SOFA Act

Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3015 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3015

   To reduce the number of members of the Armed Forces stationed in 
certain foreign countries with which the United States does not have a 
   proper and enforceable Status of Forces Agreement, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2023

  Mr. LaLota introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To reduce the number of members of the Armed Forces stationed in 
certain foreign countries with which the United States does not have a 
   proper and enforceable Status of Forces Agreement, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Safeguarding Our Forces Abroad Act'' 
or the ``SOFA Act''.

SEC. 2. REDUCTION OF PERSONNEL STATIONED IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date that is 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
reduce, at a rate of 1 percent each month, the number of members of the 
Armed Forces stationed in each covered foreign country with which a 
binding and enforceable Status of Forces Agreement is not in place 
that--
            (1) prohibits the government of such country, including any 
        jurisdiction within such country, from undertaking pretrial 
        detention of any member of the Armed Forces subject to an 
        accusation of committing a non-violent crime;
            (2) guarantees to any member of the Armed Forces who is 
        accused of a crime and whose liberty is at risk the right to 
        immediately have access to and the presence of counsel of 
        choice during all stages of the legal process, including 
        investigations and interrogations;
            (3) guarantees to any member of the Armed Forces who is 
        accused of a crime and whose liberty is at risk the right to 
        immediately have access to appropriate language translation 
        services; and
            (4) guarantees that any such accused member of the Armed 
        Forces may not be compelled to be a witness against themselves 
        and will be protected from confessions obtained through 
        torture, coercion, threats, violence, or any means of improper 
        influence.
    (b) Covered Foreign Country.--In this section, the term ``covered 
foreign country'' means a foreign country in which at least 1,000 
members of the Armed Forces were stationed in the previous fiscal year.
    (c) Waiver.--The requirement to draw down the number of members of 
the Armed Forces stationed in a covered foreign country under 
subsection (a) may be waived if the Secretary of Defense certifies to 
the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committees on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives and of the Senate that it is in the national 
security interests of the United States to avoid such a reduction in 
forces.
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