H. R. 2670—350 
(A) in paragraph (1)(C), by inserting ‘‘ballistic and 
cruise’’ after ‘‘instances of’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (F), by striking ‘‘The United 
Nations’’ and inserting ‘‘The effect of the United 
Nations’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(H) Iranian involvement in regional narcotics trade, 
to include the following: 
‘‘(i) Any element of the Government of Iran, 
including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (in 
this section referred to as the ‘IRGC’) and any Iran- 
backed group operating in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, or 
Yemen, that supports the sale, supply, or transfer of 
narcotics in the Middle East region. 
‘‘(ii) The benefits accrued from the sale, supply, 
and transfer of narcotics in the region by any element 
of the Government of Iran, including the IRGC and 
any Iran-backed groups operating in Iraq, Syria, Leb-
anon, or Yemen. 
‘‘(iii) All foreign terrorist organizations to or for 
which the IRGC, or any person owned or controlled 
by the IRGC, provides material support in the sale, 
supply, transfer, or production of captagon or other 
related narcotics or precursors in the Middle East and 
North Africa. 
‘‘(iv) Activities conducted by the IRGC in Afghani-
stan related to the trade of methamphetamine or opi-
ates, including synthetic opiates. 
‘‘(v) All intercepted transfers involving the United 
States Fifth Fleet of narcotics from Iran or involving 
Iranian nationals or persons acting, or purporting to 
act, for or on behalf of the Government of Iran, 
including the IRGC. 
‘‘(I) Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated 
operatives serving in diplomatic and consular posts, cul-
tural centers, religious institutions, and religious functions 
outside of Iran and actions taken by the Secretary of 
Defense, the Secretary of State, and the heads of the ele-
ments of the intelligence community (as such term is 
defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 
(50 U.S.C. 3003), consistent with the necessary protections 
for sources and methods, to reduce the influence of such 
operations.’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (c) and (d) as subsections 
(d) and (e), respectively; 
(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) UPDATED REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act of 
2024, the Director of National Intelligence shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees an updated report that 
includes each of the matters listed in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (a) and covers developments during the period beginning 
in June 2022 and ending on the day before the date on which 
the updated report is submitted.’’; and
H. R. 2670—351 
(4) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by inserting ‘‘, 
and the updated report required by subsection (b),’’ after ‘‘report 
required by subsection (a)’’. 
SEC. 1270. PROHIBITION ON FUNDS TO IRAN. 
None of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by this 
Act to the Department of Defense may be made available, directly 
or indirectly, to— 
(1) the Government of Iran; 
(2) any person owned or controlled by the Government 
of Iran; 
(3) any person identified on the list of specially designated 
nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of 
Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury, 
the property and interests in property of which are blocked 
pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; 
(4) any person owned or controlled by a person described 
in paragraph (3); or 
(5) the Badr organization, Saraya Khorasani, or Kata’ib 
al-Imam Ali. 
SEC. 1271. PROHIBITION ON TRANSPORTING CURRENCY TO THE 
TALIBAN AND THE ISLAMIC EMIRATE OF AFGHANISTAN. 
None of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by this 
Act or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense 
may be made available for the operation of any aircraft of the 
Department of Defense to transport currency or other items of 
value to the Taliban, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, or any 
subsidiary, agent, or instrumentality of either the Taliban or the 
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. 
SEC. 1272. PROHIBITION ON FUNDING FOR THE TALIBAN. 
(a) PROHIBITION ON FUNDING.—None of the funds authorized 
to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for 
the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2024 may be made avail-
able to provide any form of United States assistance to the Taliban 
or to any Taliban affiliate. 
(b) NATIONAL
SECURITY
CERTIFICATION.—The Secretary of 
Defense may waive the prohibition under subsection (a) on a case- 
by-case basis if the Secretary submits to the congressional defense 
committees an unclassified, written certification, which may include 
a classified annex, that such prohibition would be detrimental to 
national security interests of the United States or threaten the 
health and safety of the Afghan people. 
(c) AFFILIATE DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘affiliate’’ 
means, with respect to the Taliban— 
(1) a person that is closely associated with the Taliban; 
or 
(2) a person that has a common purpose with the Taliban. 
TITLE XIII—OTHER MATTERS 
RELATING TO FOREIGN NATIONS 
Subtitle A—Matters Relating to the Indo-Pacific Region 
Sec. 1301. Sense of Congress on defense alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pa-
cific region.
H. R. 2670—352 
Sec. 1302. Extension of Pacific Deterrence Initiative and report, briefings, and plan 
under the Initiative. 
Sec. 1303. Modification of pilot program to develop young civilian defense leaders 
in the Indo-Pacific region. 
Sec. 1304. Indo-Pacific campaigning initiative. 
Sec. 1305. Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative. 
Sec. 1306. Limitation on availability of funds pending feasibility study regarding 
delivery of harpoon missiles to foreign security partners. 
Sec. 1307. Sense of Congress on Taiwan defense relations. 
Sec. 1308. Oversight of Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act. 
Sec. 1309. Training, advising, and institutional capacity-building program for mili-
tary forces of Taiwan. 
Sec. 1310. Prohibition on use of funds to support entertainment projects with ties 
to the Government of the People’s Republic of China. 
Sec. 1311. Determination on involvement of the People’s Republic of China in the 
Mexican fentanyl trade. 
Sec. 1312. Analysis of certain biotechnology entities. 
Sec. 1313. Studies on defense budget transparency of the People’s Republic of 
China and the United States. 
Sec. 1314. Extension of authority to transfer funds for Bien Hoa dioxin cleanup. 
Sec. 1315. Extension and modification of pilot program to improve cyber coopera-
tion with foreign military partners in Southeast Asia. 
Sec. 1316. Enhancing major defense partnership with India. 
Sec. 1317. Report on enhanced security cooperation with Japan. 
Sec. 1318. Report and notification relating to transfer of operational control on Ko-
rean Peninsula. 
Sec. 1319. Study and report on command structure and force posture of United 
States Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region. 
Subtitle B—Matters Relating to the AUKUS Partnership 
Sec. 1321. Definitions. 
PART 1—ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 
Sec. 1331. AUKUS partnership oversight and accountability framework. 
Sec. 1332. Designation of senior official for Department of Defense activities relat-
ing to, and implementation plan for, the AUKUS partnership. 
Sec. 1333. Reporting related to the AUKUS partnership. 
PART 2—STREAMLINING AND PROTECTING TRANSFERS OF UNITED STATES MILITARY 
TECHNOLOGY FROM COMPROMISE 
Sec. 1341. Priority for Australia and the United Kingdom in Foreign Military Sales 
and Direct Commercial Sales. 
Sec. 1342. Identification and pre-clearance of platforms, technologies, and equip-
ment for sale to Australia and the United Kingdom through Foreign 
Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales. 
Sec. 1343. Export control exemptions and standards. 
Sec. 1344. Expedited review of export licenses for exports of advanced technologies 
to Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. 
Sec. 1345. United States Munitions List. 
PART 3—AUKUS SUBMARINE TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION ACT 
Sec. 1351. Short title. 
Sec. 1352. Authorization of sales of Virginia Class submarines to Australia. 
Sec. 1353. Acceptance of contributions in support of Australia, United Kingdom, 
and United States submarine security activities. 
Sec. 1354. Appropriate congressional committees and leadership defined. 
Subtitle A—Matters Relating to the Indo- 
Pacific Region 
SEC. 1301. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DEFENSE ALLIANCES AND PART-
NERSHIPS IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION. 
It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should 
continue efforts that strengthen United States defense alliances 
and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region so as to further the 
comparative advantage of the United States in strategic competition 
with the People’s Republic of China, including by—
H. R. 2670—353 
(1) enhancing cooperation with Japan, consistent with the 
Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United 
States of America and Japan, signed at Washington, January 
19, 1960, including by developing advanced military capabili-
ties, 
fostering 
interoperability 
across 
all 
domains, 
and 
improving sharing of information and intelligence; 
(2) reinforcing the United States alliance with the Republic 
of Korea, including by maintaining the presence of approxi-
mately 28,500 members of the United States Armed Forces 
deployed to the country and affirming the United States 
commitment to extended deterrence using the full range of 
United States defense capabilities, and with deeper coordination 
on nuclear deterrence as highlighted in the Washington Dec-
laration adopted by President Biden and President Yoon Suk 
Yeol during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit on April 
26, 2023, consistent with the Mutual Defense Treaty Between 
the United States and the Republic of Korea, signed at Wash-
ington, October 1, 1953, in support of the shared objective 
of a peaceful and stable Korean Peninsula; 
(3) fostering bilateral and multilateral cooperation with 
Australia, consistent with the Security Treaty Between Aus-
tralia, New Zealand, and the United States of America, signed 
at San Francisco, September 1, 1951, and through the partner-
ship among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United 
States (commonly known as ‘‘AUKUS’’)— 
(A) to advance shared security objectives; 
(B) to accelerate the fielding of advanced military 
capabilities; and 
(C) to build the capacity of emerging partners; 
(4) advancing United States alliances with the Philippines 
and Thailand and United States partnerships with other part-
ners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to enhance 
maritime domain awareness, promote sovereignty and terri-
torial integrity, leverage technology and promote innovation, 
and support an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional 
architecture; 
(5) broadening United States engagement with India, 
including through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue— 
(A) to advance the shared objective of a free and open 
Indo-Pacific region through bilateral and multilateral 
engagements and participation in military exercises, 
expanded defense trade, and collaboration on humanitarian 
aid and disaster response; and 
(B) to enable greater cooperation on maritime security; 
(6) strengthening the United States partnership with 
Taiwan, consistent with the Three Communiques, the Taiwan 
Relations Act (Public Law 96–8; 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), and 
the Six Assurances, with the goal of improving Taiwan’s defen-
sive capabilities and promoting peaceful cross-strait relations; 
(7) reinforcing the status of the Republic of Singapore as 
a Major Security Cooperation Partner of the United States 
and continuing to strengthen defense and security cooperation 
between the military forces of the Republic of Singapore and 
the Armed Forces of the United States, including through 
participation in combined exercises and training; 
(8) engaging with the Federated States of Micronesia, the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and
H. R. 2670—354 
other Pacific Island countries with the goal of strengthening 
regional security and addressing issues of mutual concern, 
including protecting fisheries from illegal, unreported, and 
unregulated fishing; and 
(9) collaborating with Canada, the United Kingdom, 
France, and other members of the European Union and the 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization to build connectivity and 
advance a shared vision for the region that is principled, long- 
term, and anchored in democratic resilience. 
SEC. 1302. EXTENSION OF PACIFIC DETERRENCE INITIATIVE AND 
REPORT, BRIEFINGS, AND PLAN UNDER THE INITIATIVE. 
(a) EXTENSION OF INITIATIVE.—Subsection (c) of section 1251 
of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (10 U.S.C. 113 note) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2023’’ and inserting ‘‘the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2023’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 
2024’’. 
(b) EXTENSION OF REPORT AND BRIEFINGS.—Subsection (d) of 
such section is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2024 and 
2025’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2025 and 2026’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2023 and 
2024’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2025 
and 2026’’. 
(c) EXTENSION
OF PLAN.—Subsection (e) of such section is 
amended by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2023 and 2024’’ and inserting 
‘‘fiscal years 2025 and 2026’’. 
SEC. 1303. MODIFICATION OF PILOT PROGRAM TO DEVELOP YOUNG 
CIVILIAN DEFENSE LEADERS IN THE INDO-PACIFIC 
REGION. 
Section 1261 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (10 U.S.C. 311 note) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘a national defense mission’’ and inserting ‘‘a defense- 
related national security mission’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and other appropriate ministries with 
a defense-related national security mission’’ after ‘‘civilian 
leaders in foreign partner ministries of defense’’ each place 
it appears; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘civilian defense leaders 
from foreign partner ministries of defense’’ and inserting 
‘‘civilian leaders in foreign partner ministries of defense and 
other appropriate ministries with a defense-related national 
security mission’’. 
SEC. 1304. INDO-PACIFIC CAMPAIGNING INITIATIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall establish, 
and the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command 
shall carry out, an Indo-Pacific Campaigning Initiative (in this 
section referred to as the ‘‘Initiative’’) for purposes of— 
(1) strengthening United States alliances and partnerships 
with foreign military partners in the Indo-Pacific region;
H. R. 2670—355 
(2) deterring military aggression by potential adversaries 
against the United States and allies and partners of the United 
States; 
(3) dissuading strategic competitors from seeking to achieve 
their objectives through the conduct of military activities below 
the threshold of traditional armed conflict; 
(4) improving the understanding of the United States 
Armed Forces with respect to the operating environment in 
the Indo-Pacific region; 
(5) shaping the perception of potential adversaries with 
respect to United States military capabilities and the military 
capabilities of allies and partners of the United States in the 
Indo-Pacific region; and 
(6) improving the ability of the United States Armed Forces 
to coordinate and operate with foreign military partners in 
the Indo-Pacific region. 
(b) BRIEFING AND REPORT.— 
(1) BRIEFING.—Not later than March 1, 2024, the Secretary 
shall provide the congressional defense committees with a 
briefing that describes ongoing and planned campaigning activi-
ties in the Indo-Pacific region for fiscal year 2024. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than December 1, 2024, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the congressional defense committees 
a report that— 
(A) summarizes the campaigning activities conducted 
in the Indo-Pacific region during fiscal year 2024; and 
(B) includes— 
(i) an assessment of the value each such activity 
contributes to meeting strategic or operational objec-
tives relative to the commitment of resources of such 
activity; 
(ii) lessons learned in carrying out such activities; 
(iii) any identified resource or authority gap that 
has negatively impacted the implementation of the 
Initiative; and 
(iv) proposed plans for additional campaigning 
activities in the Indo-Pacific region to fulfill the pur-
poses described in subsection (a). 
(c) CAMPAIGNING DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘cam-
paigning’’— 
(1) means the conduct and sequencing of logically linked 
military activities to achieve strategy aligned objectives, 
including modifying the security environment over time to the 
benefit of the United States and the allies and partners of 
the United States while limiting, frustrating, and disrupting 
competitor activities; and 
(2) includes deliberately planned military activities in the 
Indo-Pacific region involving bilateral and multilateral engage-
ments with foreign partners, training, exercises, demonstra-
tions, experiments, and other activities to achieve the objectives 
described in subsection (a). 
SEC. 1305. INDO-PACIFIC MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS INITIATIVE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordina-
tion with the Secretary of State, shall seek to establish an initiative 
with allies and partners of the United States, including Australia,
H. R. 2670—356 
Japan, and India, to be known as the ‘‘Indo-Pacific Maritime 
Domain Awareness Initiative’’ (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Initiative’’), to bolster maritime domain awareness in the Indo- 
Pacific region. 
(b) USE OF AUTHORITIES.—In carrying out the Initiative, the 
Secretary of Defense may use the authorities provided in chapter 
16 of title 10, United States Code, and other applicable statutory 
authorities available to the Secretary of Defense. 
(c) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Initiative are as follows: 
(1) To enhance the ability of allies and partners of the 
United States in the Indo-Pacific region to monitor the maritime 
domain of such region. 
(2) To utilize emerging technologies to support maritime 
domain awareness objectives. 
(3) To provide a comprehensive understanding of the mari-
time domain in the Indo-Pacific region, including by facilitating 
information sharing among such allies and partners. 
SEC. 1306. LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS PENDING FEASI-
BILITY STUDY REGARDING DELIVERY OF HARPOON MIS-
SILES TO FOREIGN SECURITY PARTNERS. 
(a) LIMITATION.—Of the funds authorized to be appropriated 
by this Act for fiscal year 2024 and available for the Assistant 
Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, 
not more than 85 percent may be obligated or expended until 
the date on which the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, 
Development and Acquisition submits to the congressional defense 
committees the feasibility study required by subsection (b). 
(b) FEASIBILITY STUDY REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, 
Development and Acquisition, shall conduct a study to analyze 
the feasibility and advisability of accelerating the provision 
of Harpoon missiles to foreign security partners under existing 
Foreign Military Sales cases, additional appropriations, and 
pursuant to the authority provided under section 506 of the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2318) or section 
333 of title 10, United States Code. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The study required by paragraph (1) shall, 
at a minimum, include the following: 
(A) A list of existing Foreign Military Sales cases for 
Harpoon missiles to foreign security partners. 
(B) The current timeline for the delivery of Harpoon 
missiles under each of the Foreign Military Sales cases 
identified under subparagraph (A). 
(C) A detailed analysis of contracting timelines for 
Harpoon missiles procured by foreign security partners 
through the Foreign Military Sales process and rec-
ommendations, if any, for accelerating such contracting 
timelines. 
(D) An analysis of the feasibility and advisability of 
accelerating the provision of Harpoon missiles to foreign 
security partners under existing Foreign Military Sales 
cases, including through— 
(i) additional appropriations;
H. R. 2670—357 
(ii) the authority provided under section 506 of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2318); 
(iii) the authority provided in section 333 of title 
10, United States Code; 
(iv) any other authorities available to the Secretary 
of Defense under title 10 of the United States Code. 
(E) An analysis of the potential for the United States 
Government to facilitize additional production capacity or 
purchase additional Harpoon missiles for future provision 
under section 506 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 2318). 
(c) CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act and every 180 days thereafter 
through December 31, 2027, the Secretary of Defense and Sec-
retary of State shall jointly provide the congressional defense 
committees, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Relations 
of the Senate a briefing on the current status of United States- 
provided security assistance to Taiwan, including— 
(A) a list of existing cases for defense articles and 
services to be provided to Taiwan utilizing the authorities 
described in paragraph (2), including, with respect to a 
defense item or service planned or anticipated to be pro-
vided— 
(i) a narrative description of the item or service; 
(ii) the total value of the item or service; 
(iii) the lead program office involved in the provi-
sion of the item or service; and 
(iv) the vendor of the item or service; 
(B) the estimated delivery schedule for each case identi-
fied under subparagraph (A); 
(C) an identification of any case identified under 
subparagraph (A) that has been delayed by more than 
3 months from the original estimated delivery schedule; 
(D) any actions the Department of State and the 
Department of Defense have identified to prevent delays 
or accelerate the delivery of any case identified under 
subparagraph (A); and 
(E) any other matters determined to be relevant by 
the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense. 
(2) AUTHORITIES DESCRIBED.—The authorities described in 
this paragraph are the following: 
(A) The Foreign Military Financing, Foreign Military 
Sales, and Direct Commercial Sales programs of the 
Department of State. 
(B) The Department of Defense security assistance 
authorized by chapter 16 of title 10, United States Code. 
(C) The Department of State training and education 
programs authorized by chapter 5 of part II of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2347 et seq.). 
(D) Section 506 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 2318). 
(E) The provision of excess defense articles pursuant 
to the requirements of the Arms Export Control Act (22 
U.S.C. 2751 et seq.).
H. R. 2670—358 
(F) Any other authority available to the Secretary of 
Defense or the Secretary of State. 
