A bill to provide for the development and implementation of economic defense response teams.
Bill: S.1824 | Sponsor: Sen. Portman, Rob (R-OH)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This bill establishes a pilot program for deploying economic response teams that provide emergency technical assistance and support to a partner country subjected to the threat or use of coercive economic measures by a U.S. adversary. These teams also play a liaison role between the legitimate government of a partner country and the U.S. government.
To carry out the program, the Department of State must identify U.S. government personnel across multiple departments who have relevant expertise to serve on teams and provide logistical and institutional support for the program and its teams.
To deploy a team, the President must declare, and notify Congress of, a coercive economic emergency (i.e., an unusual and extraordinary economic coercive threat to a partner country made by a U.S. adversary). The initial deployment may last for up to 180 days; the President may extend a deployment by submitting to Congress a justification for the extension in the interest of national security.
The State Department must provide to Congress an initial report following the establishment of the program and a subsequent report about its first year of operation. Authority for the program terminates on December 1, 2026.

To provide for the development and implementation of economic defense 
                            response teams.

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

SECTION 1. ECONOMIC DEFENSE RESPONSE TEAMS.

    (a) Pilot Program.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President, acting through the Secretary of 
State, shall develop and implement a pilot program for the creation of 
deployable economic defense response teams to help provide emergency 
technical assistance and support to a country subjected to the threat 
or use of coercive economic measures and to play a liaison role between 
the legitimate government of that country and the United States 
Government. Such assistance and support may include the following 
activities:
            (1) Reducing the partner country's vulnerability to 
        coercive economic measures.
            (2) Minimizing the damage that such measures by an 
        adversary could cause to that country.
            (3) Implementing any bilateral or multilateral contingency 
        plans that may exist for responding to the threat or use of 
        such measures.
            (4) In coordination with the partner country, developing or 
        improving plans and strategies by the country for reducing 
        vulnerabilities and improving responses to such measures in the 
        future.
            (5) Assisting the partner country in dealing with foreign 
        sovereign investment in infrastructure or related projects that 
        may undermine the partner country's sovereignty.
            (6) Assisting the partner country in responding to specific 
        efforts from an adversary attempting to employ economic 
        coercion that undermines the partner country's sovereignty, 
        including efforts in the cyber domain, such as efforts that 
        undermine cybersecurity or digital security of the partner 
        country or initiatives that introduce digital technologies in a 
        manner that undermines freedom, security, and sovereignty of 
        the partner country.
            (7) Otherwise providing direct and relevant short-to-medium 
        term economic or other assistance from the United States and 
        marshalling other resources in support of effective responses 
        to such measures.
    (b) Institutional Support.--The pilot program required by 
subsection (a) should include the following elements:
            (1) Identification and designation of relevant personnel 
        within the United States Government with expertise relevant to 
        the objectives specified in subsection (a), including personnel 
        in--
                    (A) the Department of State, for overseeing the 
                economic defense response team's activities, engaging 
                with the partner country government and other 
                stakeholders, and other purposes relevant to advancing 
                the success of the mission of the economic defense 
                response team;
                    (B) the United States Agency for International 
                Development, for the purposes of providing technical, 
                humanitarian, and other assistance, generally;
                    (C) the Department of the Treasury, for the 
                purposes of providing advisory support and assistance 
                on all financial matters and fiscal implications of the 
                crisis at hand;
                    (D) the Department of Commerce, for the purposes of 
                providing economic analysis and assistance in market 
                development relevant to the partner country's response 
                to the crisis at hand, technology security as 
                appropriate, and other matters that may be relevant;
                    (E) the Department of Energy, for the purposes of 
                providing advisory services and technical assistance 
                with respect to energy needs as affected by the crisis 
                at hand;
                    (F) the Department of Homeland Security, for the 
                purposes of providing assistance with respect to 
                digital and cybersecurity matters, and assisting in the 
                development of any contingency plans referred to in 
                paragraphs (3) and (6) of subsection (a) as 
                appropriate;
                    (G) the Department of Agriculture, for providing 
                advisory and other assistance with respect to 
                responding to coercive measures such as arbitrary 
                market closures that affect the partner country's 
                agricultural sector;
                    (H) the Office of the United States Trade 
                Representative with respect to providing support and 
                guidance on trade and investment matters; and
                    (I) other Federal departments and agencies as 
                determined by the President.
            (2) Negotiation of memoranda of understanding, where 
        appropriate, with other United States Government components for 
        the provision of any relevant participating or detailed non-
        Department of State personnel identified under paragraph (1).
            (3) Negotiation of contracts, as appropriate, with private 
        sector representatives or other individuals with relevant 
        expertise to advance the objectives specified in subsection 
        (a).
            (4) Development within the United States Government of--
                    (A) appropriate training curricula for relevant 
                experts identified under paragraph (1) and for United 
                States diplomatic personnel in a country actually or 
                potentially threatened by coercive economic measures;
                    (B) operational procedures and appropriate 
                protocols for the rapid assembly of such experts into 
                one or more teams for deployment to a country actually 
                or potentially threatened by coercive economic 
                measures; and
                    (C) procedures for ensuring appropriate support for 
                such teams when serving in a country actually or 
                potentially threatened by coercive economic measures, 
                including, as applicable, logistical assistance, office 
                space, information support, and communications.
            (5) Negotiation with relevant potential host countries of 
        procedures and methods for ensuring the rapid and effective 
        deployment of such teams, and the establishment of appropriate 
        liaison relationships with local public and private sector 
        officials and entities.
    (c) Reports Required.--
            (1) Report on establishment.--Upon establishment of the 
        pilot program required by subsection (a), the Secretary of 
        State shall provide the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives with a detailed report and briefing describing 
        the pilot program, the major elements of the program, the 
        personnel and institutions involved, and the degree to which 
        the program incorporates the elements described in subsection 
        (a).
            (2) Follow-up report.--Not later than one year after the 
        report required by paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall 
        provide the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
        the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives with a detailed report and briefing describing 
        the operations over the previous year of the pilot program 
        established pursuant to subsection (a), as well as the 
        Secretary's assessment of its performance and suitability for 
        becoming a permanent program.
            (3) Form.--Each report required under this subsection shall 
        be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex.
    (d) Declaration of an Economic Crisis Required.--
            (1) Notification.--The President may activate an economic 
        defense response team for a period of 180 days under the 
        authorities of this section to assist a partner country in 
        responding to an unusual and extraordinary economic coercive 
        threat by an adversary of the United States upon the 
        declaration of a coercive economic emergency, together with 
        notification to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (2) Extension authority.--The President may activate the 
        response team for an additional 180 days upon the submission of 
        a detailed analysis to the committees described in paragraph 
        (1) justifying why the continued deployment of the economic 
        defense response team in response to the economic emergency is 
        in the national security interest of the United States.
    (e) Sunset.--The authorities provided under this section shall 
expire on December 31, 2026.
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