I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8184 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish the Center for Asymmetric 

Threat Research and Analytics to conduct research countering violent 

extremist organizations, weapons of mass destruction, and influence operations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 

Mr. BROWN of Maryland introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish the Center 

for Asymmetric Threat Research and Analytics to conduct research countering violent extremist organizations, 

weapons of mass destruction, and influence operations, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Center for Asymmetric 

5 Threat Research and Analytics Act of 2020’’ or the 

6 ‘‘CATRA Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CENTER FOR ASYMMETRIC THREAT RESEARCH AND 

2 ANALYTICS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DE3 FENSE. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Defense 

5 shall establish a research center on asymmetric threats 

6 known as the ‘‘Center for Asymmetric Threat Research 

7 and Analytics’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Cen8 ter’’). 

9 (b) MISSIONS.—The Center shall— 

10 (1) establish and maintain public global data11 bases on— 

12 (A) asymmetric threats, including with re13 spect to— 

14 (i) terrorist incidents and the behavior 

15 of foreign violent extremist organizations; 

16 (ii) weapons of mass destruction; 

17 (iii) emerging or disruptive tech18 nologies; 

19 (iv) influence operations; and 

20 (v) other threats identified by the Sec21 retary; 

22 (B) efficacy of responses to the asymmetric 

23 threats specified in subparagraph (A); and 

24 (C) relevant social, legal, political, and eco25 nomic factors related to terrorism and re26 sponses to such asymmetric threats; 


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1 (2) conduct advanced research on current and 

2 emerging asymmetric threats; 

3 (3) conduct advanced research on the effective4 ness of responses to asymmetric threats, and dis5 seminate recommendations for prioritization of re6 sponses; 

7 (4) provide training and education to relevant 

8 departments and agencies of the Federal Govern9 ment and associated organizations on contemporary 

10 trends in global asymmetric threats, and lessons 

11 learned on the effectiveness of responses; and 

12 (5) coordinate with the Center of Excellence for 

13 Terrorism Prevention and Counterterrorism Re14 search of the Department of Homeland Security, as 

15 appropriate. 

16 (c) LEAD INSTITUTION.—The Secretary shall select 

17 an institution of higher education to serve as the lead in18 stitution established pursuant to subsection (a). 

19 (d) CONSORTIUM.—The institution of higher edu20 cation selected under subsection (c) shall enter into agree21 ments with other institutions of higher education that the 

22 Secretary determines meet the criteria for selection speci23 fied in subsection (e) to develop a consortium to assist 

24 in accomplishing the goals of the Center. 


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1 (e) CRITERIA.—In selecting an institution of higher 

2 education for participation in the consortium referred to 

3 in subsection (d), the Secretary shall— 

4 (1) consider— 

5 (A) demonstrated expertise in the study of 

6 global terrorism, the pursuit of weapons of 

7 mass destruction and disruptive technologies, 

8 influence operations, data collection, and dis9 semination; 

10 (B) demonstrated expertise in the study of 

11 countering violent extremist organizations, re12 sponding to influence operations, and coun13 tering the pursuit of weapons of mass destruc14 tion and disruptive technologies; and 

15 (C) demonstrated expertise in research 

16 transition to the Federal Government in the 

17 form of knowledge tools, publications, and pro18 fessional training; and 

19 (2) ensure participation from a representative 

20 number of minority institutions. 

21 (f) RESEARCH ON PRIORITIZATION OF RESPONSES

22 TO ASYMMETRIC THREATS.— 

23 (1) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 

24 the establishment of the Center, and annually there25 after, the Center shall make publicly available on the 


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1 internet a report on the threat posed by asymmetric 

2 threats globally, and the efficacy of responses by the 

3 Secretary of Defense to asymmetric threats taking 

4 social, political, legal, and economic factors into con5 sideration, with recommendations for prioritizing re6 sponses to asymmetric threats. 

7 (2) CONTENTS.—Each report published under 

8 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

9 (A) Information on the behaviors of asym10 metric threat groups and movements globally. 

11 (B) Strategies that foreign governments 

12 and civil society actors have undertaken to 

13 counter such movements. 

14 (C) Strategies that Federal, State, local, 

15 and Tribal governments and civil society actors 

16 have taken to counter such movements. 

17 (D) Lessons learned from such strategies, 

18 and recommendations for the prioritization of 

19 responses to asymmetric threats. 

20 (3) RECIPIENTS.—In addition to making the re21 port publicly available on the internet, the Center 

22 shall submit each report under paragraph (1) to the 

23 following: 

24 (A) The Committee on Armed Services, the 

25 Committee on Appropriations, the Committee 


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1 on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select 

2 Committee on Intelligence of the House of Rep3 resentatives. 

4 (B) The Committee on Armed Services, 

5 the Committee on Appropriations, the Com6 mittee on Foreign Relations, and the Select 

7 Committee on Intelligence of the Senate. 

8 (C) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

9 Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. 

10 (D) The Commander of the United States 

11 Special Operations Command. 

12 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

13 authorized to be appropriated $8,000,000 for each of fis14 cal years 2021 through 2026 to carry out this section, of 

15 which $1,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to the 

16 Department of Defense to administer this Act and 

17 $7,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to the Center. 

18 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section the term ‘‘minor19 ity institution’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘covered 

20 institution’’ in section 262(g)(2) of the National Defense 

21 Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116– 

22 92). 

Æ 


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