SEC. 1307. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON TAIWAN DEFENSE RELATIONS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the United States’ one China policy, as guided by the 
Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96–8; 22 U.S.C. et seq.), 
the Three Communiques between the United States and the 
People’s Republic of China, and the Six Assurances provided 
by the United States to Taiwan in July 1982, is the foundation 
for United States-Taiwan relations; 
(2) as set forth in the Taiwan Relations Act, the United 
States decision to establish diplomatic relations with the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China rests upon the expectation that the 
future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means, and 
that any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other 
than peaceful means, including boycotts and embargoes, is of 
grave concern to the United States; 
(3) the increasingly coercive and aggressive behavior of 
the People’s Republic of China toward Taiwan is contrary to 
the expectation of the peaceful resolution of the future of 
Taiwan; 
(4) as set forth in the Taiwan Relations Act, the capacity 
to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that 
would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, 
of the people on Taiwan should be maintained; 
(5) the United States should continue to support the 
development of capable, ready, and modern defense forces nec-
essary for Taiwan to maintain sufficient defensive capabilities, 
including by— 
(A) supporting acquisition by Taiwan of defense articles 
and services through foreign military sales, direct commer-
cial sales, and industrial cooperation, with an emphasis 
on capabilities that support an asymmetric strategy; 
(B) ensuring timely review of and response to requests 
of Taiwan for defense articles and services; 
(C) conducting practical training and military exercises 
with Taiwan that enable Taiwan to maintain sufficient 
defensive capabilities, as described in the Taiwan Relations 
Act; 
(D) exchanges between defense officials and officers 
of the United States and Taiwan at the strategic, policy, 
and functional levels, consistent with the Taiwan Travel 
Act (Public Law 115–135; 132 Stat. 341), especially for 
the purposes of— 
(i) enhancing cooperation on defense planning; 
(ii) improving the interoperability of the military 
forces of the United States and Taiwan; and 
(iii) improving the reserve force of Taiwan; 
(E) cooperating with Taiwan to improve its ability to 
employ military capabilities in asymmetric ways, as 
described in the Taiwan Relations Act; and 
(F) expanding cooperation in humanitarian assistance 
and disaster relief; and 
(6) the United States should increase its support to a 
free and open society in the face of aggressive efforts by the
H. R. 2670—359 
Government of the People’s Republic of China to curtail or 
influence the free exercise of rights and democratic franchise. 
SEC. 1308. OVERSIGHT OF TAIWAN ENHANCED RESILIENCE ACT. 
(a) OVERSIGHT OF TAIWAN SECURITY PROGRAMS.—Section 5502 
of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263; 136 Stat. 2395; 22 U.S.C. 
3351) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (e)(2)(A), by inserting ‘‘not later than 
1 year after the date of enactment of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 and’’ before ‘‘not less 
than annually’’; and 
(2) in subsection (f)(2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (L), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (M), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(N) a description of actions taken to establish or 
expand a comprehensive training program with Taiwan 
pursuant to section 5504; 
‘‘(O) a description of actions taken to establish a joint 
consultative mechanism with appropriate officials of 
Taiwan, and the multi-year plan to provide for the acquisi-
tion of appropriate defensive capabilities by Taiwan, pursu-
ant to section 5506 ; and 
‘‘(P) the list compiled pursuant to section 5507(a), and 
a description of actions taken pursuant to sections 5507(b) 
and 5507(c).’’. 
(b) OVERSIGHT
OF REGIONAL CONTINGENCY STOCKPILE
FOR 
TAIWAN.—Section 5503 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263; 136 
Stat. 2395) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In sub-
section (d), the term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means— 
‘‘(1) the congressional defense committees; and 
‘‘(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate.’’. 
SEC. 1309. TRAINING, ADVISING, AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY- 
BUILDING PROGRAM FOR MILITARY FORCES OF TAIWAN. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act 
(22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.) and pursuant to section 5504 of the Taiwan 
Enhanced Resilience Act (22 U.S.C. 3353), the Secretary of Defense, 
in consultation with appropriate officials of Taiwan, shall establish 
a comprehensive training, advising, and institutional capacity- 
building program for the military forces of Taiwan using the 
authorities provided in chapter 16 of title 10, United States Code, 
and other applicable statutory authorities available to the Secretary 
of Defense. 
(b) REPORTING.—Section 1248(a) of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117– 81; 135 
Stat. 1988) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (15) as paragraph (16); 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following new 
paragraph:
H. R. 2670—360 
‘‘(15) An update on efforts made to establish the program 
authorized by subsection (a) of section 1309 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 and an identi-
fication of any authority or resource shortfall that inhibits 
such efforts.’’. 
SEC. 1310. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS TO SUPPORT ENTERTAIN-
MENT PROJECTS WITH TIES TO THE GOVERNMENT OF 
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—None of the funds authorized to be appro-
priated by this Act for the Department of Defense may be used 
to knowingly provide active and direct support to any film, tele-
vision, or other entertainment project if the Secretary of Defense 
has demonstrable evidence that the project has complied, or is 
likely to comply, with a demand from the Government of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party, or an 
entity under the direction of the People’s Republic of China or 
the Chinese Communist Party, to censor the content of the project 
in a material manner to advance the national interest of the People’s 
Republic of China. 
(b) WAIVER.—The Secretary of Defense may waive the prohibi-
tion under subsection (a) if the Secretary submits to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives 
a written certification that such a waiver is in the national interest 
of the United States. 
SEC. 1311. DETERMINATION ON INVOLVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE’S 
REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN THE MEXICAN FENTANYL TRADE. 
(a) DETERMINATION.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consulta-
tion with the Director of National Intelligence, shall determine 
if information available to the Department of Defense indicates 
that the Government of the People’s Republic of China assisted 
in or approved of the transportation of pill presses, fentanyl prod-
ucts, or fentanyl precursors to one or more Mexican drug cartels. 
(b) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—If the determination of the Sec-
retary of Defense under subsection (a) is an affirmative determina-
tion, the Secretary shall submit the determination to the Commit-
tees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representa-
tives. 
SEC. 1312. ANALYSIS OF CERTAIN BIOTECHNOLOGY ENTITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct 
an analysis to determine if any biotechnology entity, or any sub-
sidiary, parent, affiliate, or successor of such an entity, should 
be identified as a Chinese military company or a military-civil 
fusion contributor and included on the list maintained by the 
Department of Defense in accordance with section 1260H(b) of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (10 
U.S.C. 113 note). 
(b) BIOTECHNOLOGY ENTITY DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘biotechnology entity’’ means an entity that makes or offers a tech-
nology, good, or service that applies to or is enabled by life sciences 
innovation or product development for biological materials, 
including disease detection, genetic analysis, and related services.
H. R. 2670—361 
SEC. 1313. STUDIES ON DEFENSE BUDGET TRANSPARENCY OF THE 
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) STUDIES REQUIRED.— 
(1) STUDY OF PRC BUDGET.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a study 
on the defense budget of the People’s Republic of China. 
(2) COMPARATIVE STUDY ON BUDGETS.—Not later than 90 
days after the date on which the study required by paragraph 
(1) is submitted, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees a comparative study on the 
defense budgets of the People’s Republic of China and the 
United States. 
(3) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the studies required by 
paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be to provide the people of the 
United States with an accurate comparison of the defense 
spending of the People’s Republic of China and the United 
States. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The studies required by subsection (a) shall 
include, at a minimum, the following: 
(1) A determination of the amounts invested by the 
applicable subject country across functional categories for 
spending, including— 
(A) defense-related research and development; 
(B) weapons procurement from domestic and foreign 
sources; 
(C) operations and maintenance; 
(D) pay and benefits; 
(E) military construction; 
(F) military pensions; and 
(G) any other category the Secretary considers rel-
evant. 
(2) A consideration of the effects of purchasing power parity 
and market exchange rates, particularly on non-traded goods. 
(3) An estimate of the magnitude of omitted spending from 
official defense budget information and, in the study required 
by subsection (a)(2), an accounting for such spending. 
(c) METHODOLOGY.—The studies required by subsection (a) shall 
each employ a robust methodology that— 
(1) does not depend on the official budget pronouncements 
of the Government of the People’s Republic of China or the 
Chinese Communist Party; 
(2) takes into account the military-civil fusion present in 
the People’s Republic of China; 
(3) employs the building-block method of analysis or a 
similar method of analysis, as appropriate; and 
(4) excludes spending related to veterans benefits, other 
than military pensions provided to veterans. 
(d) CONSIDERATIONS.—The studies required by this section may 
take into consideration the following: 
(1) The effects of state-owned enterprises on the defense 
expenditures of the People’s Republic of China. 
(2) The role of differing acquisition policies and structures 
with respect to the defense expenditures of each subject country. 
(3) Any other matter relevant to evaluating the resources 
dedicated to the defense spending or the various military- 
related outlays of the People’s Republic of China.
H. R. 2670—362 
(e) FORM.—The studies required by this section shall be sub-
mitted in unclassified form, without any designation relating to 
dissemination control, but may include classified annexes. 
SEC. 1314. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER FUNDS FOR BIEN 
HOA DIOXIN CLEANUP. 
Section 1253(b) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116– 
283; 134 Stat. 3955) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2023’’ 
and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2024’’. 
SEC. 1315. EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF PILOT PROGRAM TO 
IMPROVE CYBER COOPERATION WITH FOREIGN MILI-
TARY PARTNERS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 1256 of the William 
M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283; 134 Stat. 3956; 10 U.S.C. 333 
note) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘in 
Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia’’ and inserting ‘‘with covered 
foreign military partners’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Vietnam, Thailand, and 
Indonesia’’ and inserting ‘‘covered foreign military partners’’; 
and 
(3) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Vietnam, Thailand, and 
Indonesia on’’ and inserting ‘‘covered foreign military partners 
on defensive’’. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—Subsection (b) of such section is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Vietnam, Thailand, and 
Indonesia’’ and inserting ‘‘covered foreign military partners’’; 
and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Vietnam, Thailand, and 
Indonesia’’ and inserting ‘‘covered foreign military partners’’. 
(c) REPORTS.—Subsection (c)(2)(B) of such section is amended 
by striking ‘‘Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia’’ and inserting ‘‘cov-
ered foreign military partners’’. 
(d) CERTIFICATION.—Subsection (d) of such section is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘with any covered foreign military partner’’ 
after ‘‘scheduled to commence’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘Vietnam, Indonesia, or Thailand’’ and 
inserting ‘‘the covered foreign military partner’’. 
(e) EXTENSION.—Subsection (e) of such section is amended by 
striking ‘‘December 31, 2024’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2027’’. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—Subsection (f) of such section is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CONGRESS.—The term 
‘appropriate committees of Congress’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. 
‘‘(2) COVERED FOREIGN MILITARY PARTNER.—The term ‘cov-
ered foreign military partner’ means the following: 
‘‘(A) Vietnam. 
‘‘(B) Thailand. 
‘‘(C) Indonesia. 
‘‘(D) The Philippines.
H. R. 2670—363 
‘‘(E) Malaysia.’’. 
(g) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 1256 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public 
Law 116–283; 134 Stat. 3956; 10 U.S.C. 333 note) is amended, 
in the section heading, by striking ‘‘VIETNAM, THAILAND, AND 
INDONESIA’’ and inserting ‘‘COVERED FOREIGN MILITARY PART-
NERS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA’’. 
(2) The table of contents for the William M. (Mac) 
Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2021 (Public Law 116–283; 134 Stat. 3388) is amended by 
striking the item relating to section 1256 and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘Sec. 1256. Pilot program to improve cyber cooperation with covered foreign mili-
tary partners in Southeast Asia.’’. 
(3) The table of contents for title XII of the William M. 
(Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283; 134 Stat. 3905) is amended 
by striking the item relating to section 1256 and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘Sec. 1256. Pilot program to improve cyber cooperation with covered foreign mili-
tary partners in Southeast Asia.’’. 
SEC. 1316. ENHANCING MAJOR DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIA. 
The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary 
of State and the head of any other relevant Federal department 
or agency, shall seek to ensure that India is appropriately consid-
ered for cooperative defense activities consistent with the status 
of India as a major defense partner of the United States, including 
with respect to the following lines of effort: 
(1) Eligibility for funding to initiate or facilitate cooperative 
research, development, testing, or evaluation projects with the 
Department of Defense, with priority given to projects in the 
areas of— 
(A) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; 
(B) undersea domain awareness; 
(C) air combat and support; 
(D) munitions; and 
(E) mobility. 
(2) Eligibility to enter into agreements with the Department 
of Defense for cooperative bilateral or multilateral provision 
of training to build capacity in the areas of— 
(A) counterterrorism operations; 
(B) counter-weapons of mass destruction operations; 
(C) counter-illicit drug trafficking operations; 
(D) counter-transnational organized crime operations; 
(E) maritime and border security operations; 
(F) military intelligence operations; 
(G) air domain awareness operations; and 
(H) cyberspace security and defensive cyberspace oper-
ations. 
(3) Eligibility to enter into a memorandum of under-
standing or other formal agreement with the Department of 
Defense for the purpose of conducting cooperative research 
and development projects on defense equipment and munitions.
H. R. 2670—364 
(4) Eligibility for entities from India to bid on contracts 
for the maintenance, repair, or overhaul of Department of 
Defense equipment located outside the United States. 
SEC. 1317. REPORT ON ENHANCED SECURITY COOPERATION WITH 
JAPAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than June 1, 2024, the Secretary 
of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on enhancing 
United States security cooperation with Japan. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—At a minimum, the report required by sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
(1) A description of the activities and investments the 
Department of Defense will implement for— 
(A) increased bilateral training, exercises, combined 
patrols, and other activities between the United States 
Armed Forces and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan; 
(B) improving information-sharing mechanisms and 
processes, including the adoption of enhanced security 
protocols; and 
(C) enhancing cooperation on advanced technology ini-
tiatives. 
(2) An analysis of the feasibility and advisability of— 
(A) modifying United States command structures in 
Japan— 
(i) to coordinate United States military activities 
and operations; 
(ii) to complement similar changes by the Self- 
Defense Forces of Japan; and 
(iii) 
to 
facilitate 
integrated 
planning 
and 
implementation of combined activities; and 
(B) additional modifications to the force posture of 
the United States Armed Forces in Japan. 
(3) An identification of challenges to the implementation 
of the activities and investments described in paragraph (1) 
and any recommended legislative changes, resourcing require-
ments, bilateral agreements, or other measures that would 
facilitate the implementation of such activities and investments. 
(c) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) shall be sub-
mitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. 
(d) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee 
on Armed Services of the Senate; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee 
on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 1318. REPORT AND NOTIFICATION RELATING TO TRANSFER OF 
OPERATIONAL CONTROL ON KOREAN PENINSULA. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination 
with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate commit-
tees of Congress a report that— 
(1) describes the conditions under which the military forces 
of the Republic of Korea would be prepared to assume wartime 
operational control of the United States and Republic of Korea 
Combined Forces Command; and
H. R. 2670—365 
(2) includes an assessment of the extent to which the 
military forces of the Republic of Korea meet such conditions 
as of the date on which the report is submitted. 
(b) NOTIFICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days before the date 
on which wartime operational control of the United States 
and Republic of Korea Combined Forces Command is trans-
ferred to the Republic of Korea, the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State, shall notify the appro-
priate committees of Congress of such transfer. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The notification required by paragraph (1) 
shall include the following: 
(A) An assessment of the extent to which the military 
forces of the Republic of Korea— 
(i) meet the conditions described in the report sub-
mitted under subsection (a), including with respect 
to the acquisition by the Republic of Korea of necessary 
military capabilities to counter the capabilities of the 
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; or 
(ii) meet updated conditions for the assumption 
of the wartime operational control described in sub-
section (a)(1), including an explanation of the changes 
to such conditions relative to the conditions described 
in the report submitted under subsection (a). 
(B) A description of the command relationship among 
the United Nations Command, the United States and 
Republic of Korea Combined Forces Command, the United 
States Forces Korea, and the military forces of the Republic 
of Korea. 
(C) An assessment of the extent to which such transfer 
impacts the security of the United States, the Republic 
of Korea, and other regional allies and partners. 
(D) Any other matters determined relevant by the Sec-
retary. 
(c) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and 
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. 
SEC. 1319. STUDY AND REPORT ON COMMAND STRUCTURE AND FORCE 
POSTURE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES IN THE 
INDO-PACIFIC REGION. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall seek to 
enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and 
development center to conduct an independent study of the 
organizational structure and force posture of the United States 
Armed Forces in the area of responsibility of the United States 
Indo-Pacific Command. 
(2) REPORT TO SECRETARY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 360 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the federally funded 
research and development center selected to conduct the 
study required by paragraph (1) shall submit to the Sec-
retary a report on the findings of the study.
H. R. 2670—366 
(B) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subparagraph 
(A) shall include the following: 
(i) An assessment of— 
(I) the organizational structure of the United 
States Armed Forces in the area of responsibility 
of the United States Indo-Pacific Command; 
(II) the force posture, basing, access, and over-
flight agreements of the United States Armed 
Forces in such area of responsibility; and 
(III) any operational or command and control 
challenges resulting from the geography, force pos-
ture of the United States Armed Forces, or 
organizational structure of the United States 
Armed Forces in the area of responsibility of the 
United States Indo-Pacific Command. 
(ii) Any recommendation for— 
(I) adjustments to the force posture of the 
United States Armed Forces in such area of 
responsibility, 
including 
an 
identification 
of 
changes to any basing, access, or overflight agree-
ment that may be necessary in response to the 
changing security environment in such area of 
responsibility; 
(II) modifying the current organizational struc-
ture of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, 
including modifications affecting United States 
Forces in Japan and South Korea, in response 
to such changing security environment; or 
(III) improving the ability to coordinate with 
allies and partners. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than April 1, 2025, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the congressional defense committees 
an unaltered copy of the report submitted to the Secretary 
under subsection (a)(2), together with the views of the Secretary 
on the findings set forth in such report and any corresponding 
recommendations. 
(2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
annex. 
(3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary shall make avail-
able to the public the unclassified form of the report required 
by paragraph (1). 
Subtitle B—Matters Relating to the AUKUS 
Partnership 
SEC. 1321. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle: 
(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—Except as 
otherwise provided, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional 
committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Com-
mittee on Armed Services of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Com-
mittee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
H. R. 2670—367 
(2) AUKUS PARTNERSHIP.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘AUKUS partnership’’ 
means 
the 
enhanced 
trilateral 
security 
partnership 
between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United 
States announced in September 2021. 
(B) PILLARS.—The AUKUS partnership includes the 
following two pillars: 
(i) Pillar One is focused on developing a pathway 
for Australia to acquire conventionally armed, nuclear- 
powered submarines. 
(ii) Pillar Two is focused on enhancing trilateral 
collaboration 
on 
advanced 
defense 
capabilities, 
including hypersonic and counter hypersonic capabili-
ties, quantum technologies, undersea technologies, and 
artificial intelligence. 
(3) INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS.—The 
term ‘‘International Traffic in Arms Regulations’’ means sub-
chapter M of chapter I of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations 
(or successor regulations). 
PART 1—ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 
SEC. 1331. AUKUS PARTNERSHIP OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY 
FRAMEWORK. 
(a) SENIOR ADVISOR.— 
(1) DESIGNATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall des-
ignate a senior advisor at the Department of State (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘Senior Advisor’’), who shall 
oversee and coordinate the implementation of the AUKUS 
partnership. 
(B) QUALIFICATION.—The Senior Advisor may be an 
individual serving within the existing leadership of the 
Department of State but that individual may not hold 
any other position concurrently while serving as the Senior 
Advisor. 
(C) REPORTING.—The Senior Advisor shall report 
directly to the Secretary of State. 
(D) GUIDANCE.—The Secretary of State shall issue 
guidance to all bureaus of the Department of State speci-
fying the Senior Advisor’s responsibility for coordinating 
the implementation of all AUKUS partnership-related 
activities. 
