I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6846 
To require the United States Government to assist in the establishment 
of national security councils in specified countries. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 15, 2023 
Mr. WALTZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the United States Government to assist in the 
establishment of national security councils in specified 
countries. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Connecting Oceania’s 
Nations with Vanguard Exercises and National Empower-
ment Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘CONVENE Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 
the Select Committee on Intelligence, the 
Armed Services Committee, and the Committee 
on Appropriations of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 
the Armed Services Committee, and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(2) NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL.—The term 
‘‘national security council’’ means, with respect to a 
specified country, an intergovernmental body under 
the jurisdiction of the freely elected government of 
the specified country that acts as the primary co-
ordinating entity for security cooperation, disaster 
response, and the activities described in section 3(e). 
(3) SPECIFIED COUNTRY.—The term ‘‘specified 
country’’ means— 
(A) the Federated States of Micronesia; 
(B) the Republic of the Marshall Islands; 
and 
(C) the Republic of Palau. 
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SEC. 3. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCILS OF SPECIFIED 
COUNTRIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in con-
sultation with other relevant Federal departments and 
agencies, as appropriate, may consult and engage with 
each specified country to advise and provide assistance to 
a national security council (including by developing a na-
tional security council, if appropriate), or to identify a 
similar coordinating body for national security matters, 
comprised of citizens of the specified country— 
(1) that enables the specified country— 
(A) to better coordinate with the United 
States 
Government, 
including 
the 
Armed 
Forces, as appropriate; 
(B) to increase cohesion on activities, in-
cluding emergency humanitarian response, law 
enforcement, and maritime security activities; 
and 
(C) to provide trained professionals to 
serve as members of the committees of the 
specified country established under the applica-
ble Compact of Free Association; and 
(2) for the purpose of enhancing resilience ca-
pabilities and protecting the people, infrastructure, 
and territory of the specified country from malign 
actions. 
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(b) COMPOSITION.—The Secretary of State, respect-
ing the unique needs of each specified country, may seek 
to ensure that the national security council, or other iden-
tified coordinating body, of the specified country is com-
posed of sufficient staff and members to enable the activi-
ties described in subsection (e). 
(c) STANDARDS FOR EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES.— 
The Secretary of State may work with the national secu-
rity council, or other identified coordinating body, of each 
specified country to ensure that— 
(1) the equipment and services used by the na-
tional security council or other identified coordi-
nating body are compliant with security standards so 
as to minimize the risk of cyberattacks or espionage; 
(2) the national security council or other identi-
fied coordinating body takes all reasonable efforts 
not to procure or use systems, equipment, or soft-
ware that originates from any entity identified under 
section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
(Public Law 116–283; 10 U.S.C. 113 note); and 
(3) to the extent practicable, the equipment and 
services used by the national security council or 
other identified coordinating body are interoperable 
with the equipment and services used by the national 
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security councils, or other identified coordinating 
bodies, of the other specified countries. 
(d) REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and an-
nually thereafter for 2 years, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report that includes— 
(A) an assessment as to whether a national 
security council or a similar formal coordinating 
body is helping or would help achieve the objec-
tives described in subsection (a) at acceptable 
financial and opportunity cost; 
(B) a description of all actions taken by 
the United States Government to assist in the 
identification or maintenance of a national se-
curity council, or other identified coordinating 
body, in each specified country; 
(C) with respect to each specified country, 
an assessment as to whether— 
(i) the specified country has appro-
priately staffed its national security council 
or other identified coordinating body; and 
(ii) the extent to which the national 
security council, or other identified coordi-
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nating body, of the specified country is ca-
pable of carrying out the activities de-
scribed in subsection (e); 
(D) an assessment of— 
(i) any challenge to cooperation and 
coordination with the national security 
council, or other identified coordinating 
body, of any specified country; 
(ii) current efforts by the Secretary of 
State to coordinate with the specified coun-
tries on the activities described in sub-
section (e); and 
(iii) existing governmental entities 
within each specified country that are ca-
pable of supporting such activities; 
(E) a description of any challenge with re-
spect to— 
(i) the implementation of the national 
security council, or other identified coordi-
nating body, of any specified country; and 
(ii) the implementation of subsections 
(a) through (c); 
(F) an assessment of any attempt or cam-
paign by a malign actor to influence the polit-
ical, security, or economic policy of a specified 
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country, a member of a national security coun-
cil or other identified coordinating body, or an 
immediate family member of such a member; 
and 
(G) any other matter the Secretary of 
State considers relevant. 
(2) FORM.—Each report required by paragraph 
(1) may be submitted in unclassified form and may 
include a classified annex. 
(e) ACTIVITIES
DESCRIBED.—The activities de-
scribed in this subsection are the following homeland secu-
rity activities: 
(1) Coordination of— 
(A) the prosecution and investigation of 
transnational criminal enterprises; 
(B) responses to national emergencies, 
such as natural disasters; 
(C) counterintelligence and counter-coer-
cion responses to foreign threats; and 
(D) efforts to combat illegal, unreported, 
or unregulated fishing. 
(2) Coordination with United States Govern-
ment officials on humanitarian response, military ex-
ercises, law enforcement, and other issues of security 
concern. 
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(3) Identification and development of an exist-
ing governmental entity to support homeland defense 
and civil support activities. 
Æ 
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