Title: Strengthening Oversight of National Security Act of 2017
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Strengthening Oversight of National Security Act of 2017
This bill amends the National Security Act of 1947 to add the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as statutorily required members of the National Security Council (NSC). (The current NSC members required by statute are the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Energy.)
The bill prohibits the President from designating as additional members or attendees of the NSC any individuals in positions that are not subject to Senate confirmation (excluding the National Security Advisor and deputies, the Homeland Security Advisor and deputies, the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, the Counsel to the President, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Assistant to the Vice President for National Security) unless Congress approves of the designation through enactment of a joint resolution or a bill.
The cabinet-level interagency forum for policy consideration and decision-making that supports the NSC must reflect the membership of the NSC and any Senate-confirmed member of the executive branch designated by the President. Exceptions to this forum composition are permitted for a one-time decision-making action, but the President must notify Congress within 24 hours after execution of such an exception.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 291 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 291

 To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to modify the requirements 
   for membership in the National Security Council and cabinet-level 
                 policy forum, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 2, 2017

  Mr. Warner (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Heinrich, Mrs. 
  Feinstein, and Ms. Harris) introduced the following bill; which was 
    read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to modify the requirements 
   for membership in the National Security Council and cabinet-level 
                 policy forum, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Oversight of National 
Security Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY 
              COUNCIL AND CABINET-LEVEL POLICY FORUM.

    (a) National Security Council.--Section 101(c) of the National 
Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Council'' and inserting 
                ``Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Council'';
                    (B) by inserting ``the Director of National 
                Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 
                Staff,'' after ``the Secretary of Energy,''; and
                    (C) by striking ``and such other officers of the 
                United States Government as the President may 
                designate.'' and inserting ``appointed by the 
                President, by and with the advice and consent of the 
                Senate.''; and
            (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Limitation on membership and participation.--
                    ``(A) Approval by congress.--The President may not 
                designate as a member or attendee a covered individual 
                under paragraph (1) (excluding the National Security 
                Advisor and Deputies, the Homeland Security Advisor and 
                Deputies, the Assistant to the President and Chief of 
                Staff, the Counsel to the President, the Assistant to 
                the President for Economic Policy, and the Assistant to 
                the Vice President for National Security) unless a 
                joint resolution or bill is enacted approving of the 
                designation of the covered individual by the President.
                    ``(B) Covered individual defined.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `covered individual' means an 
                individual in a position that is not subject to 
                confirmation by the Senate.''.

SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY FORUM FOR POLICY CONSIDERATION AND DECISIONMAKING.

    (a) Creation.--There is a cabinet-level interagency forum for 
policy consideration and decisionmaking to support the National 
Security Council.
    (b) Composition.--Except as provided in subsection (c), the 
composition of the interagency forum for policy consideration and 
decisionmaking to support the National Security Council shall reflect 
the membership of the National Security Council and any member of the 
executive branch who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the 
Senate, as determined by the President.
    (c) Exceptions.--
            (1) In general.--Any exception to the requirement of 
        subsection (b) shall only be permitted for a one-time 
        decisionmaking action.
            (2) Notification to congress.--The President shall submit 
        to Congress a notification of any exercise of an exception 
        permitted by this subsection not later than 24 hours after the 
        execution of such exception.
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