(2) DUTIES.—The duties of the Senior Advisor shall be 
to— 
(A) coordinate efforts to implement the AUKUS part-
nership across relevant bureaus, directorates, and offices 
of the Department of State involved in matters such as 
arms exports, non-proliferation, deterrence, security assist-
ance, and Indo-Pacific and United Kingdom relations; 
(B) serve as the lead within the Department of State 
on matters relating to the AUKUS partnership in the inter-
agency process; 
(C) lead diplomatic efforts related to the AUKUS part-
nership with other governments to explain how the partner-
ship will enhance security and stability in the Indo-Pacific 
region; and
H. R. 2670—368 
(D) consult regularly with the appropriate congres-
sional committees and keep such committees fully and 
currently informed on all aspects of the AUKUS partner-
ship, to include— 
(i) Australia’s acquisition of conventionally armed, 
nuclear-powered submarines; 
(ii) jointly developing advanced military capabili-
ties; and 
(iii) any new programs under the AUKUS partner-
ship. 
(3) PERSONNEL TO SUPPORT THE SENIOR ADVISOR.—The Sec-
retary of State shall ensure that the Senior Advisor is ade-
quately staffed with respect to the Senior Advisor’s duties 
described in paragraph (2) through details, or assignment of 
employees of the Department of State, with expertise consistent 
with such duties. 
(b) TASK FORCE.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of State shall establish 
a task force, to be known as the Task Force on AUKUS (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’), which— 
(A) shall meet regularly to coordinate internally on 
issues relating to the implementation of the AUKUS part-
nership; and 
(B) shall be led by the Senior Advisor. 
(2) DUTIES.—The duties of the Task Force may include— 
(A) ensuring that responsible offices maintain a unified 
list of all defense-related transactions that have taken place 
under the AUKUS partnership; 
(B) ensuring the establishment of a framework for 
gathering, 
maintaining, 
and 
exchanging 
information 
relating to companies, individuals, or entities that are com-
promising security of military technology, defense articles, 
and defense services exchanged under the AUKUS partner-
ship; and 
(C) establishing an AUKUS industry forum for 
industry stakeholders, including non-traditional defense 
contractors (as such term is defined in section 3014 of 
title 10, United States Code), that will be open for the 
participation of foreign industry involved in the AUKUS 
partnership. 
(3) PERSONNEL TO SUPPORT THE TASK FORCE.—The per-
sonnel assigned to support the Senior Advisor under subsection 
(a)(3) shall also support the Task Force. The Secretary of State 
may not assign any additional personnel to support the Task 
Force. 
(c) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, or not later than 90 days after the 
date on which a senior advisor at the Department of State is 
designated as the Senior Advisor, whichever occurs earlier, the 
Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional 
committees of the number of personnel, relevant expertise of such 
personnel, and duties of such personnel directly supporting the 
work of the Senior Advisor and the offices supporting the Task 
Force. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
H. R. 2670—369 
appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the 
following: 
(1) A detailed description of the planned work of the Senior 
Advisor and the Task Force on matters related to the 
implementation of the AUKUS partnership. 
(2) For the preceding two calendar years and the current 
calendar year— 
(A) the average and median times for the United States 
Government to review applications for licenses to export 
defense articles or defense services to persons, corporations, 
and the governments (including agencies and subdivisions 
of such governments, including official missions of such 
governments) of Australia or the United Kingdom; 
(B) the average and median times for the United States 
Government to review applications from Australia and the 
United Kingdom for foreign military sales beginning from 
the date Australia or the United Kingdom submitted a 
letter of request that resulted in a letter of acceptance; 
and 
(C) the number of applications from Australia and 
the United Kingdom for licenses to export defense articles 
and defense services that were denied or approved with 
provisos, listed by year. 
(3) For each of the preceding two calendar years, the 
number of voluntary disclosures resulting in a violation of 
the International Traffic in Arms Regulations enumerated 
under section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
2780) or involving proscribed countries listed in section 126.1 
of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, by persons, 
corporations, and the governments (including agencies and sub-
divisions of such governments, including official missions of 
such governments) of Australia or the United Kingdom, 
including information with respect to— 
(A) any instance of unauthorized access to technical 
data or defense articles; 
(B) inadequate physical or cyber security; 
(C) retransfers or re-exports without authorization; and 
(D) employees of foreign companies that are United 
States persons that provide defense services without 
authorization. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Senior 
Advisor shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report that includes— 
(1) a detailed description of any issues that representatives 
of the United States, the United Kingdom, or Australia have 
identified that threaten or conflict with the stated goals of 
the AUKUS partnership and any efforts to resolve these issues; 
(2) information on the National Disclosure Policy Com-
mittee with respect to adoption of a classification category 
relating to any anticipatory disclosure policy for Australia and 
the United Kingdom; 
(3) a detailed description of Department of State investiga-
tions into violations under section 38 of the Arms Export Con-
trol Act (22 U.S.C. 2778) or related provisions that involve 
AUKUS partners or entities in the United States, the United 
Kingdom, and Australia;
H. R. 2670—370 
(4) details on whether regulatory changes to exemptions 
authorized under subsection (l) of section 38 of the Arms Export 
Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778), as added by section 1343 of 
this Act, are likely or necessary within the next year; and 
(5) an assessment of the change in the average and median 
Department of State licensing review times for the current 
reporting year based on the average and median licensing 
review times from the prior calendar year, including review 
times across the interagency for export licenses issued to Aus-
tralia or the United Kingdom. 
(f) SUNSET.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the position 
of the Senior Advisor and the Task Force shall terminate on 
the date that is 7 years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
(2) RENEWAL.—The Secretary of State may renew the posi-
tion of the Senior Advisor and the Task Force for 1 additional 
period of 4 years beginning after the date on which the Sec-
retary notifies the appropriate congressional committees of the 
renewal. 
(g) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 
means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee 
on Appropriations of the Senate. 
SEC. 1332. DESIGNATION OF SENIOR OFFICIAL FOR DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE ACTIVITIES RELATING TO, AND IMPLEMENTA-
TION PLAN FOR, THE AUKUS PARTNERSHIP. 
(a) DESIGNATION OF SENIOR OFFICIAL.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall designate a senior civilian official of the Department of 
Defense who shall be responsible for overseeing Department of 
Defense activities relating to the AUKUS partnership. 
(b) PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Administrator for Nuclear Security and 
the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate commit-
tees of Congress a report containing an implementation plan 
outlining Department of Defense efforts relating to the AUKUS 
partnership. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The plan required by paragraph (1) shall 
include the following: 
(A) Timelines and major anticipated milestones for the 
implementation of the AUKUS partnership. 
(B) An identification of dependencies of such milestones 
on defense requirements that are— 
(i) unrelated to the AUKUS partnership; and 
(ii) solely within the decisionmaking responsibility 
of Australia or the United Kingdom. 
(C) A consideration of the implications of the plan 
on the industrial base with respect to—
H. R. 2670—371 
(i) the expansion of existing United States sub-
marine construction capacity to fulfill United States, 
United Kingdom, and Australia requirements; 
(ii) acceleration of the restoration of United States 
capabilities for producing highly enriched uranium to 
fuel submarine reactors; 
(iii) stabilization of commodity markets and 
expanding supplies of high-grade steel, construction 
materials, and other resources required for improving 
shipyard condition and expanding throughput capacity; 
and 
(iv) coordination and synchronization of industrial 
sourcing opportunities among Australia, the United 
Kingdom, and the United States. 
(D) A description of resourcing and personnel require-
ments, including— 
(i) a detailed assessment of the feasibility of hiring 
and retaining additional foreign disclosure officers to 
facilitate more rapid technology transfer to Australia 
and the United Kingdom; and 
(ii) an assessment of any additional requirements 
for Department of Defense personnel to support the 
transfer of defense articles to Australia and the United 
Kingdom. 
(E) A plan for improving information sharing, 
including— 
(i) recommendations for modifications to foreign 
disclosure policies and processes; 
(ii) the promulgation of written information- 
sharing guidelines or policies to improve information 
sharing under the AUKUS partnership; 
(iii) the establishment of an information handling 
caveat specific to the AUKUS partnership; and 
(iv) the reduction in use of the Not Releasable 
to Foreign Nations (NOFORN) information handling 
caveat. 
(F) Processes for the protection of privately held 
intellectual property, including patents. 
(G) Recommended updates to other title 10, United 
States Code, authorities or regulatory, policy, or process 
frameworks. 
(c) SEMIANNUAL UPDATES.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date on which the plan required by subsection (b) is submitted, 
and semiannually thereafter not later than April 1 and October 
1 each year through 2029, the senior civilian official designated 
under subsection (a) shall provide the congressional defense commit-
tees and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
with a briefing on the status of all Department activities to imple-
ment the AUKUS partnership. 
SEC. 1333. REPORTING RELATED TO THE AUKUS PARTNERSHIP. 
(a) REPORT ON INSTRUMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the signa-
ture, conclusion, or other finalization of any non-binding 
instrument related to the AUKUS partnership, the President
H. R. 2670—372 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees the 
text of such instrument. 
(2) NON-DUPLICATION
OF
EFFORTS; RULE
OF
CONSTRUC-
TION.—To the extent the text of a non-binding instrument is 
submitted to the appropriate congressional committees pursu-
ant to paragraph (1), such text does not need to be submitted 
to Congress pursuant to section 112b(a)(1)(A)(ii) of title 1, 
United States Code, as amended by section 5947 of the James 
M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2023 (Public Law 117–263; 136 Stat. 3476). Paragraph (1) 
shall not be construed to relieve the executive branch of any 
other requirement of section 112b of title 1, United States 
Code, as so amended, or any other provision of law. 
(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘text’’, with respect to a 
non-binding instrument, includes— 
(i) any annex, appendix, codicil, side agreement, 
side letter, or any document of similar purpose or 
function to the aforementioned, regardless of the title 
of the document, that is entered into contempora-
neously and in conjunction with the non-binding 
instrument; and 
(ii) any implementing agreement or arrangement, 
or any document of similar purpose or function to 
the aforementioned, regardless of the title of the docu-
ment, that is entered into contemporaneously and in 
conjunction with the non-binding instrument. 
(B) CONTEMPORANEOUSLY AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH.— 
As used in subparagraph (A), the term ‘‘contemporaneously 
and in conjunction with’’— 
(i) shall be construed liberally; and 
(ii) may not be interpreted to require any action 
to have occurred simultaneously or on the same day. 
(b) REPORT ON AUKUS PARTNERSHIP.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the 
Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense 
and other appropriate heads of agencies, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on the AUKUS 
partnership. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each report required under paragraph (1) 
shall include the following elements: 
(A) STRATEGY.— 
(i) An identification of the defensive military capa-
bility gaps and capacity shortfalls that the AUKUS 
partnership seeks to offset. 
(ii) An explanation of the total cost to the United 
States associated with Pillar One of the AUKUS part-
nership. 
(iii) A detailed explanation of how enhanced access 
to the industrial base of Australia is contributing to 
strengthening the United States strategic position in 
Asia. 
(iv) A detailed explanation of the military and 
strategic benefit provided by the improved access pro-
vided by naval bases of Australia.
H. R. 2670—373 
(v) A detailed assessment of how Australia’s sov-
ereign conventionally armed nuclear attack submarines 
contribute to United States defense and deterrence 
objectives in the Indo-Pacific region. 
(B) IMPLEMENT THE AUKUS PARTNERSHIP.— 
(i) Progress made on achieving the Optimal Path-
way established for Australia’s development of conven-
tionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, including 
the following elements: 
(I) A description of progress made by Aus-
tralia, the United Kingdom, and the United States 
to conclude an Article 14 arrangement with the 
International Atomic Energy Agency. 
(II) A description of the status of efforts of 
Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United 
States to build the supporting infrastructure to 
base conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack 
submarines. 
(III) Updates on the efforts by Australia, the 
United Kingdom, and the United States to train 
a workforce that can build, sustain, and operate 
conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack sub-
marines. 
(IV) A description of progress in establishing 
submarine support facilities capable of hosting 
rotational forces in western Australia by 2027. 
(V) A description of progress made in 
improving United States submarine production 
capabilities that will enable the United States to 
meet— 
(aa) its objectives of providing up to five 
Virginia Class submarines to Australia by the 
early to mid-2030’s; and 
(bb) United States submarine production 
requirements. 
(ii) Progress made on Pillar Two of the AUKUS 
partnership, including the following elements: 
(I) An assessment of the efforts of Australia, 
the United Kingdom, and the United States to 
enhance collaboration across the following eight 
trilateral lines of effort: 
(aa) Underseas capabilities. 
(bb) Quantum technologies. 
(cc) Artificial intelligence and autonomy. 
(dd) Advanced cyber capabilities. 
(ee) Hypersonic and counter-hypersonic 
capabilities. 
(ff) Electronic warfare. 
(gg) Innovation. 
(hh) Information sharing. 
(II) An assessment of any new lines of effort 
established.
H. R. 2670—374 
PART 2—STREAMLINING AND PROTECTING 
TRANSFERS OF UNITED STATES MILITARY 
TECHNOLOGY FROM COMPROMISE 
SEC. 1341. PRIORITY FOR AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 
FOREIGN MILITARY SALES AND DIRECT COMMERCIAL 
SALES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall institute policies and 
procedures for letters of request from Australia and the United 
Kingdom to transfer defense articles and services under section 
21 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2761) related to 
AUKUS to receive expedited consideration and processing relative 
to all other letters of request other than from Taiwan and Ukraine. 
(b) TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER POLICY FOR AUSTRALIA, CANADA, 
AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Defense, shall create an anticipatory 
release policy for the transfer of technologies described in para-
graph (2) to Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada 
through Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales 
that are not covered by an exemption under the International 
Traffic in Arms Regulations. 
(2) CAPABILITIES DESCRIBED.—The capabilities described in 
this paragraph are— 
(A) Pillar One-related technologies associated with sub-
marine and associated combat systems; and 
(B) 
Pillar 
Two-related 
technologies, 
including 
hypersonic missiles, cyber capabilities, artificial intel-
ligence, quantum technologies, undersea capabilities, and 
other advanced technologies. 
(3) EXPEDITED
DECISION-MAKING.—Review of a transfer 
under the policy established under paragraph (1) shall be sub-
ject to an expedited decision-making process. 
(c) INTERAGENCY POLICY
AND GUIDANCE.—The Secretary of 
State and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly review and update 
interagency policies and implementation guidance related to 
requests for Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales, 
including by incorporating the anticipatory release provisions of 
this section. 
SEC. 1342. IDENTIFICATION AND PRE-CLEARANCE OF PLATFORMS, 
TECHNOLOGIES, AND EQUIPMENT FOR SALE TO AUS-
TRALIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM THROUGH FOREIGN 
MILITARY SALES AND DIRECT COMMERCIAL SALES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, and on a biennial basis thereafter for 
8 years, the President shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
of the House of Representatives a report that includes a list of 
advanced military platforms, technologies, and equipment that are 
pre-cleared and prioritized for sale and release to Australia, the 
United Kingdom and Canada through the Foreign Military Sales 
and Direct Commercial Sales programs without regard to whether 
a letter of request or license to purchase such platforms, tech-
nologies, or equipment has been received from any of such country.
H. R. 2670—375 
(b) ADDITIONAL ITEMS.—Each list may include items that are 
not related to the AUKUS partnership but may not include items 
that are not covered by an exemption under the International 
Traffic in Arms Regulations except unmanned aerial or hypersonic 
systems. 
SEC. 1343. EXPORT CONTROL EXEMPTIONS AND STANDARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act 
(22 U.S.C. 2778) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(l) AUKUS DEFENSE TRADE COOPERATION.— 
‘‘(1) DETERMINATION AND CERTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this subsection, the President 
shall determine and certify in writing, and include a 
detailed justification, to the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
of the House of Representatives whether Australia or the 
United Kingdom has— 
‘‘(i) implemented a system of export controls com-
parable to those of the United States that satisfies 
the elements of subsection (j)(2)(A)(i), (ii), (iii), and 
(iv) and subsection (j)(2)(B)(i), (ii) and (v) for United 
States-origin defense articles and defense services, and 
for controlling the provision of military training; and 
‘‘(ii) implemented a comparable exemption from 
its export controls for the United States. 
‘‘(B) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.— 
‘‘(i) REQUIREMENTS MET.—If the President makes 
the determination that Australia or the United 
Kingdom meets the comparability standards of clauses 
(i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A), the justification 
required by such subparagraph shall include an assess-
ment of how the country satisfied the specific elements 
described in such clauses. 
‘‘(ii) REQUIREMENTS
NOT
MET.—If the President 
makes a determination that Australia or the United 
Kingdom does not meet the comparability standards 
of clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A), the justifica-
tion required by such subparagraph shall include, as 
applicable— 
‘‘(I) the specific elements of either such clause 
(i) or (ii) that were determined not to meet the 
comparability standards; 
‘‘(II) the specific actions the country needs to 
take in order to meet the comparability standards; 
and 
‘‘(III) the actions the United States is taking, 
as appropriate, to facilitate that the country is 
granted an exemption in a timely manner upon 
meeting the comparability standards. 
‘‘(C) 
FORM.—The 
determination 
and 
certification 
described in subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. 
‘‘(2) EXEMPTION.—Upon submittal of a determination and 
certification to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives that Australia or the United Kingdom has
H. R. 2670—376 
met the comparability standards of clauses (i) and (ii) of para-
graph (1)(A), and subject to the limitation in paragraph (4), 
the President shall immediately exempt from the licensing or 
other approval requirements of this section exports and trans-
fers (including reexports, transfers, temporary imports, and 
brokering activities) of defense articles and defense services 
between the United States and that country or among the 
United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. 
‘‘(3) REASSESSMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If the President is unable to make 
a determination that Australia or the United Kingdom 
has met the comparability standards of clauses (i) and 
(ii) of paragraph (1)(A) or suspends the exemption pursuant 
to paragraph (5), the President shall— 
‘‘(i) not less frequently than once every 120 days 
reassess whether the country has met those require-
ments; 
‘‘(ii) report the results of such reassessment in 
writing, and include a detailed justification, to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
‘‘(iii) report on steps the country must take to 
establish the exemption. 
‘‘(B) POSITIVE REASSESSMENT.—Upon any reassessment 
under subparagraph (A) in which the President determines 
that Australia or the United Kingdom has met the com-
parability standards of clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph 
(1)(A), the President shall immediately provide to that 
country an exemption described in paragraph (2). 
‘‘(C) NEGATIVE REASSESSMENT.—If the President finds 
in any reassessment under subparagraph (A) that Australia 
or the United Kingdom has not met the comparability 
standards of clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (1)(A), the 
written reassessment shall include, as applicable— 
‘‘(i) the specific elements of either such clauses 
that were determined not to be comparable; 
‘‘(ii) the specific actions the country needs to take 
in order to meet the comparability standards; and 
‘‘(iii) the actions the United States is taking, as 
appropriate, to facilitate that the country is granted 
an exemption in a timely manner upon meeting the 
comparability standards. 
‘‘(D) FORM.—The reassessment described in subpara-
graph (A)(ii) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, 
but may include a classified annex. 
