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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4249 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4249

  To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on access to 
   operational energy by the Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 2, 2024

   Mr. Rubio introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on access to 
   operational energy by the Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fuel Utilization for Enhanced 
Logistics Act'' or the ``FUEL Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY, STRATEGY, AND REPORT ON OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE OF ENERGY 
              SUPPLY FOR ARMED FORCES IN INDO-PACIFIC REGION.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a 
        study on the energy supply, logistics networks, and 
        infrastructure that support access to operational energy (as 
        defined in section 2924 of title 10, United States Code) by the 
        Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region.
            (2) Elements.--The study required by paragraph (1) shall 
        assess--
                    (A) current contingency plans and alternative 
                logistics routes that ensure continued access by the 
                Armed Forces to uninterrupted energy supply chains 
                under contested conditions;
                    (B) the current operational energy infrastructure 
                in the Indo-Pacific region owned by commercial 
                companies or host countries, and the ability of such 
                infrastructure to endure attacks, including kinetic and 
                cyber attacks;
                    (C) potential political and economic influences on 
                the availability of operational energy in contested 
                environments, taking into consideration the growing 
                market share of national oil companies; and
                    (D) current and projected trends in global refining 
                capacity and investments in petroleum infrastructure, 
                and the implications of such trends for United States 
                national security, including the potential implications 
                in a future conflict.
    (b) Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop a strategy, 
        based on the findings of the study required by subsection (a), 
        to secure access to operational energy for the Armed Forces in 
        the Indo-Pacific region.
            (2) Elements.--The strategy developed under paragraph (1) 
        shall identify--
                    (A) rapid-deployment energy solutions that enable 
                the Armed Forces to conduct sustained operations in the 
                absence of traditional fuel supplies;
                    (B) any needed or anticipated investment in 
                infrastructure and fuel capabilities owned by the 
                United States in the Indo-Pacific region, to reduce 
                dependency on foreign infrastructure and petroleum;
                    (C) any enhancement needed to ensure the security 
                of operational energy supply chains for such sustained 
                operations through advanced monitoring, including 
                cybersecurity measures and physical protections;
                    (D) any collaboration between United States energy 
                companies and partner countries the Secretary has 
                pursued to reduce reliance on energy sources owned by 
                adversarial countries; and
                    (E) allied and partner countries with which the 
                Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command 
                should collaborate to address vulnerabilities in the 
                energy supply and logistics networks of the Armed 
                Forces in the Indo-Pacific region.
    (c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional 
defense committees a report that includes--
            (1) the findings of the study required by subsection 
        (a)(1);
            (2) the strategy developed under subsection (b)(1); and
            (3) any recommendation for legislative or administrative 
        actions to support such strategy.
                                 <all>
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