guard to support each program established under 
                subsection (a), collectively and for each State and 
                territory, and shall submit to the Secretary of Defense 
                and the Secretary of State the list of core 
                competencies of the National Guard 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 conduct of 
                activities under a program established under subsection 
                (a) for such State or territory and reporting on 
                activities under the program.
            ``(3) Role of secretary of defense.--The Secretary of 
        Defense shall ensure that regulations to carry out this section 
        include planning, coordinating, and execution requirements with 
        the relevant combatant commanders and that activities under a 
        program established under subsection (a) meet the relevant 
        theater security cooperation objectives.
            ``(4) Role of secretary of state.--The Secretary of State 
        shall ensure that the regulations to carry out this section 
        include planning, coordinating, and execution requirements with 
        the relevant chiefs of mission and that activities under a 
        program established under subsection (a) meet the diplomatic 
        objectives of the Department of State.''.
    (d) National Guard State Partnership Program Fund.--Subsection (d) 
of such section is amended to read as follows:
    ``(d) National Guard State Partnership Program Fund.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is hereby established on the 
        books of the Treasury the National Guard State Partnership 
        Program Fund (in this subsection referred to as the `Fund').
            ``(2) Credits to fund.--There shall be credited to the Fund 
        the following:
                    ``(A) Amounts authorized for and appropriated to 
                the Fund.
                    ``(B) Amounts that the Secretary of Defense 
                transfers, in such amounts as provided in 
                appropriations Acts, to the Fund from 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.
            ``(3) Use of amounts in fund.--In such amounts as provided 
        in appropriations Acts, the Secretary of Defense may use 
        amounts in the Fund to--
                    ``(A) for payment of costs incurred by the National 
                Guard of a State or territory to conduct activities 
                under a program established under subsection (a), 
                including costs for personnel, training, operations, 
                and equipment; and
                    ``(B) for payment of incremental expenses of a 
                foreign country to conduct activities under a program 
                established under subsection (a).
            ``(4) Limitations.--
                    ``(A) Active duty requirement.--Amounts shall not 
                be available under paragraph (3) for the participation 
                of a member of the National Guard of a State or 
                territory in activities in a foreign country unless the 
                member is on active duty in the Armed Forces at the 
                time of such participation.
                    ``(B) Incremental expenses.--The total amount of 
                payments for incremental expenses of foreign countries 
                as authorized under paragraph (3)(B) for activities 
                under programs established under subsection (a) in any 
                fiscal year may not exceed $10,000,000.''.
    (e) Annual Report.--Subsection (e) of such section is amended--
            (1) by striking ``(e) Reports and Notifications.--'' and 
        all that follows through ``(B) Matters to be included.--'' and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(e) Annual Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than January 31 of each year 
        following a fiscal year in which activities under a program 
        established under subsection (a) are carried out, the Secretary 
        of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall 
        submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
        such activities under the program.
            ``(2) Matters to be included.--'';
            (2) by redesignating clauses (i) through (v) as 
        subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively; and
            (3) in paragraph (2) (as redesignated)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C) (as redesignated), by 
                inserting ``or other government organizations'' after 
                ``and security forces'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D) (as redesignated), by 
                adding at the end before the period the following: ``or 
                chiefs of mission'';
                    (C) in subparagraph (E) (as redesignated), by 
                adding at the end before the period the following: ``or 
                how the activities support the chief of mission with 
                responsibilities for the country in which the 
                activities occurred''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) A performance review of activities conducted 
                during the previous year using metrics developed by the 
                Chief of the National Guard Bureau.''.
    (f) Definitions.--Subsection (g) of such section is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) Core competencies.--The term `core competencies of 
        the National Guard' or `core competencies' means military-to-
        military and military-to-civilian skills and capabilities of 
        the National Guard that would contribute the purpose of the 
        program established under subsection (a).''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) State.--The term `State' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.''.
    (g) Termination.--Such section is further amended by striking 
subsection (i).