‘‘(4) LIMITATION.—An exemption described in paragraph 
(2) shall not apply to any activity (including exports, transfers, 
reexports, retransfers, temporary imports, or brokering) of 
defense articles and defense services between or among the 
United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia that— 
‘‘(A) are excluded by those countries; 
‘‘(B) are referred to in subsection (j)(1)(C)(ii); or 
‘‘(C) involve individuals or entities that are not 
approved by— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary of State; and
H. R. 2670—377 
‘‘(ii) the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of For-
eign Affairs, or other similar authority within those 
countries. 
‘‘(5) TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF EXEMPTION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The President may suspend an 
exemption described in paragraph (2) with respect to Aus-
tralia or the United Kingdom if the President determines 
and certifies in writing, and includes a detailed justifica-
tion, to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives that— 
‘‘(i) the country has ceased to implement a system 
of export controls comparable to those of the United 
States that satisfies the elements of subsection 
(j)(2)(A)(i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) and subsection (j)(2)(B)(i), 
(ii) and (v) for United States-origin defense articles 
and defense services, and for controlling the provision 
of military training; and 
‘‘(ii) due to a substantial change in circumstance, 
the suspension is necessary to protect the vital national 
security or foreign policy interests of the United States 
in relation to the country concerned; or 
‘‘(iii) the country concerned has ceased to imple-
ment a comparable exemption from its export controls 
for the United States. 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL MATTER TO BE INCLUDED.—The jus-
tification required to be included in the determination and 
certification described in subparagraph (A) shall also 
include a description of the specific actions the United 
States and the country are taking to address the reasons 
for the suspension. 
‘‘(C) 
FORM.—The 
determination 
and 
certification 
described in subparagraph (A) shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. 
‘‘(D) REPORT.—If the President reissues an exemption 
described in paragraph (2) with respect to Australia or 
the United Kingdom that the President suspended pursu-
ant to subparagraph (A), the President shall submit to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report stating the steps the country took 
that allowed the exemption to be so reinstated. 
‘‘(6) CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS NOT APPLICABLE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of sec-
tion 3(d) shall not apply to any export or transfer that 
is the subject of an exemption described in paragraph (2). 
‘‘(B) QUARTERLY
REPORTS.—The Secretary of State 
shall— 
‘‘(i) require all exports and transfers that would 
be subject to the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), 
and (3) of section 3(d) but for the application of 
subparagraph (A) to be reported to the Secretary; and 
‘‘(ii) submit such reports to the Committee on For-
eign Relations of the Senate and Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives on a quarterly 
basis. 
‘‘(7) SUNSET.—
H. R. 2670—378 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any exemption described in para-
graph (2) shall terminate on the date that is 15 years 
after the date of the enactment of this subsection. 
‘‘(B) RENEWAL.—The Secretary of State may renew 
such exemption for 5 years upon a certification to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representa-
tives that such exemption is in the vital national interest 
of the United States with a detailed justification for such 
certification.’’.’’. 
(b) REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until 
no exemptions described in subsection (l)(2) of section 38 of 
the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778), as added by 
subsection (a) of this section, remain in effect, the Secretary 
of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives a report on the operation of exemp-
tions described in such subsection (l)(2), including whether 
any changes to such exemptions are likely to be made in the 
coming year. 
(2) INITIAL REPORT.—The first report submitted under para-
graph (1) shall also include an assessment of key recommenda-
tions the United States Government has provided to the 
Governments of Australia and the United Kingdom to revise 
laws, regulations, and policies of such countries that are 
required to implement the AUKUS partnership. 
(3) REPORT
ON
EXPEDITED
REVIEW
OF
EXPORT
LICENSES 
FOR EXPORTS OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall 
report on the practical application of a possible ‘‘fast track’’ 
decision-making process for applications, classified or unclassi-
fied, to export defense articles and defense services to Australia, 
the United Kingdom, and Canada. 
SEC. 1344. EXPEDITED REVIEW OF EXPORT LICENSES FOR EXPORTS 
OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES TO AUSTRALIA, THE 
UNITED KINGDOM, AND CANADA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination 
with the Secretary of Defense, shall initiate a rulemaking to estab-
lish an expedited decision-making process, classified or unclassified, 
for applications to export to Australia, the United Kingdom, and 
Canada commercial, advanced-technology defense articles and 
defense services that are not covered by an exemption under the 
International Traffic in Arms Regulations. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To qualify for the expedited decision-making 
process described in subsection (a), an application shall be for 
an export of defense articles or defense services that will take 
place wholly within or between the physical territory of Australia, 
Canada, or the United Kingdom and the United States and with 
governments or corporate entities from such countries. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF EXPEDITED PROCESS.—The expedited deci-
sion-making process described in subsection (a) shall be available
H. R. 2670—379 
for both classified and unclassified items, and the process must 
satisfy the following criteria to the extent practicable: 
(1) Any licensing application to export defense articles and 
services that is related to a government to government agree-
ment must be approved, returned, or denied within 30 days 
of submission. 
(2) For all other licensing requests, any review shall be 
completed not later than 45 calendar days after the date of 
application. 
SEC. 1345. UNITED STATES MUNITIONS LIST. 
(a) EXEMPTION
FOR
THE
GOVERNMENTS
OF
THE
UNITED 
KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA FROM CERTIFICATION AND CONGRESSIONAL 
NOTIFICATION
REQUIREMENTS
APPLICABLE
TO
CERTAIN
TRANS-
FERS.—Section 38(f)(3) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
2778(f)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, the United Kingdom, or Aus-
tralia’’ after ‘‘Canada’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES MUNITIONS LIST PERIODIC REVIEWS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, acting through 
authority delegated by the President to carry out periodic 
reviews of items on the United States Munitions List under 
section 38(f) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778(f)) 
and in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary 
of Energy, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Director of 
the Office of Management and Budget, shall carry out such 
reviews not less frequently than every 3 years. 
(2) SCOPE.—The periodic reviews described in paragraph 
(1) shall focus on matters including— 
(A) interagency resources to address current threats 
faced by the United States; 
(B) the evolving technological and economic landscape; 
(C) the widespread availability of certain technologies 
and items on the United States Munitions List; and 
(D) risks of misuse of United States-origin defense 
articles. 
(3) CONSULTATION.—The Department of State may consult 
with the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) and other 
interested parties in conducting the periodic review described 
in paragraph (1). 
PART 3—AUKUS SUBMARINE TRANSFER 
AUTHORIZATION ACT 
SEC. 1351. SHORT TITLE. 
This part may be cited as the ‘‘AUKUS Submarine Transfer 
Authorization Act’’. 
SEC. 1352. AUTHORIZATION OF SALES OF VIRGINIA CLASS SUB-
MARINES TO AUSTRALIA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Effective beginning on the date that is one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President 
is authorized to transfer up to two Virginia Class submarines 
from the inventory of the Department of the Navy to the Govern-
ment of Australia on a sale basis, and transfer not more than 
one additional Virginia Class submarine to the Government of 
Australia on a sale basis pursuant to section 21 of the Arms 
Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2761) during the 20-year period
H. R. 2670—380 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, to implement 
the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United 
Kingdom, and the United States (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘AUKUS partnership’’). 
(b) PROVISIONS OF LAW SUPERSEDED.—The transfer of a vessel 
authorized under subsection (a) shall not be subject to the require-
ments of— 
(1) section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
2776); or 
(2) section 8677 of title 10, United States Code. 
(c) COSTS OF TRANSFERS.—Any expense incurred by the United 
States in connection with a transfer of a vessel authorized under 
subsection (a) shall be charged to the Government of Australia 
notwithstanding section 516(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j(e)). 
(d) CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days prior to the 
transfer of a vessel authorized under subsection (a), the Presi-
dent shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
and leadership a certification that— 
(A) the transfer of such vessels— 
(i) will not degrade the United States undersea 
capabilities; 
(ii) is consistent with United States foreign policy 
and national security interests; and 
(iii) is in furtherance of the AUKUS partnership; 
(B) the United States is making sufficient submarine 
production and maintenance investments to meet the com-
bination of United States military requirements and the 
requirements under subparagraph (A); 
(C) the Government of Australia has provided the 
appropriate funds and support for the additional capacity 
required to meet the requirements identified in this section; 
and 
(D) the Government Australia has the capability to 
host and fully operate the vessels authorized to be trans-
ferred. 
(2) WAIVER
OF
CHIEF
OF
NAVAL
OPERATIONS
CERTIFI-
CATION.—The requirement for the Chief of Naval Operations 
to make a certification under section 8678 of title 10, United 
States Code, shall not apply to the transfer of a vessel author-
ized under subsection (a). 
(3) REQUIRED MUTUAL DEFENSE AGREEMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The President may not provide for 
the transfer of a vessel authorized under subsection (a) 
unless the United States and Australia have entered into 
a mutual defense agreement that meets the requirements 
of subparagraph (B) and such agreement is in effect. 
(B) REQUIREMENTS.—A mutual defense agreement 
meets the requirements described in this subparagraph 
if the agreement— 
(i) provides a clear legal framework for the sole 
purpose of Australia’s acquisition of conventionally 
armed, nuclear-powered submarines; and 
(ii) meets the highest nonproliferation standards 
for the exchange of nuclear materials, technology,
H. R. 2670—381 
equipment, and information between the United States 
and Australia. 
(4) SUBSEQUENT
SALES.—A transfer of vessel that is a 
Virginia class submarine on a sale basis other than a transfer 
described in subsection (a) may occur only if such transfer 
is explicitly authorized pursuant to a law enacted after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
(e) CREDITING OF RECEIPTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any provision of law 
pertaining to the crediting of amounts received from a sale 
under the terms of section 21 of the Arms Export Control 
Act (22 U.S.C. 2761), any receipt of the United States as a 
result of a transfer of a vessel authorized under subsection 
(a) shall— 
(A) be credited, at the discretion of the President to— 
(i) the appropriation, fund, or account used in 
incurring the original obligation; 
(ii) an appropriate appropriation, fund, or account 
currently available for the purposes for which the 
expenditures for the original acquisition of submarines 
transferred under this section were made; or 
(iii) any other appropriation, fund, or account 
available for the improvement of the United States 
submarine industrial base; and 
(B) remain available for obligation until expended for 
the same purpose as the appropriation to which the receipt 
is credited. 
(2) NOTIFICATIONS AND REPORT.— 
(A) INITIAL
NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 30 days 
before the date of the delivery of the first vessel authorized 
to be transferred under subsection (a), the President shall 
notify the appropriate congressional committees and leader-
ship of the following: 
(i) The Government of Australia has achieved Sub-
marine Rotational Forces-West full operational capa-
bility to support 4 rotationally deployed Virginia class 
submarines and one Astute class submarine, including 
having demonstrated the domestic capacity to fully 
perform all the associated activities necessary for the 
safe hosting and operation of nuclear-powered sub-
marines. 
(ii) The Government of Australia has achieved sov-
ereign-ready initial operational capability to support 
a Royal Australian Navy Virginia class submarine, 
including having demonstrated the domestic capacity 
to fully perform all the associated— 
(I) activities necessary for the safe hosting 
and operation of nuclear-powered submarines; 
(II) crewing; 
(III) operations; 
(IV) regulatory and emergency procedures, 
including those specific to nuclear power plants; 
and 
(V) detailed planning for enduring Virginia 
class submarine ownership, including each signifi-
cant event leading up to and including nuclear 
defueling.
H. R. 2670—382 
(B) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of a transfer of any vessel authorized under subsection 
(a), and upon any transfer or depositing of funds received 
pursuant to such a transfer, the President shall notify 
the appropriate congressional committees and leadership 
of— 
(i) the amount of funds received pursuant to the 
transfer; and 
(ii) the specific account or fund into which the 
funds described in clause (i) are deposited. 
(C) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the receipt 
of funds as described in subparagraph (B), the President 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
and leadership a report on the matters described in clauses 
(i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A). 
(f) APPLICABILITY OF EXISTING LAW TO TRANSFER OF SPECIAL 
NUCLEAR MATERIAL
AND UTILIZATION FACILITIES
FOR MILITARY 
APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to any special nuclear mate-
rial for use in utilization facilities or any portion of a vessel 
transferred under the authority of subsection (a) constituting 
utilization facilities for military applications under section 91 
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2121), the transfer 
of such material or such facilities shall only occur in accordance 
with such section 91. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—The President may use proceeds from 
a transfer described in subparagraph (1) for the acquisition 
of submarine naval nuclear propulsion plants and the nuclear 
fuel to replace the propulsion plants and fuel transferred to 
the Government of Australia. 
(g) REPAIR AND REFURBISHMENT OF AUKUS SUBMARINES.— 
Section 8680 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) REPAIR AND REFURBISHMENT OF CERTAIN SUBMARINES.— 
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, and subject 
to paragraph (2), the President shall determine the appropriate 
public or private shipyard in the United States, Australia, or the 
United Kingdom to perform any repair or refurbishment of a United 
States submarine involved in submarine security activities between 
the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. 
‘‘(2)(A) The President may determine under paragraph (1) that 
repair or refurbishment described in such paragraph may be per-
formed in Australia or the United Kingdom only if— 
‘‘(i) such repair or refurbishment will facilitate the develop-
ment of repair or refurbishment capabilities in the United 
Kingdom or Australia; 
‘‘(ii) such repair or refurbishment will be for a United 
States submarine that is operating forward outside of the 
United States; or 
‘‘(iii) the Secretary of Defense certifies to Congress that 
performing such repair or refurbishment at a shipyard in Aus-
tralia or the United Kingdom is required due to an exigent 
threat to the national security interests of the United States.
H. R. 2670—383 
‘‘(B) In making a determination under subparagraph (A), the 
President shall consider any effects of such determination on the 
capacity and capability of shipyards in the United States. 
‘‘(C) Not later than 15 days after the date on which the Sec-
retary of Defense makes a certification under subparagraph (A)(iii), 
the Secretary shall brief the congressional defense committees on— 
‘‘(i) the threat that requires the use of a shipyard in Aus-
tralia or the United Kingdom; and 
‘‘(ii) opportunities to mitigate the future potential need 
to leverage foreign shipyards. 
‘‘(3) Repair or refurbishment described in paragraph (1) may 
be carried out by personnel and contractors of the United States, 
the United Kingdom, or Australia in accordance with the inter-
national arrangements governing the submarine security activities 
described in such paragraph.’’. 
(h) TRANSFER OR EXPORT OF DEFENSE SERVICES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may transfer or authorize 
the export of defense services (as such term is defined in 
section 47 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2794)) 
to the Government of Australia and the Government of the 
United Kingdom necessary or incidental to support the transfer 
and operation of vessels authorized under subsection (a). 
(2) AUTHORITY
TO
EXPORT
TO
AUSTRALIAN
AND
UNITED 
KINGDOM
PRIVATE
AND
PUBLIC-SECTOR
PERSONNEL.—The 
transfer or export of defense services under this subsection 
may be directly exported to private and public-sector personnel 
of Australia or to private and public-sector personnel of the 
United Kingdom to support the development of the Australian 
submarine industrial base necessary for submarine security 
activities between members of the AUKUS partnership, 
including in the case in which such private and public-sector 
personnel are not officers, employees, or agents of the Govern-
ment of Australia or the Government of the United Kingdom. 
(3) APPLICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR RETRANSFER AND 
REEXPORT.—Any person who receives any defense service trans-
ferred or exported under paragraph (1) may retransfer or 
reexport such service to other persons only in accordance with 
the requirements of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
2751 et seq.). 
(4) SECURITY CONTROLS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Any defense service transferred or 
exported under paragraph (1) shall be subject to appro-
priate security controls to ensure that any sensitive 
information conveyed by such transfer or export is protected 
from disclosure to persons unauthorized by the United 
States to receive such information. 
(B) CERTIFICATION.—Not later than 30 days before the 
first transfer or export of a defense service under paragraph 
(1), and annually thereafter, the President shall certify 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the controls described in subparagraph 
(A) will protect the information described in such subpara-
graph for the defense services so transferred or exported. 
(i) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for 15
H. R. 2670—384 
years, the President shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees and leadership a report describing— 
(A) the status of the transfer of vessels authorized 
under subsection (a); 
(B) the implementation of submarine security coopera-
tion under the AUKUS partnership and challenges towards 
its implementation; 
(C) expansion of the public and private Virginia class 
submarine production and repair facilities, to include pro-
posed work conducted in Australia and the United Kingdom 
to meet the additional work required by commitments 
under the AUKUS partnership; 
(D) an annual procurement schedule for the total 
quantity of submarines the Department of Defense plans 
to procure over the 15 years following the date of the 
enactment of this Act; and 
(E) a list of transfers or exports of defense services 
authorized under subsection (h) and the private-sector per-
sonnel of Australia or the private-sector personnel of the 
United Kingdom to whom the defense services were 
exported. 
(2) FORM.—The report required by this subsection shall 
be submitted in classified form. 
SEC. 1353. ACCEPTANCE OF CONTRIBUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF AUS-
TRALIA, UNITED KINGDOM, AND UNITED STATES SUB-
MARINE SECURITY ACTIVITIES. 
(a) ACCEPTANCE AUTHORITY.—The President may accept from 
the Government of Australia contributions of money made by the 
Government of Australia for use by the Department of Defense 
in support of non-nuclear related aspects of submarine security 
activities between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United 
States (in this section referred to as the ‘AUKUS partnership’). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
SUBMARINE
SECURITY
ACTIVITIES 
ACCOUNT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the Treasury of 
the United States a special account to be known as the ‘‘Sub-
marine Security Activities Account’’. 
(2) CREDIT TO ACCOUNT.—Contributions of money accepted 
by the President under subsection (a) shall be credited to the 
Submarine Security Activities Account. 
(3) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts credited to the Submarine 
Security Activities Account shall remain available until 
expended. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of sub-
section (b), the President may use funds in the Submarine 
Security Activities Account— 
(A) for any purpose authorized by law that the Presi-
dent determines would support the AUKUS submarine 
security activities; 
(B) to carry out a military construction project that 
is consistent with the purposes for which the contributions 
were made and is authorized by law; 
(C) to develop and increase the submarine industrial 
base workforce by investing in recruiting, training, and
H. R. 2670—385 
retaining key specialized labor at public and private ship-
yards; or 
(D) to upgrade facilities, equipment, and infrastructure 
needed to repair and maintain submarines at public and 
private shipyards. 
(2) 
NO
FURTHER
SPECIFIC
AUTHORIZATION
IN
LAW 
REQUIRED.—Funds in the Submarine Security Activities 
Account may be used as described in this subsection without 
further specific authorization in law. 
(d) PLAN FOR USE OF FUNDS.—Not later than 30 days prior 
to any use of any funds in the Submarine Security Activities 
Account, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees and leadership a plan detailing— 
(1) the amount of funds in the Submarine Security Activi-
ties Account; and 
(2) how such funds will be used, including specific amounts 
and purposes. 
(e) TRANSFERS OF FUNDS.— 
(1) TO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out subsection (c), the 
President may transfer funds available in the Submarine 
Security Activities Account to appropriations available to 
the Department of Defense. 
(B) AUTHORITY
IN
ADDITION
TO
OTHER
TRANSFER 
AUTHORITY.—The authority provided in this paragraph is 
in addition to any other transfer authority otherwise pro-
vided by law and is subject to the same terms and condi-
tions as the authority provided in section 8005 of the 
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public 
Law 117-328), except for monetary limitations concerning 
the amount of authority available. 
(C) 
AVAILABILITY.—Funds 
transferred 
under 
the 
authority provided in this paragraph shall be merged with 
and available for the same purposes, and for the same 
time period, as the appropriation to which transferred. 
