A bill to provide authority to enter into a cooperative agreement to protect civilians in Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula from weaponized unmanned aerial systems.

Subjects: International Affairs


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 430 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 430

 To provide authority to enter into a cooperative agreement to protect 
civilians in Iraq and on the Arabian Peninsula from weaponized unmanned 
                            aerial systems.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 15, 2023

Mr. Risch (for himself and Mr. Menendez) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide authority to enter into a cooperative agreement to protect 
civilians in Iraq and on the Arabian Peninsula from weaponized unmanned 
                            aerial systems.

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

SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should improve cooperation with 
        allies, including Israel, and like-minded partners to 
        systematically map out, expose, and disrupt missile and drone 
        procurement networks used by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in 
        Yemen and other Iranian proxies targeting United States forces 
        and assets and United States allies and partners in the region;
            (2) the partner countries of the United States, including 
        Iraq and countries on the Arabian Peninsula, face urgent and 
        emerging threats from unmanned aerial systems and other 
        unmanned aerial vehicles;
            (3) joint research and development to counter unmanned 
        aerial systems will serve the national security interests of 
        the United States and its partners in Iraq and on the Arabian 
        Peninsula;
            (4) development of counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems 
        technology will reduce the impacts of these attacks, build 
        deterrence, and increase regional stability; and
            (5) the United States and partners in Iraq and on the 
        Arabian Peninsula should continue to work together to protect 
        against the threat from unmanned aerial systems.

SEC. 2. DEFINED TERM.

    In this Act, the term ``Arabian Peninsula'' means Bahrain, Kuwait, 
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT TO PROTECT 
              CIVILIANS IN IRAQ AND ON THE ARABIAN PENINSULA FROM 
              WEAPONIZED UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS.

    (a) In General.--The President is authorized to enter into a 
cooperative project agreement with Iraq and countries on the Arabian 
Peninsula under the authority of section 27 of the Arms Export Control 
Act (22 U.S.C. 2767) to carry out research on and development, testing, 
evaluation, and joint production (including follow-on support) of 
defense articles and defense services to detect, track, and destroy 
armed unmanned aerial systems that threaten the United States and its 
partners in Iraq and on the Arabian Peninsula.
    (b) Applicable Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--The cooperative project agreement 
        described in subsection (a)--
                    (A) shall provide that any activities carried out 
                pursuant to such agreement are subject to--
                            (i) the applicable requirements described 
                        in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of section 
                        27(b)(2) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 
                        U.S.C. 2767(b)(2)); and
                            (ii) any other applicable requirements of 
                        the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et 
                        seq.) with respect to the use, transfer, and 
                        security of such defense articles and defense 
                        services under such Act; and
                    (B) shall establish a framework to negotiate the 
                rights to intellectual property developed under such 
                agreement.
            (2) Congressional notification requirements.--
        Notwithstanding section 27(g) of the Arms Export Control Act 
        (22 U.S.C. 2767(g)), any defense articles that result from a 
        cooperative project agreement shall be subject to the 
        requirements under subsections (b) and (c) of section 36 of 
        such Act (22 U.S.C. 2776).

SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION WITH RESPECT TO USE OF MILITARY FORCE.

    Nothing in this Act may be construed as an authorization for the 
use of military force.
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