II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 291 

To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to modify the requirements 

for membership in the National Security Council and cabinet-level policy 

forum, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 2, 2017 

Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. HEINRICH, Mrs. 

FEINSTEIN, and Ms. HARRIS) introduced the following bill; which was 

read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence 

A BILL 

To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to modify 

the requirements for membership in the National Security Council and cabinet-level policy forum, 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 ‘‘Strengthening Over5 sight of National Security Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS 

2 FOR NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND CAB3 INET-LEVEL POLICY FORUM. 

4 (a) NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL.—Section 101(c) 

5 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021(c)) 

6 is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

8 (A) by striking ‘‘The Council’’ and insert9 ing ‘‘Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 

10 Council’’; 

11 (B) by inserting ‘‘the Director of National 

12 Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint 

13 Chiefs of Staff,’’ after ‘‘the Secretary of En14 ergy,’’; and 

15 (C) by striking ‘‘and such other officers of 

16 the United States Government as the President 

17 may designate.’’ and inserting ‘‘appointed by 

18 the President, by and with the advice and con19 sent of the Senate.’’; and 

20 (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 

21 following: 

22 ‘‘(2) LIMITATION ON MEMBERSHIP AND PAR23 TICIPATION.— 

24 ‘‘(A) APPROVAL BY CONGRESS.—The 

25 President may not designate as a member or 

26 attendee a covered individual under paragraph 


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1 (1) (excluding the National Security Advisor 

2 and Deputies, the Homeland Security Advisor 

3 and Deputies, the Assistant to the President 

4 and Chief of Staff, the Counsel to the Presi5 dent, the Assistant to the President for Eco6 nomic Policy, and the Assistant to the Vice 

7 President for National Security) unless a joint 

8 resolution or bill is enacted approving of the 

9 designation of the covered individual by the 

10 President. 

11 ‘‘(B) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In 

12 this paragraph, the term ‘covered individual’ 

13 means an individual in a position that is not 

14 subject to confirmation by the Senate.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY FORUM FOR POLICY CONSIDER16 ATION AND DECISIONMAKING. 

17 (a) CREATION.—There is a cabinet-level interagency 

18 forum for policy consideration and decisionmaking to sup19 port the National Security Council. 

20 (b) COMPOSITION.—Except as provided in subsection 

21 (c), the composition of the interagency forum for policy 

22 consideration and decisionmaking to support the National 

23 Security Council shall reflect the membership of the Na24 tional Security Council and any member of the executive 


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1 branch who is appointed by the President and confirmed 

2 by the Senate, as determined by the President. 

3 (c) EXCEPTIONS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Any exception to the re5 quirement of subsection (b) shall only be permitted 

6 for a one-time decisionmaking action. 

7 (2) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.—The Presi8 dent shall submit to Congress a notification of any 

9 exercise of an exception permitted by this subsection 

10 not later than 24 hours after the execution of such 

11 exception. 

Æ 


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