(D) LIMITATION ON CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS.—Contribu-
tions referred to in subsection (a) may not be obligated 
for a transaction authorized in subsection (c)(1)(B) until 
the President submits to the appropriate congressional 
committees and leadership notice of the transaction, 
including a detailed cost estimate, and a period of 21 days 
has elapsed after the date on which the notification is 
received by the appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership or, if earlier, a period of 14 days has elapsed 
after the date on which a copy of the notification is provided 
in an electronic medium. 
(2) TO DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.—In carrying out subsection 
(c), and in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 
(42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), the President may transfer funds 
available in the Submarine Security Activities Account to appro-
priations or funds of the Department of Energy available to 
carry out activities related to AUKUS submarine security activi-
ties. 
(3) TRANSFERS BACK TO SUBMARINE SECURITY ACTIVITIES 
ACCOUNT.—Upon a determination by the President that all 
or part of the funds transferred from the Submarine Security 
Activities Account under this subsection are not necessary for
H. R. 2670—386 
the purposes for which such funds were transferred, all or 
such part of such funds shall be transferred back to the Sub-
marine Security Activities Account. 
(f) INVESTMENT OF MONEY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President may invest money in the 
Submarine Security Activities Account in securities of the 
United States or in securities guaranteed as to principal and 
interest by the United States. 
(2) INTEREST.—Any interest or other income that accrues 
from investment in securities referred to in paragraph (1) shall 
be deposited to the credit of the Submarine Security Activities 
Account. 
(g) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.—The authority to accept 
or transfer funds under this section is in addition to any other 
statutory authority to accept or transfer funds. 
(h) NOTIFICATION AND REPORT.— 
(1) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 60 days prior to the 
transfer of any funds from the Submarine Security Activities 
Account, the President shall notify the appropriate congres-
sional committees and leadership of— 
(A) the intended use of such funds by appropriation, 
program, project, and activity, as defined in the Joint 
Explanatory Statement accompanying the Department of 
Defense Appropriations Act 2023 (Public Law 117-328); 
and 
(B) the extent to which such funds complement, supple-
ment, or supplant other on-going or planned efforts funded 
by an appropriations Act with an identification of the asso-
ciated funding and explanation of the combined efforts 
including the intended outcomes. 
(2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than November 30 of each 
year until one year after the date on which all funds transferred 
under this section have been fully expended, the President 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and 
leadership a report that includes a detailed accounting of— 
(A) the amount of funds transferred under this sub-
section during the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year 
in which the report is submitted; and 
(B) the purposes for which such funds were used. 
(i) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
on which contributions of money accepted by the President 
under subsection (a) are credited to the Submarine Security 
Activities Account under subsection (b), the President shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees and leader-
ship a report on— 
(A) the amount of money so transferred; 
(B) a description of the intended use of the funds; 
and 
(C) any other matters related to the administration 
of the Submarine Security Activities Account as determined 
necessary by the Secretary. 
(2) FORM.—The report required by this subsection shall 
be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified 
annex.
H. R. 2670—387 
SEC. 1354. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES AND LEADER-
SHIP DEFINED. 
In this subtitle, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees 
and leadership’’ means— 
(1) the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Armed Serv-
ices, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives; and 
(2) the majority leader of the Senate and the Committee 
on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Armed Services, and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 
TITLE XIV—OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS 
Subtitle A—Military Programs 
Sec. 1401. Working capital funds. 
Sec. 1402. Chemical agents and munitions destruction, defense. 
Sec. 1403. Drug interdiction and counter-drug activities, defense-wide. 
Sec. 1404. Defense Inspector General. 
Sec. 1405. Defense Health Program. 
Subtitle B—National Defense Stockpile 
Sec. 1411. Improvements to Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act. 
Sec. 1412. Authority to dispose of materials from the National Defense Stockpile. 
Sec. 1413. Beginning balances of the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund 
for audit purposes. 
Sec. 1414. Critical mineral independence. 
Subtitle C—Other Matters 
Sec. 1421. Modification of leasing authority of Armed Forces Retirement Home. 
Sec. 1422. Authority for transfer of funds to joint Department of Defense-Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund for Cap-
tain James A. Lovell Health Care Center, Illinois. 
Sec. 1423. Authorization of appropriations for Armed Forces Retirement Home. 
Subtitle A—Military Programs 
SEC. 1401. WORKING CAPITAL FUNDS. 
Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 
2024 for the use of the Armed Forces and other activities and 
agencies of the Department of Defense for providing capital for 
working capital and revolving funds, as specified in the funding 
table in section 4501. 
SEC. 1402. CHEMICAL AGENTS AND MUNITIONS DESTRUCTION, 
DEFENSE. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Funds are hereby 
authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense for 
fiscal year 2024 for expenses, not otherwise provided for, for Chem-
ical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Defense, as specified in 
the funding table in section 4501. 
(b) USE.—Amounts authorized to be appropriated under sub-
section (a) are authorized for— 
(1) the destruction of lethal chemical agents and munitions 
in accordance with section 1412 of the Department of Defense 
Authorization Act, 1986 (50 U.S.C. 1521); and 
(2) the destruction of chemical warfare materiel of the 
United States that is not covered by section 1412 of such 
Act.
H. R. 2670—388 
SEC. 1403. DRUG INTERDICTION AND COUNTER-DRUG ACTIVITIES, 
DEFENSE-WIDE. 
Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Depart-
ment of Defense for fiscal year 2024 for expenses, not otherwise 
provided for, for Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, 
Defense-wide, as specified in the funding table in section 4501. 
SEC. 1404. DEFENSE INSPECTOR GENERAL. 
Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for the Depart-
ment of Defense for fiscal year 2024 for expenses, not otherwise 
provided for, for the Office of the Inspector General of the Depart-
ment of Defense, as specified in the funding table in section 4501. 
SEC. 1405. DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM. 
Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 
2024 for the Defense Health Program for use of the Armed Forces 
and other activities and agencies of the Department of Defense 
for providing for the health of eligible beneficiaries, as specified 
in the funding table in section 4501. 
Subtitle B—National Defense Stockpile 
SEC. 1411. IMPROVEMENTS TO STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MATERIALS 
STOCK PILING ACT. 
(a) PURPOSES.—Section 2 of the Strategic and Critical Materials 
Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98a) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) To the maximum extent practicable and to reduce the 
reliance of the National Defense Stockpile program on appropriated 
funds, the National Defense Stockpile Manager shall seek to achieve 
positive cash flows from the recovery of strategic and critical mate-
rials pursuant to section 6(a)(5).’’. 
(b) STOCKPILE MANAGEMENT.—Section 6 of such Act (50 U.S.C. 
98e) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(5), by striking ‘‘from excess’’ and all 
that follows and inserting ‘‘from other Federal agencies, either 
directly as materials or embedded in excess-to-need, end-of- 
life items, or waste streams;’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(5) or 
(a)(6)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(6) or (a)(7)’’; 
(3) in subsection (d)(2), by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(5)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(6)’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new subsections: 
‘‘(g)(1) The National Defense Stockpile Manager shall establish 
a pilot program to use, to the maximum extent practicable, commer-
cial best practices in the acquisition and disposal of strategic and 
critical materials for the stockpile. 
‘‘(2)(A) The Stockpile Manager shall brief the congressional 
defense committees (as defined in section 101(a) of title 10, United 
States Code)— 
‘‘(i) as soon as practicable after the establishment of the 
pilot program under paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(ii) annually thereafter until the termination of the pilot 
program under paragraph (3). 
‘‘(B) The briefing required by subparagraph (A)(i) shall 
address—
H. R. 2670—389 
‘‘(i) the commercial best practices selected for use under 
the pilot program; 
‘‘(ii) how the Stockpile Manager determined which commer-
cial best practices to select; and 
‘‘(iii) the plan of the Stockpile Manager for using such 
practices. 
‘‘(C) Each briefing required by subparagraph (A)(ii) shall pro-
vide a summary of— 
‘‘(i) how the Stockpile Manager has used commercial best 
practices under the pilot program during the year preceding 
the briefing; 
‘‘(ii) how many times the Stockpile Manager has used such 
practices; 
‘‘(iii) the outcome of each use of such practices; and 
‘‘(iv) any savings achieved or lessons learned as a result 
of the use of such practices. 
‘‘(3) The pilot program established under paragraph (1) shall 
terminate effective on the date that is 5 years after the date 
of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2024. 
‘‘(h) Except to the extent necessary for the national defense, 
the National Defense Stockpile Manager shall ensure that each 
program for the recovery of strategic and critical materials imple-
mented under subsection (a)(5) operates in a manner designed 
to achieve positive cash flow.’’. 
(c) STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MATERIALS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.— 
Section 10 of such Act (50 U.S.C. 98h–1) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘of the National 
Defense Stockpile Manager’’ and inserting ‘‘of the manage-
ment and operations of the National Defense Stockpile 
program’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (5) and redesignating para-
graphs (6) through (10) as paragraphs (5) through (9), 
respectively; and 
(C) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated— 
(i) by striking ‘‘required by section 11(a)(2) of this 
Act, including a review of’’ and inserting ‘‘required 
by section 11(a) of this Act. The report required by 
section 11(b)(2) shall include the views and rec-
ommendations of the Board on’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘proposed actions to be taken under 
the Annual Materials and Operations Plan’’ and 
inserting ‘‘all acquisition of materials for and disposals 
of materials from the stockpile’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (e) to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) APPLICATION
OF
PROVISIONS
RELATING
TO
FEDERAL 
ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—Section 1013(a) of title 5, United States 
Code, shall not apply to the Board.’’. 
(d) REPORTS.—Section 11 of such Act (50 U.S.C. 98h-2) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘the following:’’ and all 
that follows and inserting ‘‘an Annual Materials and Operations 
Plan for the forthcoming year.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in the heading—
H. R. 2670—391 
‘‘(i) the commercial best practices selected for use 
under the pilot program; 
‘‘(ii) how the National Defense Stockpile Manager 
determined which commercial best practices to select; 
‘‘(iii) how the National Defense Stockpile Manager 
has used commercial best practices under the pilot 
program during the year preceding the briefing; 
‘‘(iv) the outcome of each use of such practices; 
and 
‘‘(v) any savings achieved or lessons learned as 
a result of the use of such practices.’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and 
all that follows and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1) which shall 
include the activities of the Board to carry out the duties 
listed in section 10(c) of this Act’’. 
(e) DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION OF RELIABLE SOURCES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 15 of such Act (50 U.S.C. 98h– 
6) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 15. DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION OF RELIABLE SOURCES. 
‘‘(a) DUTIES.—Subject to subsection (d), the National Defense 
Stockpile Manager shall encourage the development and appro-
priate conservation of reliable sources of strategic and critical mate-
rials— 
‘‘(1) by purchasing, or making a commitment to purchase, 
strategic and critical materials from reliable sources when such 
materials are needed for the stockpile; 
‘‘(2) by contracting with facilities located in and owned 
and controlled by reliable sources, or making a commitment 
to contract with such facilities, for the processing or refining 
of strategic and critical materials in the stockpile when proc-
essing or refining is necessary to convert such materials into 
a form more suitable for storage or disposition or meeting 
stockpile requirements; 
‘‘(3) by qualifying facilities located in and owned and con-
trolled by reliable sources, or qualifying strategic and critical 
materials produced by such facilities, to meet stockpile require-
ments; 
‘‘(4) by contracting with facilities located in and owned 
and controlled by reliable sources to recycle strategic and crit-
ical materials to meet stockpile requirements or increase the 
balance of the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund 
under section 9; and 
‘‘(5) by entering into an agreement to co-fund a bankable 
feasibility study for a project for the development of strategic 
and critical materials located in and owned and controlled 
by a reliable source, if the agreement— 
‘‘(A) limits the liability of the stockpile to not more 
than the total funding provided by the Federal Government; 
‘‘(B) limits the funding contribution of the Federal 
Government to not more than 50 percent of the cost of 
the bankable feasibility study; and 
‘‘(C) does not obligate the Federal Government to pur-
chase strategic and critical materials from the reliable 
source. 
‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITIES.— 
‘‘(1) EXTENDED CONTRACTING AUTHORITY.—
H. R. 2670—392 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term of a contract or commit-
ment made under subsection (a) may not exceed ten years. 
‘‘(B) PREEXISTING CONTRACTS.—A contract entered into 
before the date of the enactment of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 for a term of more 
than ten years may be extended, on or after such date 
of enactment, for a total of not more than an additional 
ten years pursuant to any option or options set forth in 
the contract. 
‘‘(2) MATTERS RELATING TO CO-FUNDING OF BANKABLE FEASI-
BILITY STUDIES.—To the extent authorized by Congress pursu-
ant to the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4501 
et seq.) and determined to be required by the President pursu-
ant to that Act, the National Defense Stockpile Manager may 
provide for loans or procure debt issued by other entities to 
carry out a project for the development of strategic and critical 
materials with respect to which a study was carried out under 
subsection (a)(5). 
‘‘(c) PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS INCLUDED IN ANNUAL MATERIALS 
PLAN.—Descriptions of proposed transactions under subsection (a) 
shall be included in the Annual Materials and Operations Plan. 
Changes to any such transaction, or the addition of a transaction 
not included in such plan, shall be made in accordance with section 
5(a)(2). 
‘‘(d) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—The authority of the National 
Defense Stockpile Manager to enter into obligations under this 
section is effective for any fiscal year only to the extent that funds 
in the National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund under section 
9 are adequate to meet such obligations. 
‘‘(e) BANKABLE FEASIBILITY STUDY DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘bankable feasibility study’ means a comprehensive tech-
nical and economic study— 
‘‘(1) of the selected option for a strategic and critical mate-
rials development project that includes appropriately detailed 
assessments of realistically assumed extraction, processing, 
metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, 
social, and governmental considerations and any other relevant 
operational factors and detailed financial analysis, that are 
necessary to demonstrate at the time of reporting that produc-
tion is reasonably justified; and 
‘‘(2) that may reasonably serve as the basis for a final 
decision by a proponent of a project or financial institution 
to proceed with, or finance, the development of the project.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) SIGNIFICANT
STOCKPILE
TRANSACTION
CHANGE 
REPORT.—Section 5(a)(2) of such Act (50 U.S.C. 98d(a)(2)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘the Board’’ and inserting ‘‘the 
National Defense Stockpile Manager’’. 
(B) MATERIALS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—Section 
8(a) of such Act (50 U.S.C. 98g(a)) is amended— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or in its territories 
or possessions,’’ and inserting ‘‘its territories or posses-
sions, or in a reliable source’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘in order to— 
’’ and all that follows and inserting the following: ‘‘in 
order to develop new sources of strategic and critical 
materials, develop substitutes, or conserve domestic
H. R. 2670—393 
sources and reliable sources of supply for such strategic 
and critical materials.’’. 
(C) DEFINITIONS.—Section 12 of such Act (50 U.S.C. 
98h–3) is amended by striking paragraph (3) and inserting 
the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) The term ‘reliable source’ mean a citizen or business 
entity organized under the laws of— 
‘‘(A) the United States or any territory or possession 
of the United States; 
‘‘(B) a country of the national technology and industrial 
base, as such term is defined in section 4801 of title 10, 
United States Code; or 
‘‘(C) a qualifying country, as defined in section 225.003 
of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 
or any successor document.’’. 
SEC. 1412. AUTHORITY TO DISPOSE OF MATERIALS FROM THE 
NATIONAL DEFENSE STOCKPILE. 
Pursuant to section 5(b) of the Strategic and Critical Materials 
Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98d(b)), the National Defense Stockpile 
Manager may dispose of the following materials contained in the 
National Defense Stockpile in the following quantities: 
(1) 8 short tons of beryllium. 
(2) 154,043 short dry tons of metallurgical grade manganese 
ore. 
(3) 5,000 kilograms of germanium. 
(4) 91,413 pounds of pan-based carbon fibers. 
(5) Not more than 1,000 short tons of materials transferred 
from another department or agency of the United States to 
the National Defense Stockpile under section 4(b) of such Act 
(50 U.S.C. 98c(b)) that the National Defense Stockpile Manager 
determines is no longer required for the Stockpile (in addition 
to any amount of such materials previously authorized for 
disposal). 
SEC. 1413. BEGINNING BALANCES OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE STOCK-
PILE TRANSACTION FUND FOR AUDIT PURPOSES. 
For purposes of an audit conducted under chapter 9A of title 
10, United States Code, of the National Defense Stockpile Trans-
action Fund established by section 9 of the Strategic and Critical 
Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98h)— 
(1) the ending balance of $313,633,491.15 reported in the 
Central Accounting Reporting System of the Department of 
the Treasury for September 30, 2021, is the Fund Balance 
with Treasury ending balance on that date; 
(2) the Total Actual Resources–Collected opening balance 
for October 1, 2021, for United States Standard General Ledger 
Account 420100 is $314,548,154.42, as recorded in official 
accounting records; and 
(3) the Unapportioned–Unexpired Authority ending balance 
for September 30, 2021, for United States Standard General 
Ledger Account 445000 is $216,976,300.69, as recorded in offi-
cial accounting records. 
SEC. 1414. CRITICAL MINERAL INDEPENDENCE. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CONGRESS.—The term 
‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ means—
H. R. 2670—394 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; 
and 
(B) the Committee on Armed Services of the House 
of Representatives. 
(2) COVERED
COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘covered country’’ 
means— 
(A) a covered nation (as defined in section 4872(d) 
of title 10, United States Code); and 
(B) any other country determined by the Secretary 
of Defense to be a strategic competitor or adversary of 
the United States for purposes of this section. 
(3) CRITICAL MINERAL.—The term ‘‘critical mineral’’ means 
a critical mineral (as defined in section 7002(a) of the Energy 
Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606(a))) that the Secretary of Defense 
determines to be important to the national security of the 
United States for purposes of this section. 
(4) SHORTFALL MATERIAL.—The term ‘‘shortfall material’’ 
means materials determined to be in shortfall in the most 
recent report on stockpile requirements submitted to Congress 
under subsection (a) of section 14 of the Strategic and Critical 
Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98h–5) and included 
in the most recent briefing required by subsection (f) of such 
section. 
(b) STATEMENT
OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the United 
States— 
(1) to expand secure sources of supply of critical minerals, 
including rare earth elements, in the United States and in 
countries that are allies or partners of the United States to 
meet the needs of the United States defense sector so that 
the Department of Defense will achieve critical mineral supply 
chain independence from covered countries, including the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic 
Republic of Iran, and the Democratic People’s Republic of North 
Korea; and 
(2) that the Department of Defense will procure critical 
minerals and products made using supply chains involving 
critical minerals that are not mined or processed in or by 
covered countries. 
(c) STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE CRITICAL MINERAL SUPPLY CHAIN 
INDEPENDENCE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition and Sustainment shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a strategy to develop supply chains 
for the Department of Defense that are not dependent on 
mining or processing of critical minerals in or by covered coun-
tries, in order to achieve critical mineral supply chain independ-
ence from covered countries for the Department by 2035. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required by paragraph (1) 
shall— 
(A) identify and assess significant vulnerabilities in 
the supply chains of contractors and subcontractors of the 
Department of Defense involving critical minerals that are 
mined or processed in or by covered countries; 
(B) identify and recommend changes to the acquisition 
laws, regulations, and policies of the Department of Defense 
to ensure contractors and subcontractors of the Department
H. R. 2670—395 
use supply chains involving critical minerals that are not 
mined or processed in or by covered countries to the 
greatest extent practicable; 
(C) evaluate the utility and desirability of leveraging 
the process for acquiring shortfall materials for the 
National Defense Stockpile under the Strategic and Critical 
Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98 et seq.) to 
strengthen mining and processing capacity for critical min-
erals in the United States and in countries that are allies 
or partners of the United States; 
(D) identify areas of potential engagement and partner-
ship with the governments of countries that are allies 
or partners of the United States to jointly reduce depend-
ence on critical minerals mined or processed in or by cov-
ered countries; 
(E) identify and recommend other policy changes that 
may be needed to achieve critical mineral supply chain 
independence from covered countries for the Department; 
(F) identify and recommend measures to streamline 
authorities and policies with respect to critical minerals 
and supply chains for critical minerals; and 
(G) prioritize the recommendations made in the 
strategy to achieve critical mineral supply chain independ-
ence from covered countries for the Department, taking 
into consideration economic costs and varying degrees of 
vulnerability posed to the national security of the United 
States by reliance on different types of critical minerals. 
(3) FORM OF STRATEGY.—The strategy required by para-
graph (1) shall be submitted in classified form but shall include 
an unclassified summary. 
Subtitle C—Other Matters 
SEC. 1421. MODIFICATION OF LEASING AUTHORITY OF ARMED FORCES 
RETIREMENT HOME. 
(a) AGREEMENTS.—Before entering a lease under section 1511(i) 
of the Armed Forces Retirement Home Act of 1991 (24 U.S.C. 
411(i)), the Chief Operating Officer of the Armed Forces Retirement 
Home may enter into an agreement with a potential lessee for 
such lease providing for a period of exclusivity, access, study, or 
for similar purposes. The agreement shall provide for the payment 
(in cash or in kind) by the potential lessee of consideration for 
the agreement unless the Chief Operating Officer determines that 
payment of consideration will not promote the purpose and financial 
stability of the Armed Forces Retirement Home or be in the public 
interest. 
(b) APPROVAL AND NOTIFICATION.—A sublease pursuant to sec-
tion 1511(i) of the Armed Forces Retirement Home Act of 1991 
(24 U.S.C. 411(i)) shall not be subject to the approval of the Sec-
retary of Defense or any requirement to notify or submit a report 
to Congress described in such section if the Chief Operating Officer 
of the Armed Forces Retirement Home determines that the terms 
of the sublease conform with the terms of such lease. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION OF FUNDS.—
H. R. 2670—396 
(1) AGREEMENT PROCEEDS.—The proceeds from an agree-
ment entered into under subsection (a) shall be deposited in 
the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund. 
(2) FUND USES.—The proceeds from the lease of property 
under section 1511(i) of the Armed Forces Retirement Home 
Act of 1991 (24 U.S.C. 411(i)) and the proceeds from agreements 
entered into under subsection (a) of this section that are depos-
ited in the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund shall 
remain available for obligation and expenditure to finance 
expenses of the Retirement Home related to the formation 
and administration of agreements and leases entered into under 
the provisions of this section or such section 1511(i). 
(d) SUNSET.—This section shall terminate on September 30, 
2026. 
SEC. 1422. AUTHORITY FOR TRANSFER OF FUNDS TO JOINT DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE-DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
MEDICAL FACILITY DEMONSTRATION FUND FOR CAPTAIN 
JAMES A. LOVELL HEALTH CARE CENTER, ILLINOIS. 
(a) AUTHORITY FOR TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—Of the funds author-
ized to be appropriated for section 1405 and available for the 
Defense 
Health 
Program 
for 
operation 
and 
maintenance, 
$172,000,000 may be transferred by the Secretary of Defense to 
the Joint Department of Defense–Department of Veterans Affairs 
Medical Facility Demonstration Fund established by subsection 
(a)(1) of section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111–84; 123 Stat. 2571). For 
purposes of subsection (a)(2) of such section 1704, any funds so 
transferred shall be treated as amounts authorized and appro-
priated specifically for the purpose of such a transfer. 
(b) USE OF TRANSFERRED FUNDS.—For the purposes of sub-
section (b) of such section 1704, facility operations for which funds 
transferred under subsection (a) may be used are operations of 
the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, consisting 
of the North Chicago Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Navy 
Ambulatory Care Center, and supporting facilities designated as 
a combined Federal medical facility under an operational agreement 
covered by section 706 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110–417; 122 
Stat. 4500). 
SEC. 1423. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR ARMED FORCES 
RETIREMENT HOME. 
There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 
2024 from the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund the 
sum of $77,000,000 of which— 
(1) $68,060,000 is for operating expenses; and 
(2) $8,940,000 is for capital maintenance and construction. 
TITLE XV—CYBERSPACE-RELATED 
MATTERS 
Subtitle A—Cyber Operations 
Sec. 1501. Performance metrics for pilot program on sharing cyber capabilities and 
related information with foreign operational partners. 
Sec. 1502. Harmonization and clarification of Strategic Cybersecurity Program and 
related matters.
H. R. 2670—397 
Sec. 1503. Modification of authority to use operation and maintenance funds for 
cyber operations-peculiar capability development projects. 
Sec. 1504. Quarterly briefings on joint all domain command and control effort. 
Sec. 1505. Authority for countering illegal trafficking by Mexican transnational 
criminal organizations in cyberspace. 
Sec. 1506. Development of cyber support mechanisms for geographic combatant 
commands. 
Sec. 1507. Review and plan relating to cyber red teams of Department of Defense. 
Subtitle B—Cybersecurity 
Sec. 1511. Responsibility for cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection of 
defense industrial base. 
Sec. 1512. Cybersecurity enhancements for nuclear command, control, and commu-
nications network. 
Sec. 1513. Pilot program relating to semiconductor supply chain and Cybersecurity 
Collaboration Center. 
Sec. 1514. Transfer of data and technology developed under MOSAICS program. 
Sec. 1515. Modernization program for network boundary and cross-domain defense. 
Sec. 1516. Establishment of certain identity, credential, and access management 
activities as program of record. 
Sec. 1517. Pilot program on assuring critical infrastructure support for military 
contingencies. 
Sec. 1518. Military cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan. 
Sec. 1519. Guidance regarding securing laboratories of the Armed Forces. 
Subtitle C—Information Technology and Data Management 
Sec. 1521. Control and management of Department of Defense data; establishment 
of Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Governing Council. 
Sec. 1522. Modification to Department of Defense enterprise-wide procurement of 
cyber data products and services. 
Sec. 1523. Management of data assets by Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence 
Officer. 
Sec. 1524. Course of education and pilot program on authentication of digital con-
tent provenance for certain Department of Defense media content. 
Sec. 1525. Prize competitions for business systems modernization. 
Sec. 1526. Requirements for deployment of fifth generation information and com-
munications capabilities to military installations and other Department 
facilities. 
Sec. 1527. Required policies to establish datalink strategy of Department of De-
fense. 
Subtitle D—Personnel 
Sec. 1531. Office for academic engagement relating to cyber activities. 
Sec. 1532. Selected Reserve order to active duty to respond to a significant cyber 
incident. 
Sec. 1533. Post-graduate employment of Department of Defense Cyber Service 
Academy scholarship recipients in intelligence community. 
Sec. 1534. Minimum number of scholarships to be awarded annually through De-
partment of Defense Cyber Service Academy. 
Sec. 1535. Pilot program and other measures to enhance readiness and effective-
ness of Cyber Mission Force. 
Sec. 1536. Authority to conduct pilot program on Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve. 
Sec. 1537. Requirements for implementation of user activity monitoring for certain 
personnel. 
Sec. 1538. Study on occupational resiliency of Cyber Mission Force. 
Subtitle E—Artificial Intelligence 
Sec. 1541. Modification to acquisition authority of senior official with principal re-
sponsibility for artificial intelligence and machine learning. 
Sec. 1542. Artificial intelligence bug bounty programs. 
Sec. 1543. Prize competition for technology that detects and watermarks use of 
generative artificial intelligence. 
Sec. 1544. Plans, strategies, and other matters relating to artificial intelligence. 
Sec. 1545. Study to analyze vulnerability for artificial intelligence-enabled military 
applications. 
Subtitle F—Reports and Other Matters 
Sec. 1551. Limitation on availability of funds for travel for Office of Under Sec-
retary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness pending strategy relating 
to Defense Travel System.
H. R. 2670—398 
Sec. 1552. Management by Department of Defense of mobile applications. 
Sec. 1553. Report on Department of Defense Enterprise capabilities for cybersecu-
rity. 
Sec. 1554. Report on technology modernization for Army Human Resources Com-
mand 2030 Transformation Plan. 
Sec. 1555. Certification requirement regarding contracting for military recruiting. 
Subtitle A—Cyber Operations 
SEC. 1501. PERFORMANCE METRICS FOR PILOT PROGRAM ON 
SHARING CYBER CAPABILITIES AND RELATED INFORMA-
TION WITH FOREIGN OPERATIONAL PARTNERS. 
Chapter 19 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the second section 398 (relating to 
pilot program for sharing cyber capabilities and related 
information with foreign operational partners) as section 398a; 
and 
(2) in section 398a, as so redesignated— 
(A) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as sub-
sections (g) and (h), respectively; and 
(B) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(f) PERFORMANCE METRICS.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall 
maintain performance metrics to track the results of sharing cyber 
capabilities and related information with foreign operational part-
ners under a pilot program authorized by subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) The performance metrics under paragraph (1) shall include 
the following: 
‘‘(A) Whom the cyber capability was used against. 
‘‘(B) The effect of the cyber capability, including whether 
and how the transfer of the cyber capability improved the 
operational cyber posture of the United States and achieved 
operational objectives of the United States, or had no effect. 
‘‘(C) Such other outcome-based or appropriate performance 
metrics as the Secretary considers appropriate for evaluating 
the effectiveness of a pilot program carried out under subsection 
(a).’’. 
SEC. 1502. HARMONIZATION AND CLARIFICATION OF STRATEGIC 
CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM AND RELATED MATTERS. 
(a) HARMONIZATION AND CLARIFICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 19 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after section 391a the following 
new section: 
‘‘§ 391b. Strategic cybersecurity program 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) There is a program to be known as 
the ‘Strategic Cybersecurity Program’ (in this section referred to 
as the ‘Program’) to ensure the ability of the Department of Defense 
to conduct the most critical military missions of the Department. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary of Defense shall designate a principal staff 
assistant from within the Office of the Secretary of Defense whose 
office shall serve as the office of primary responsibility for the 
Program, and provide policy, direction, and oversight regarding 
the execution of the responsibilities of the program manager selected 
pursuant to subsection (c)(1). 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—In addition to the office of primary responsi-
bility for the Program under subsection (a)(2) and the program
H. R. 2670—399 
manager selected pursuant to subsection (c)(1), membership in the 
Program shall include the following: 
‘‘(1) The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 
‘‘(2) The Commanders of the United States Cyber Com-
mand, United States European Command, United States Indo- 
Pacific Command, United States Northern Command, United 
States Strategic Command, United States Space Command, 
United States Transportation Command. 
‘‘(3) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
Sustainment. 
‘‘(4) The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. 
‘‘(5) The Chief Information Officer of the Department of 
Defense. 
‘‘(6) The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer 
of the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(7) The chief information officers of the military depart-
ments. 
‘‘(8) The Principal Cyber Advisor of the Department of 
Defense. 
‘‘(9) The Principal Cyber Advisors of the military depart-
ments. 
‘‘(10) Each senior official identified pursuant to subsection 
(i) of section 1647 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 129 Stat. 1118). 
‘‘(11) Such other officials as may be determined necessary 
by the Secretary of Defense. 
‘‘(c) PROGRAM OFFICE.—(1) There is in the Cybersecurity Direc-
torate of the National Security Agency a program office to support 
the Program by identifying threats to, vulnerabilities in, and 
remediations for, the missions and mission elements specified in 
subsection (d)(1). Such program office shall be headed by a program 
manager selected by the Director of the National Security Agency. 
‘‘(2) The Chief Information Officer of the Department of 
Defense, in exercising authority, direction, and control over the 
Cybersecurity Directorate of the National Security Agency, shall 
ensure that the program office under paragraph (1) is responsive 
to the requirements and direction of the program manager selected 
pursuant to such paragraph. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary may augment the personnel assigned to 
the program office under paragraph (1) by assigning personnel 
as appropriate from among members of any covered armed force 
(including the reserve components thereof), civilian employees of 
the Department of Defense (including the Defense Intelligence 
Agency), and personnel of the research laboratories of the Depart-
ment of Defense, who have particular expertise in the areas of 
responsibility referred to in subsection (d). 
‘‘(d) DESIGNATION OF MISSION ELEMENTS OF PROGRAM.—(1) The 
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and the Vice Chairman 
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall identify and designate for inclusion 
in the Program all of the systems, critical infrastructure, kill chains, 
and processes, including systems and components in development, 
that comprise the following military missions of the Department 
of Defense: 
‘‘(A) Nuclear deterrence and strike.
H. R. 2670—400 
‘‘(B) Select long-range conventional strike missions ger-
mane to the warfighting plans of the United States European 
Command and the United States Indo-Pacific Command. 
‘‘(C) Offensive cyber operations. 
‘‘(D) Homeland missile defense. 
‘‘(2) The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall coordi-
nate the identification and prioritization of the missions and mission 
components, and the development and approval of requirements 
relating to the cybersecurity of the missions and mission compo-
nents, of the Program. 
‘‘(e) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF HEAD OF OFFICE OF PRI-
MARY RESPONSIBILITY.—In addition to providing policy, direction, 
and oversight as specified in subsection (a)(2), the head of the 
office of primary responsibility for the Program designated under 
such subsection shall be responsible— 
‘‘(1) for overseeing and providing direction on any covered 
statutory requirement that is ongoing, recurrent (including on 
an annual basis), or unfulfilled, including by— 
‘‘(A) reviewing any materials required to be submitted 
to Congress under the covered statutory requirement prior 
to such submission; and 
‘‘(B) ensuring such submissions occur by the applicable 
deadline under the covered statutory requirement: and 
‘‘(2) recording and monitoring the remediation of identified 
vulnerabilities in constituent systems, infrastructure, kill 
chains, and processes of the missions specified in subsection 
(d)(1). 
‘‘(f) RESPONSIBILITIES
OF PROGRAM MANAGER.—The program 
manager selected pursuant to subsection (c)(1) shall be responsible 
for the following: 
‘‘(1) Conducting end-to-end vulnerability assessments of the 
constituent systems, infrastructure, kill chains, and processes 
of the missions specified in subsection (d)(1). 
‘‘(2) Prioritizing and facilitating the remediation of identi-
fied vulnerabilities in such constituent systems, infrastructure, 
kill chains, and processes. 
‘‘(3) Conducting, prior to the Milestone B approval for any 
proposed such system or infrastructure germane to the missions 
of the Program, appropriate reviews of the acquisition and 
system engineering plans for that proposed system or infra-
structure, in accordance with the policy and guidance of the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment 
regarding the components of such reviews and the range of 
systems and infrastructure to be reviewed. 
‘‘(4) Advising the Secretaries of the military departments, 
the commanders of the combatant commands, and the Joint 
Staff on the vulnerabilities and cyberattack vectors that pose 
substantial risk to the missions of the Program and their con-
stituent systems, critical infrastructure, kill chains, or proc-
esses. 
‘‘(5) Ensuring that the Program builds upon (including 
through the provision of oversight and direction by the head 
of the office of primary responsibility for the Program pursuant 
to subsection (e), as applicable), and does not duplicate, other 
efforts of the Department of Defense relating to cybersecurity, 
including the following:
H. R. 2670—401 
‘‘(A) The evaluation of cyber vulnerabilities of major 
weapon systems of the Department of Defense required 
under section 1647 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 129 Stat. 
1118). 
‘‘(B) The evaluation of cyber vulnerabilities of critical 
infrastructure of the Department of Defense required under 
section 1650 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 10 U.S.C. 2224 
note). 
‘‘(C) The activities of the cyber protection teams of 
the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(g) RESPONSIBILITIES OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall define and issue guidance on the roles 
and responsibilities for components of the Department of Defense 
other than those specified in this section with respect to the Pro-
gram, including— 
‘‘(1) the roles and responsibilities of the acquisition and 
sustainment organizations of the military departments in sup-
porting and implementing remedial actions; 
‘‘(2) the alignment of Cyber Protection Teams with the 
prioritized missions of the Program; 
‘‘(3) the role of the Director of Operational Test and Evalua-
tion in conducting periodic assessments, including through 
cyber red teams, of the cybersecurity of missions in the Pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(4) the role of the Principal Cyber Adviser in coordinating 
and monitoring the execution of the Program. 
‘‘(h) ANNUAL REPORTING.—Not later than December 31 of each 
year, the head of the office of primary responsibility for the Program, 
in coordination with the appropriate members of the Program under 
subsection (b), shall submit to the congressional defense committees 
an annual report on the efforts carried out pursuant to this section 
or any covered provision of law, including with respect to such 
efforts concerning— 
‘‘(1) the evaluation of cyber vulnerabilities of each major 
weapon system of the Department of Defense and related miti-
gation activities under section 1647 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 
129 Stat. 1118); 
‘‘(2) the evaluation of cyber vulnerabilities of the critical 
infrastructure of the Department of Defense under section 1650 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114–328; 10 U.S.C. 2224 note); 
‘‘(3) operational technology and the mapping of mission- 
relevant terrain in cyberspace under section 1505 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public 
Law 117–81; 10 U.S.C. 394 note); 
‘‘(4) the assessments of the vulnerabilities to and mission 
risks presented by radio-frequency enabled cyber attacks with 
respect to the operational technology embedded in weapons 
systems, aircraft, ships, ground vehicles, space systems, sen-
sors, and datalink networks of the Department of Defense 
under section 1559 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2023; and 
‘‘(5) the work of the Program in general, including informa-
tion relating to staffing and accomplishments.
H. R. 2670—402 
‘‘(i) ANNUAL BUDGET DISPLAY.—(1) On an annual basis for 
each fiscal year, concurrently with the submission of the budget 
of the President for that fiscal year under section 1105(a) of title 
31, United States Code, the head of the office of primary responsi-
bility for the Program, in coordination with the appropriate mem-
bers of the Program under subsection (b), shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees a consolidated budget justification 
display that covers all programs and activities associated with 
this section and any covered provision of law, including with respect 
to the matters listed in subsection (h). 
‘‘(2) Each display under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. 
‘‘(3) For the purpose of facilitating the annual budget display 
requirement under paragraph (1), the Chief Information Officer 
of the Department of Defense shall provide to the head of the 
office of primary responsibility for the Program and the appropriate 
members of the Program under subsection (b) fiscal guidance on 
the programming of funds in support of the Program. 
‘‘(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘covered armed force’ means the Army, Navy, 
Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘covered statutory requirement’ means a 
requirement under any covered provision of law. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘covered provision of law’ means the following: 
‘‘(A) Section 1647 of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 129 
Stat. 1118). 
‘‘(B) Section 1650 of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 10 
U.S.C. 2224 note). 
‘‘(C) Section 1505 of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81; 10 U.S.C. 
394 note). 
‘‘(D) Section 1559 of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2023.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) REPEAL OF DUPLICATE BRIEFING REQUIREMENT.— 
Section 1647 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 129 Stat. 1118) 
is amended— 
(i) by striking subsection (c); and 
(ii) by redesignating subsections (d) through (j) 
as subsections (c) through (i), respectively. 
(B) REPEAL
OF
ADDITIONAL
DUPLICATE
BRIEFING 
REQUIREMENT.—Section 1650 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114– 
328; 10 U.S.C. 2224 note) is amended— 
(i) by striking subsection (d); and 
(ii) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as sub-
sections (d) and (e), respectively. 
(C) REPEAL OF DUPLICATE PROVISION RELATING TO STRA-
TEGIC
CYBERSECURITY
PROGRAM.—Section 1640 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 
(Public Law 115–9; 10 U.S.C. 2224 note) is repealed. 
(D) REPEAL OF DUPLICATE BUDGET REQUIREMENT.—Sec-
tion 1637 of the John S. McCain National Defense
H. R. 2670—403 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115– 
232; 10 U.S.C. 221 note) is repealed. 
(E) REPEAL OF DUPLICATE REPORTING REQUIREMENT.— 
Section 1505 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81; 10 U.S.C. 394 
note) is amended— 
(i) by striking subsection (h); and 
(ii) by redesignating subsections (i) and (j) as sub-
sections (h) and (i), respectively. 
(F) REPEAL
OF
ADDITIONAL
DUPLICATE
BRIEFING 
REQUIREMENT; REMOVAL OF REFERENCE TO REPEALED PROVI-
SION.—Section 1559 of the James M. Inhofe National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 is 
amended— 
(i) by striking ‘‘, section 1637 of the John S. McCain 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2019 (Public Law 115–232; 10 U.S.C. 221 note),’’; and 
(ii) by striking subsection (f). 
(b) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the head of the office of primary 
responsibility for the Strategic Cybersecurity Program under section 
391b of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report set-
ting forth the plan of the head to harmonize and interlink the 
annual reporting and annual budget display requirements under 
subsections (h) and (i) of such section, respectively, to ensure unity 
and a lack of duplication in such efforts. 
SEC. 1503. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITY TO USE OPERATION AND 
MAINTENANCE 
FUNDS 
FOR 
CYBER 
OPERATIONS- 
PECULIAR CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 
Section 1640 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘ and each Secretary of the military 
departments concerned’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘per use’’ and inserting ‘‘per project’’; 
and 
(C) by striking ‘‘through 2025’’ and inserting ‘‘through 
2028’’; 
(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—Each fiscal year, the Commander of the 
United States Cyber Command may obligate and expend under 
subsection (a) not more than $16,000,000.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘$500,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$1,000,000’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘the Secretary of Defense, or his des-
ignee, and each Secretary of the military departments con-
cerned, or their designees,’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary 
of Defense (or a designee)’’; and 
(4) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting 
‘‘2028’’. 
SEC. 1504. QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS ON JOINT ALL DOMAIN COMMAND 
AND CONTROL EFFORT. 
Section 1076 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283; 134 Stat. 3866) is amended—
H. R. 2670—404 
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—During the period beginning on October 
1, 2021, and ending on October 1, 2028, the Deputy Secretary 
of Defense, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 
the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer of the 
Department of Defense, the Chief Information Officer of the 
Department of Defense, and a senior military service represent-
ative for each of the Armed Forces shall provide to the congres-
sional defense committees quarterly briefings on the progress 
of the Joint All Domain Command and Control (in this section 
referred to as ‘JADC2’) effort of the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(2) ANNUAL PARTICIPATION BY CERTAIN COMBATANT COM-
MANDS.—For each fiscal year during the period specified in 
paragraph (1), a senior representative from each of the United 
States Indo-Pacific Command, United States Central Command, 
and United States European Command shall participate in 
the provision of the first quarterly briefing under such para-
graph following the submission of the budget of the President 
to Congress under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, 
for that fiscal year.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following 
new paragraphs: 
‘‘(7) A detailed programmatic table of the funding for the 
JADC2 efforts of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and 
the military departments, as set forth in the budget of the 
President most recently submitted to Congress under section 
1105 of title 31, United States Code. The information in such 
table shall be organized primarily by key programs, projects, 
and activities (such as data integration layer, joint operating 
system, global experimentation, and mission command applica-
tions). 
‘‘(8) A detailed summary of the lessons learned from large- 
scale exercises and experiments relevant to the JADC2 effort 
conducted during the period covered by the briefing.’’. 
SEC. 1505. AUTHORITY FOR COUNTERING ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING BY 
MEXICAN TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS IN 
CYBERSPACE. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—In accordance with sections 124 and 394 of 
title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense, in support 
of and in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal 
departments and agencies and in consultation with the Government 
of Mexico as appropriate, may conduct detection, monitoring, and 
other operations in cyberspace to counter Mexican transnational 
criminal organizations that are engaged in any of the following 
activities that cross the southern border of the United States: 
(1) Smuggling of illegal drugs, controlled substances, or 
precursors thereof. 
(2) Human trafficking. 
(3) Weapons trafficking. 
(4) Other illegal activities. 
(b) CERTAIN ENTITIES.—The authority under paragraph (1) may 
be used to counter Mexican transnational criminal organizations, 
including entities cited in the most recent National Drug Threat 
Assessment published by the United States Drug Enforcement
H. R. 2670—405 
Administration, that are engaged in any of the activities described 
in such paragraph. 
SEC. 1506. DEVELOPMENT OF CYBER SUPPORT MECHANISMS FOR 
GEOGRAPHIC COMBATANT COMMANDS. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF MECHANISMS REQUIRED.—Not later than 
270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, each com-
mander of a geographic combatant command, in coordination with 
the Commander of the United States Cyber Command, shall develop 
a cyber support mechanism to support the operations of that 
geographic combatant command. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—Each cyber support mechanism developed with 
respect to a geographic combatant command under subsection (a) 
shall include the following: 
(1) Processes to enhance the cyber capabilities of such 
combatant command. 
(2) Plans to develop and maintain a sufficient cyber plan-
ning capacity in such combatant command. 
(3) Processes to integrate cyber capabilities into operational 
support for such combatant command. 
(4) A prioritization of cyber risks and vulnerabilities within 
the geographic area of responsibility of such combatant com-
mand. 
(5) Specific plans to assist in the defense of friendly foreign 
countries. 
SEC. 1507. REVIEW AND PLAN RELATING TO CYBER RED TEAMS OF 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
(a) REVIEW RELATING TO PRIOR JOINT ASSESSMENT.— 
(1) REVIEW REQUIRED.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the officials described in 
subsection (c) shall review, and assess the status of the 
implementation of, the recommendations set forth by the Sec-
retary of Defense in response to the joint assessment require-
ment under section 1660 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92; 133 Stat. 1771). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The review under paragraph (1) shall 
include, with respect to the recommendations specified in such 
paragraph— 
(A) the timelines associated with each such rec-
ommendation, regardless of whether the recommendation 
is fully implemented or yet to be fully implemented; and 
(B) 
a 
description 
of 
any 
impediments 
to 
the 
implementation of such recommendations encountered. 
(b) PLAN REQUIRED.— 
(1) PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the officials described in subsection 
(c) shall submit to the congressional defense committees a 
plan, developed taking into account the findings of the review 
under subsection (a), to ensure cyber red teams of the Depart-
ment of Defense achieve sufficient capacity and capability to 
provide services and meet current and projected future demands 
on a Defense-wide basis. Such plan shall include— 
(A) a description of the funding necessary for such 
cyber red teams to achieve such capacity and capability; 
(B) a description of any other resources, personnel, 
infrastructure, or authorities for access to information nec-
essary for such cyber red teams to achieve such capacity
H. R. 2670—406 
and capability (including with respect to the emulation 
of threats from foreign countries with advanced cyber 
capabilities, automation, artificial intelligence or machine 
learning, and data collection and correlation); and 
(C) updated joint service standards and metrics to 
ensure the training, staffing, and equipping of such cyber 
red teams at levels necessary to achieve such capacity 
and capability. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than one year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
prescribe such regulations and issue such guidance as the Sec-
retary determines necessary to implement the plan developed 
under subsection (a). 
(c) OFFICIALS DESCRIBED.—The officials described in this sub-
section are the Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, 
the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense, the 
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and the Commander 
of the United States Cyber Command. 
(d) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than January 31, 2025, and 
not less frequently than annually thereafter until January 31, 2031, 
the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation shall include in 
each annual report required under section 139(h) of title 10, United 
States Code, an update on progress made with respect to the 
implementation of this section, including the following: 
(1) The results of test and evaluation events, including 
any resource or capability shortfalls limiting the capacity or 
capability of cyber red teams of the Department of Defense 
to meet operational requirements. 
(2) The extent to which operations of such cyber red teams 
have expanded across the competition continuum, including 
during cooperation and competition phases, to match adversary 
positioning and cyber activities. 
(3) A summary of identified categories of common gaps 
and shortfalls across cyber red teams of the military depart-
ments and Defense Agencies (as such terms are defined in 
section 101 of title 10, United States Code). 
(4) Any identified lessons learned that would affect training 
or operational employment decisions relating to the cyber red 
teams of the Department of Defense. 
Subtitle B—Cybersecurity 
SEC. 1511. RESPONSIBILITY FOR CYBERSECURITY AND CRITICAL 
INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION OF DEFENSE INDUS-
TRIAL BASE. 
Section 1724 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2021 (116–283; 10 U.S.C. 2224 note) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘The Secretary of Defense 
shall designate the Principal Cyber Advisor of the Department 
of Defense’’ and inserting ‘‘Not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2024, the Secretary of Defense shall des-
ignate a principal staff assistant from within the Office of 
the Secretary of Defense who shall serve’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)—
H. R. 2670—407 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘the Principal Cyber Advisor of the Department of Defense’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the principal staff assistant designated 
under subsection (b)’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Sector Specific 
Agency’’ and inserting ‘‘Sector Risk Management Agency’’; 
(3) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘Principal Cyber Advisor 
of the Department of Defense’’ and inserting ‘‘principal staff 
assistant designated under subsection (b)’’; and 
(4) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2024’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Sector Specific 
Agency functions under Presidential Policy Directive-21 
from non-cybersecurity Sector Specific Agency functions’’ 
and inserting ‘‘functions of a Sector Risk Management 
Agency pursuant to section 9002 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (6 U.S.C. 652a) 
from non-cybersecurity functions of a Sector Risk Manage-
ment Agency’’; and 
(C) by striking paragraph (3). 
SEC. 1512. CYBERSECURITY ENHANCEMENTS FOR NUCLEAR COM-
MAND, CONTROL, AND COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and consistent with section 
911(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 10 U.S.C. 111 note), the Sec-
retary of Defense shall establish a cross-functional team to 
develop and direct the implementation of a threat-driven cyber 
defense construct for the systems and networks that support 
the nuclear command, control, and communications (commonly 
referred to as ‘‘NC3’’) mission (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘cross-functional team’’). 
(2) COMPOSITION OF CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The cross functional team shall be 
composed of senior officers selected from among each of 
the military departments, the Defense Information Systems 
Agency, the National Security Agency, the United States 
Cyber Command, the United States Strategic Command, 
and any other organization or element of the Department 
of Defense determined appropriate by the Secretary. 
(B) LEADERSHIP.—The Secretary shall designate a 
senior officer from those selected under subparagraph (A) 
to serve as the leader of the cross-functional team. 
(C) STAFF.—The Secretary shall ensure the heads of 
the organizations and elements specified in subparagraph 
(A) detail staff to support the cross-functional team in 
carrying out the duties under paragraph (3). 
(3) DUTIES.—The duties of the cross-functional team shall 
be to enhance the cyber defense of the systems and networks 
that support the nuclear command, control, and communica-
tions mission. 
(b) REQUIRED CONSTRUCT, PLAN OF ACTION, AND MILESTONES.— 
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this
H. R. 2670—408 
Act, the leader of the cross-functional team designated pursuant 
to subsection (a)(2)(B) shall develop a threat-driven cyber defense 
construct, and associated plans and milestones, to enhance the 
security of the systems and networks that support the nuclear 
command, control, and communications mission. Such construct 
shall be based on— 
(1) the application of the principles of the approach to 
cybersecurity commonly referred to as ‘‘zero trust architecture’’; 
(2) an analysis of appropriately comprehensive endpoint 
and network telemetry data; and 
(3) control capabilities enabling rapid investigation and 
remediation of indicators of compromise and threats to mission 
execution. 
(c) ANNUAL BRIEFINGS.—During the 60-day period beginning 
on the date that is 30 days before the date on which the President 
submits to Congress the budget of the President pursuant to section 
1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, for each of fiscal years 
2025 through 2028, the Secretary shall provide to the appropriate 
congressional committees a briefing on the implementation of this 
section. 
(d) TERMINATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
cross-functional team under this section shall terminate on 
October 31, 2028. 
(2) EXTENSION AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Defense may 
extend the date of termination under paragraph (1) as the 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
(e) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 
means— 
(1) the congressional defense committees; and 
(2) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
House of Representatives. 
SEC. 1513. PILOT PROGRAM RELATING TO SEMICONDUCTOR SUPPLY 
CHAIN AND CYBERSECURITY COLLABORATION CENTER. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordina-
tion with the Director of the National Security Agency, shall com-
mence the conduct of a pilot program under which the Cybersecurity 
Collaboration Center of the National Security Agency may collabo-
rate with, including by entering into contracts or other agreements 
with, eligible persons under subsection (c), for the purpose of 
assessing the feasibility and advisability of improving the cybersecu-
rity of the semiconductor supply chain (in this section referred 
to as the ‘‘pilot program’’). 
(b) PROGRAM OBJECTIVES.—Under the pilot program, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall seek to improve the cybersecurity of the 
supply chain for the design, manufacturing, assembly, packaging, 
and testing of semiconductors, including through the following: 
(1) Improving the cybersecurity of processes for such design, 
manufacturing, assembly, packaging, and testing. 
(2) Protecting against cyber-driven intellectual property 
theft with respect to such design, manufacturing, assembly, 
packaging, and testing.
H. R. 2670—409 
(3) Reducing the risk of disruptions caused by cyberattacks 
to the supply chain for such design, manufacturing, assembly, 
packaging, and testing. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—A person is eligible to participate in the pilot 
program if such person— 
(1) directly supports the design, manufacturing, assembly, 
packaging, or testing of semiconductors within the United 
States; and 
(2) provides semiconductor components for the Department 
of Defense, any national security system (as such term is 
defined in section 3552(b) of title 44, United States Code), 
or the defense industrial base. 
(d) BRIEFINGS.— 
(1) INITIAL BRIEFING.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees 
an initial briefing on the pilot program. 
(B) ELEMENTS.—The briefing under subparagraph (A) 
shall include the following: 
(i) A description of the status of the implementa-
tion of the pilot program. 
(ii) An identification of key priorities for the pilot 
program. 
(iii) An identification of any challenges to imple-
menting the pilot program or impediments to participa-
tion in the pilot program by eligible persons under 
subsection (c). 
(2) ANNUAL BRIEFINGS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the initial briefing under paragraph (1), and 
annually thereafter until the date of termination under 
subsection (f), the Secretary of Defense shall provide to 
the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the 
progress of the pilot program. 
(B) ELEMENTS.—Each briefing under subparagraph (A) 
shall include the following: 
(i) Recommendations for addressing relevant 
policy, budgetary, security, and legislative gaps to 
increase the effectiveness of the pilot program, 
including, with respect to the first briefing under such 
subparagraph, an assessment of the resources nec-
essary for successful implementation of the pilot pro-
gram. 
(ii) Recommendations for increasing participation 
in the pilot program by eligible persons under sub-
section (c). 
(iii) A description of any challenges encountered 
in carrying out the pilot program, including any con-
cerns expressed by manufacturers of semiconductors 
or suppliers of semiconductor components. 
(iv) The findings of the Secretary, in consultation 
with the Director of the National Security Agency, 
with respect to the feasibility and advisability of 
extending or expanding the pilot program. 
(v) Such other matters as the Secretary considers 
appropriate.
H. R. 2670—410 
(e) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall terminate on the 
date that is four years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(f) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 
means— 
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence of the Senate. 
SEC. 1514. TRANSFER OF DATA AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED UNDER 
MOSAICS PROGRAM. 
(a) TRANSFERS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Defense may 
transfer to eligible private sector entities data and technology devel-
oped under the MOSAICS program to enhance cyber threat detec-
tion and protection of critical industrial control system assets used 
for electricity distribution. 
(b) AGREEMENTS.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
of Defense may— 
(1) enter into cooperative research and development agree-
ments under section 4026 of title 10, United States Code; 
and 
(2) use such other mechanisms for the transfer of tech-
nology and data as are authorized by law. 
(c) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 15 days after any date on 
which the Secretary determines to transfer data or technology to 
an eligible private sector entity under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a written 
notification of such determination. Such notification shall include 
the following: 
(1) An identification of the data or technology to be trans-
ferred. 
(2) An identification of the eligible private sector entity, 
including an identification of the specific individual employed 
by or otherwise associated with such entity responsible for 
the security and integrity of the data or technology to be 
received. 
(3) A detailed description of any special security handling 
instructions required pursuant to an agreement entered into 
between the Secretary and the eligible private sector entity 
for such transfer. 
(4) Timelines associated with such transfer. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘eligible private sector entity’’ means a private 
sector entity that— 
(A) has functions relevant to the civil electricity sector; 
and 
(B) is determined by the Secretary of Defense to be 
eligible to receive data and technology transferred under 
subsection (a). 
(2) The term ‘‘MOSAICS program’’ means the program 
of the Department of Defense known as the ‘‘More Situational 
Awareness for Industrial Control Systems Joint Capabilities 
Technology Demonstration program’’, or successor program.
H. R. 2670—411 
SEC. 1515. MODERNIZATION PROGRAM FOR NETWORK BOUNDARY AND 
CROSS-DOMAIN DEFENSE. 
(a) MODERNIZATION PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 
Defense shall carry out a modernization program for network 
boundary and cross-domain defense against cyber attacks. In car-
rying out such modernization program, the Secretary shall expand 
upon the fiscal year 2023 pilot program on modernized network 
boundary defense capabilities and the initial deployment of such 
capabilities to the primary Internet access points of the Department 
of Defense managed by the Director of the Defense Information 
Systems Agency. 
(b) PROGRAM PHASES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall implement 
the modernization program under subsection (a) in phases, 
with the objective of completing such program by October 1, 
2028. 
(2) OBJECTIVES.—The phases required by paragraph (1) 
shall include the following objectives: 
(A) By September 30, 2026, completion of— 
(i) the pilot program specified in subsection (a) 
and the deployment of modernized network boundary 
defense capabilities to the Internet access points man-
aged by the Director of the Defense Information Sys-
tems Agency; and 
(ii) the extension of modernized network boundary 
defense capabilities to all additional Internet access 
points of the information network of the Department 
of Defense. 
(B) By September 30, 2027, the conduct of a survey, 
completion of a pilot program, and deployment of modern-
ized network boundary defense capabilities to the access 
points and cross-domain capabilities of the Secret Internet 
Protocol Router Network. 
(C) By September 30, 2028, the conduct of a survey, 
completion of a pilot program, and deployment of modern-
ized network boundary defense capabilities to any 
remaining classified network or enclave of the information 
network of the Department. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
the congressional defense committees a plan for the implementation 
of the modernization program under subsection (a). Such plan shall 
include— 
(1) a summary of findings from the pilot program specified 
in subsection (a); and 
(2) an identification of the resources necessary for such 
implementation, including for implementing the phase of the 
modernization program specified in subsection (b)(2)(C). 
SEC. 1516. ESTABLISHMENT OF CERTAIN IDENTITY, CREDENTIAL, AND 
ACCESS MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AS PROGRAM OF 
RECORD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM OF RECORD.— 
(1) PROGRAM OF RECORD.—Except as provided in subsection 
(b), not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a program
H. R. 2670—412 
of record, governed by standard Department of Defense require-
ments and practices, and transition all covered activities to 
such program of record. 
(2) OBJECTIVES.—The program of record under subsection 
(a) shall include, at a minimum, covered activities undertaken 
to achieve the following objectives: 
(A) Correcting weaknesses in authentication and 
credentialing security, including with respect to the pro-
gram of the Department of Defense known as the ‘‘Public 
Key Infrastructure’’ program (or any successor program), 
identified by the Director of Operational Test and Evalua-
tion in a report submitted to Congress in April, 2023, 
titled ‘‘FY14–21 Observations of the Compromise of Cyber 
Credentials’’. 
(B) 
Implementing 
improved 
authentication 
tech-
nologies, such as biometric and behavioral authentication 
techniques and other non-password-based solutions. 
(3) BRIEFING.—Not later than 150 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall provide 
to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the cov-
ered activities to be included under the program of record 
under subsection (a). 
(b) WAIVER AUTHORITY.— 
(1) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Defense may waive the 
requirement under subsection (a) if the Secretary of Defense 
determines that the objectives listed in paragraph (2) of such 
subsection would be better achieved, and the level of rigor 
of the operational testing and oversight requirements applicable 
to such objectives would be improved, through a management 
approach other than the establishment of a program of record 
and transition of covered activities to such program of record. 
(2) JUSTIFICATION.—Not later than 14 days after issuing 
a waiver under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall 
submit to the congressional defense committees a detailed jus-
tification for the waiver, including— 
(A) an explanation of why the establishment of a pro-
gram of record is not the preferred approach to achieve 
the objectives listed in subsection (a)(2); 
(B) details relating to the management approach pro-
posed to be implemented in lieu of the establishment of 
a program of record; 
(C) an implementation plan for such proposed alter-
native approach; and 
(D) such other information as the Secretary of Defense 
determines appropriate. 
(c) DESIGNATION OF DATA ATTRIBUTES.—Not later than 120 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief Informa-
tion Officer of the Department of Defense, in coordination with 
the Secretaries of the military departments, shall complete the 
designation of Tier 1 level data attributes to be used as a baseline 
set of standardized attributes for identity, credential, and access 
management, Defense-wide. 
(d) BRIEFING.—Upon completing the requirement under sub-
section (c), the Chief Information Officer of the Department of
H. R. 2670—413 
Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments shall pro-
vide to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate a briefing on the activities carried 
out under this section. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered activity’’ means any activity of the 
Office of the Secretary of Defense or a Defense Agency relating 
to the identity, credential, and access management initiative 
of the Department of Defense. 
(2) The term ‘‘Defense Agency’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code. 
SEC. 1517. PILOT PROGRAM ON ASSURING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE 
SUPPORT FOR MILITARY CONTINGENCIES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than 60 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Defense shall establish a pilot program to be known as the 
‘‘Assuring Critical Infrastructure Support for Military Contingencies 
Pilot Program’’. 
(b) SELECTION OF INSTALLATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland 
Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, shall select not fewer than 
four geographically diverse military installations at which to 
carry out the pilot program under subsection (a). 
(2) PRIORITIZATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—In selecting military installations 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall give 
priority to any military installation that the Secretary 
determines is a key component of not fewer than two 
contingency plans or operational plans, with further pri-
ority given to such plans in the area of responsibility of 
the United States Indo-Pacific Command or the United 
States European Command. 
(B) SELECTION BETWEEN EQUAL PRIORITIES.—If two or 
more military installations qualify for equal priority under 
subparagraph (A), the Secretary of Defense shall give fur-
ther priority for selection under such paragraph to any 
such military installation that the Secretary of Defense 
determines is— 
(i) connected to national-level infrastructure; 
(ii) located near a commercial port; or 
(iii) located near a national financial hub. 
(c) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the pilot program under sub-
section (a), the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric 
Affairs, shall— 
(1) without duplicating or disrupting existing cyber exercise 
activities under the National Cyber Exercise Program under 
section 2220B of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
665h), conduct cyber resiliency and reconstitution stress test 
scenarios through tabletop exercises and, if possible, live exer-
cises— 
(A) to assess how to prioritize restoration of power, 
water, and telecommunications for a military installation 
in the event of a significant cyberattack on regional critical
H. R. 2670—414 
infrastructure that has similar impacts on State and local 
infrastructure; and 
(B) to determine the recovery process needed to ensure 
the military installation has the capability to function and 
support an overseas contingency operation or a homeland 
defense mission, as appropriate; 
(2) map dependencies on power, water, and telecommuni-
cations at the military installation and the connections to dis-
tribution and generation outside the military installation; 
(3) recommend priorities for the order of recovery for the 
military installation in the event of a significant cyberattack, 
considering both the requirements needed for operations of 
the military installation and the potential participation of per-
sonnel at the military installation in an overseas contingency 
operation or a homeland defense mission; and 
(4) develop a lessons-learned database from the exercises 
conducted under paragraph (1) across all military installations 
participating in the pilot program, to be shared with the 
Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
and the Senate. 
(d) COORDINATION WITH RELATED PROGRAMS.—The Secretary 
of Defense, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, shall ensure that 
activities under subsection (c) are coordinated with— 
(1) private entities that operate power, water, and tele-
communications for a military installation participating in the 
pilot program under subsection (a); 
(2) relevant military and civilian personnel; and 
(3) any other entity that the Assistant Secretary of Defense 
for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs determines is 
relevant to the execution of activities under subsection (c). 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to 
the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, the National 
Cyber Director, the head of any other relevant Sector Risk Manage-
ment Agency, the Committees on Armed Services of the House 
of Representatives and the Senate, and, if the Secretary of Defense 
determines it appropriate, relevant private sector owners and opera-
tors of critical infrastructure a report on the activities carried 
out under pilot program under subsection (a), including a descrip-
tion of any operational challenges identified. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘critical infrastructure’’ has the meaning given 
that term in the Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001 
(42 U.S.C. 5195c). 
(2) The term ‘‘Sector Risk Management Agency’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 2200 of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 650). 
SEC. 1518. MILITARY CYBERSECURITY COOPERATION WITH TAIWAN. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, with the concur-
rence of the Secretary of State and in coordination with the Com-
mander of the United States Cyber Command and the Commander 
of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, shall seek to engage 
with appropriate officials of Taiwan for the purpose of cooperating
H. R. 2670—415 
with the military forces of Taiwan on defensive military cybersecu-
rity activities. 
(b) IDENTIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES.—In cooperating on defensive 
military cybersecurity activities with the military forces of Taiwan 
under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense may carry out efforts 
to identify cooperative activities to— 
(1) defend military networks, infrastructure, and systems; 
(2) counter malicious cyber activity that has compromised 
such military networks, infrastructure, and systems; 
(3) leverage United States commercial and military cyberse-
curity technology and services to harden and defend such mili-
tary networks, infrastructure, and systems; and 
(4) conduct combined cybersecurity training activities and 
exercises. 
(c) BRIEFINGS.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State, shall provide to the 
appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the 
implementation of this section. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The briefing under paragraph (1) shall 
include the following: 
(A) A description of the feasibility and advisability 
of cooperating with the Ministry of Defense of Taiwan 
on the defensive military cybersecurity activities identified 
pursuant to subsection (b). 
(B) An identification of any challenges and resources 
that would be needed to addressed to conduct such coopera-
tive activities. 
(C) An overview of efforts undertaken pursuant to this 
section. 
(D) Any other matters the Secretary determines rel-
evant. 
(d) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 
means— 
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee 
on Foreign Relations of the Senate. 
SEC. 1519. GUIDANCE REGARDING SECURING LABORATORIES OF THE 
ARMED FORCES. 
(a) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination 
with the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense, 
the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer of the Depart-
ment, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, 
and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, 
shall issue Department-wide guidance regarding methods and proc-
esses to secure laboratories of the Armed Forces from— 
(1) unauthorized access and intrusion; 
(2) damage to, and destruction, manipulation, or theft of, 
physical and digital laboratory assets; 
(3) accidental or intentional release or disclosure of sen-
sitive information; and 
(4) cyber sabotage.
H. R. 2670—416 
(b) METHODS AND PROCESSES.—At a minimum, the guidance 
under subsection (a) shall include, with respect to laboratories 
of the Armed Forces, methods and processes to— 
(1) secure laboratory operations through zero trust prin-
ciples; 
(2) control the access of devices to laboratory information 
networks; 
(3) secure inventory management processes of such labora-
tories; 
(4) control or limit access to such laboratories to authorized 
individuals; 
(5) maintain the security and integrity of data libraries, 
repositories, and other digital assets of such laboratories; 
(6) report and remediate cyber incidents or other unauthor-
ized intrusions affecting such laboratories; 
(7) train and educate personnel of the Department on lab-
oratory security; 
(8) develop an operations security plan to secure laboratory 
operations that may be used by applicable units of the Armed 
Forces to implement countermeasures appropriate with respect 
to the mission, assessed risk, and resources available to the 
unit (including guidelines for implementation of routine proce-
dures and measures to be employed during daily operations 
or activities of the unit); and 
(9) develop and train applicable units of the Armed Forces 
on individualized secure laboratory critical information and 
indicator lists to aid in protecting critical information regarding 
any activity, intention, capability, or limitation of the Depart-
ment over which an adversary seeks to gain a military, political, 
diplomatic, economic, or technological advantage. 
Subtitle C—Information Technology and 
Data Management 
SEC. 1521. CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE DATA; ESTABLISHMENT OF CHIEF DIGITAL AND 
ARTIFICIAL 
INTELLIGENCE 
OFFICER 
GOVERNING 
COUNCIL. 
(a) CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
DATA.—The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer of the 
Department of Defense may access and control, on behalf of the 
Secretary of Defense, any data collected, acquired, accessed, or 
used by a component (as such term is defined in section 1513 
of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263; 10 U.S.C. 4001 note)), 
consistent with such section. 
(b) CHIEF DIGITAL AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER GOV-
ERNING COUNCIL.—Section 238(d)(3) of the John S. McCain National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115– 
232; 10 U.S.C. note prec. 4061) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(3) CHIEF DIGITAL AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER 
GOVERNING COUNCIL.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 
a council to provide policy oversight to ensure the respon-
sible, coordinated, and ethical employment of data and 
artificial intelligence capabilities across Department of
H. R. 2670—417 
Defense missions and operations. Such council shall be 
known as the ‘Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence 
Officer Governing Council’ (in this paragraph referred to 
as the ‘Council’). 
‘‘(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The Council shall be composed of 
the following: 
‘‘(i) Joint Staff J–6. 
‘‘(ii) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisi-
tion and Sustainment. 
‘‘(iii) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research 
and Evaluation. 
‘‘(iv) The Under Secretary of Defense for Intel-
ligence and Security. 
‘‘(v) The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. 
‘‘(vi) The Director of Cost Analysis and Program 
Evaluation. 
‘‘(vii) The Chief Information Officer of the Depart-
ment. 
‘‘(viii) The Director of Administration and Manage-
ment. 
‘‘(ix) The service acquisition executives of each of 
the military departments. 
‘‘(C) HEAD OF COUNCIL.—The Council shall be headed 
by the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer of 
the Department. 
‘‘(D) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet not less fre-
quently than twice each fiscal year. 
‘‘(E) DUTIES OF COUNCIL.—The duties of the Council 
are as follows: 
‘‘(i) To streamline the organizational structure of 
the Department as such structure relates to the 
development, implementation, and oversight of artifi-
cial intelligence. 
‘‘(ii) To improve coordination on artificial intel-
ligence governance with the defense industry sector. 
‘‘(iii) To issue and oversee guidance on ethical 
requirements and protections for the use of artificial 
intelligence supported by Department funding and the 
reduction or mitigation of instances of unintended bias 
in artificial intelligence algorithms. 
‘‘(iv) To identify, monitor, and periodically update 
appropriate recommendations for the operational use 
of artificial intelligence. 
‘‘(v) To review, to the extent the head of the Council 
considers necessary, artificial intelligence program 
funding, to ensure that any investment by the Depart-
ment in an artificial intelligence tool, system, or algo-
rithm adheres to each applicable policy of the Depart-
ment relating to artificial intelligence. 
‘‘(vi) To provide periodic status updates on the 
efforts of the Department to develop and implement 
artificial intelligence into existing Department pro-
grams and processes. 
‘‘(vii) To issue guidance on access and distribution 
restrictions relating to data, models, tool sets, or 
testing or validation infrastructure.
H. R. 2670—418 
‘‘(viii) To implement and oversee an educational 
program on data and artificial intelligence, for the 
purpose of familiarizing personnel Department-wide on 
the applications of artificial intelligence within the 
respective operations of such personnel. 
‘‘(ix) To implement and oversee a scorecard to 
assess data decrees of the Department. 
‘‘(x) Such other duties as the Council determines 
appropriate. 
‘‘(F) PERIODIC REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, and not less fre-
quently than once every 18 months thereafter, the Council 
shall submit to the Secretary and the congressional defense 
committees a report on the activities of the Council during 
the period covered by the report.’’. 
SEC. 1522. MODIFICATION TO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ENTERPRISE- 
WIDE PROCUREMENT OF CYBER DATA PRODUCTS AND 
SERVICES. 
Section 1521(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81; 10 U.S.C. 2224 note) is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); 
(2) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by striking ‘‘(1) 
through (5)’’ and inserting ‘‘(1) through (6)’’; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(6) Evaluating emerging cyber technologies, such as artifi-
cial intelligence-enabled security tools, for efficacy and applica-
bility to the requirements of the Department of Defense.’’. 
SEC. 1523. MANAGEMENT OF DATA ASSETS BY CHIEF DIGITAL AND 
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, subject to existing 
authorities and limitations and acting through the Chief Digital 
and Artificial Intelligence Officer of the Department of Defense, 
shall provide the digital infrastructure and procurement vehicles 
necessary to manage data assets and data analytics capabilities 
at scale to enable an understanding of foreign key terrain and 
relational frameworks in cyberspace to support the planning of 
cyber operations, the generation of indications and warnings 
regarding military operations and capabilities, and the calibration 
of actions and reactions in strategic competition. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHIEF DIGITAL AND ARTIFICIAL INTEL-
LIGENCE OFFICER.—The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence 
Officer shall— 
(1) develop a baseline of data assets exclusive to foreign 
key terrain and relational frameworks in cyberspace main-
tained by the intelligence agencies of the Department of 
Defense, the military departments, the combatant commands, 
and any other components of the Department of Defense; 
(2) develop and oversee the implementation of plans to 
enhance such data assets that the Chief Digital and Artificial 
Intelligence Officer determines are essential to support the 
purposes set forth in subsection (a); and 
(3) ensure that such activities and plans are undertaken 
in cooperation and in coordination with the Assistant to the
H. R. 2670—419 
Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Trans-
parency, to ensure that any data collection, procurement, 
acquisition, use, or retention measure conducted pursuant to 
this section is in compliance with applicable laws and regula-
tions, including standards pertaining to data related to United 
States persons or any persons in the United States. 
(c) OTHER MATTERS.—The Chief Digital and Artificial Intel-
ligence Officer shall— 
(1) designate or establish one or more Department of 
Defense executive agents for enhancing data assets and the 
acquisition of data analytic tools for users; 
(2) ensure that data assets referred to in subsection (b) 
that are in the possession of a component of the Department 
of Defense are accessible for the purposes described in sub-
section (a); and 
(3) ensure that advanced analytics, including artificial 
intelligence technology, are developed and applied to the anal-
ysis of the data assets referred to in subsection (b) in support 
of the purposes described in subsection (a). 
(d) SEMIANNUAL BRIEFINGS.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently 
than semiannually thereafter, the Chief Digital and Artificial Intel-
ligence Officer shall provide to the appropriate congressional 
committees a briefing on the implementation of this section. 
(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to authorize the Department of Defense to collect, pro-
cure, or otherwise acquire data, including commercially available 
data, in any manner that is not authorized by law, or to make 
use of data assets in any manner, or for any purpose, that is 
not otherwise authorized by law. 
(f) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 
means— 
(1) the congressional defense committees; 
(2) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(3) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate. 
SEC. 1524. COURSE OF EDUCATION AND PILOT PROGRAM ON AUTHEN-
TICATION OF DIGITAL CONTENT PROVENANCE FOR CER-
TAIN DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MEDIA CONTENT. 
(a) COURSE OF EDUCATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the Director of the Defense Media Activity, shall estab-
lish a course of education at the Defense Information School, 
the purpose of which shall be to provide instruction on the 
practical concepts and skills needed by public affairs, audio-
visual, visual information, and records management specialists 
to understand the following: 
(A) Digital content provenance for applicable Depart-
ment media content. 
(B) The challenges posed to missions and operations 
of the Department by a digital content forgery. 
(C) How industry open technical standards may be 
used to authenticate the digital content provenance of 
applicable Department media content.
H. R. 2670—420 
(2) MATTERS.—The course of education under paragraph 
(1) shall cover the following matters: 
(A) The challenges to missions and operations of the 
Department posed by a digital content forgery. 
(B) The development of industry open technical stand-
ards for authenticating the digital content provenance of 
applicable Department media content. 
(C) Hands-on training on techniques to record secure 
and authenticated digital content to document and commu-
nicate relevant themes and messages of the Department. 
(D) Training on— 
(i) the use of industry open technical standards 
for authenticating digital content provenance in the 
completion of post-production tasks; and 
(ii) the transmission of applicable Department 
media content in both operational and nonoperational 
environments. 
(E) Such other matters as the Director of the Defense 
Media Activity considers appropriate. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date of 
the establishment of the course of education under paragraph 
(1), the Director of the Defense Media Activity shall submit 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate a report on the following: 
(A) The status of the development of a curriculum 
for such course of education. 
(B) The implementation plan of the Director for such 
course of education, including the following: 
(i) The expertise and qualifications of the personnel 
of the Department responsible for teaching such course 
of education. 
(ii) The list of sources consulted or otherwise used 
to develop the curriculum for such course of education. 
(iii) A description of the industry open technical 
standards referred to in paragraph (1)(C). 
(iv) The status of the implementation of such 
course of education. 
(C) The resources available to the Director to carry 
out this subsection and whether the Director requires any 
additional resources to carry out this subsection. 
(b) PILOT PROGRAM ON IMPLEMENTING DIGITAL CONTENT PROVE-
NANCE STANDARDS.— 
(1) PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Defense 
Media Activity shall carry out a pilot program to assess the 
feasibility and advisability of implementing industry open tech-
nical standards for digital content provenance for official photo-
graphs and videos of the Department of Defense publicly 
released by the Defense Visual Information Distribution 
Service, or any successor operation, and other distribution plat-
forms, systems, and services used by the Department of Defense 
(in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘pilot program’’). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—In carrying out the pilot program, the 
Director of the Defense Media Activity shall— 
(A) establish a process for using industry open tech-
nical standards to verify the digital content provenance 
of applicable Department media content;