Title: Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022
This bill requires the Department of State and the Department of Defense (DOD) to implement a multiyear Western Hemisphere Security Strategy.
The strategy must include elements such as (1) a proposal for increasing U.S. bilateral and multilateral security assistance and cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean, (2) activities to counter malign influence from state actors and transnational criminal organizations, (3) efforts to expand bilateral and multinational military training exercises with partner countries, (4) humanitarian assistance and disaster relief initiatives, (5) continued support for State Department programs to ensure the safety and rights of women and girls, and (6) a detailed assessment of the resources to carry out the strategy.
The State Department and DOD must jointly report the strategy to Congress and also provide periodic briefings on the strategy's implementation. The authorities provided under this bill shall terminate three years after this bill's enactment.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3589 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3589

     To require a United States security strategy for the Western 
                  Hemisphere, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 7 (legislative day, February 3), 2022

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To require a United States security strategy for the Western 
                  Hemisphere, 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 ``Western Hemisphere Security Strategy 
Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the security, stability, prosperity, and state of 
        democratic governance in countries of the Western Hemisphere 
        are vital to the national interests of the United States;
            (2) the harmful and malign influence in Latin America and 
        the Caribbean of the Government of the People's Republic of 
        China and the Government of the Russian Federation poses risks 
        to--
                    (A) the people and countries of Latin America and 
                the Caribbean; and
                    (B) the national interests of the United States;
            (3) the United States should expand its engagement in the 
        Western Hemisphere by--
                    (A) strengthening its alliances and partnerships 
                with countries in the Western Hemisphere;
                    (B) fostering security cooperation among countries 
                in the Western Hemisphere to facilitate trade, 
                investment, training, and humanitarian assistance in 
                the near and long term; and
                    (C) working with security and law enforcement 
                agencies in the Western Hemisphere--
                            (i) to address the shared challenges of--
                                    (I) narcotics trafficking, human 
                                trafficking, and other forms of illicit 
                                trafficking; and
                                    (II) transnational criminal 
                                organizations; and
                            (ii) to support the rule of law, democracy, 
                        and human rights in the region;
            (4) the United States should maintain credible security 
        capabilities dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean--
                    (A) to build partner country capacity;
                    (B) to support the delivery of humanitarian 
                assistance and disaster relief;
                    (C) to deter acts of aggression; and
                    (D) to respond, if necessary, to regional threats 
                and threats to the national security of the United 
                States; and
            (5) the Department of State and the Department of Defense 
        should continue to commit additional assets and increase 
        investments in the Western Hemisphere so as to maintain robust 
        United States security partnerships with countries in the 
        Western Hemisphere.

SEC. 3. SECURITY STRATEGY FOR THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of 
Defense shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a multi-year strategy, to be known as the ``Western Hemisphere Security 
Strategy'', for purposes of enhancing diplomatic engagement and 
security assistance and cooperation, promoting regional security and 
stability, and advancing United States strategic interests in the 
Western Hemisphere.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) A proposal for increasing United States bilateral and 
        multilateral security assistance and cooperation in Latin 
        America and the Caribbean.
            (2) Activities to build the defense and security capacity 
        of partner countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
            (3) Activities to counter--
                    (A) malign influence by state actors; and
                    (B) transnational criminal organizations with 
                connections to--
                            (i) illicit trafficking, including the 
                        illicit trafficking of narcotics and weapons; 
                        or
                            (ii) terrorism.
            (4) Efforts to disrupt, degrade, and counter transnational 
        illicit trafficking, with an emphasis on illicit narcotics and 
        precursor chemicals that produce illicit narcotics.
            (5) Activities to increase transparency in, and support 
        for, strong and accountable defense, security, and law 
        enforcement institutions through institutional capacity-
        building efforts, including efforts to ensure respect for 
        internationally recognized human rights and direction and 
        oversight by civilian authorities.
            (6) Efforts to expand bilateral and multinational military 
        training exercises with partner countries in Latin America and 
        the Caribbean.
            (7) Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief initiatives 
        to support partner countries by promoting the development and 
        growth of responsive institutions through activities such as--
                    (A) the provision of appropriate equipment, 
                training, logistical support;
                    (B) transportation of humanitarian supplies or 
                personnel of foreign security forces;
                    (C) making available, preparing, and transferring 
                on-hand nonlethal supplies, and providing training on 
                the use of such supplies, for humanitarian or health 
                purposes to respond to unforeseen emergencies;
                    (D) the provision of Department of State 
                humanitarian demining assistance; and
                    (E) conducting medical support operations and 
                medical humanitarian missions, such as hospital ship 
                deployments and base-operating services, to the extent 
                required by the operation.
            (8) Continued support for the women, peace, and security 
        initiatives of the Department of State to support the capacity 
        of partner countries in the Western Hemisphere--
                    (A) to ensure--
                            (i) the safety and security of women and 
                        girls; and
                            (ii) that the rights of women and girls are 
                        protected; and
                    (B) to promote the meaningful participation of 
                women in the defense and security sectors.
            (9) Professional military education initiatives, such as 
        the Department of State's International Military and Education 
        Training program.
            (10) A detailed assessment of the resources required to 
        carry out such strategy and a plan to be executed not later 
        than fiscal year 2023.
    (c) Implementation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
        which the Western Hemisphere Security Strategy is submitted 
        under subsection (a), the Secretary of State and the Secretary 
        of Defense shall commence implementation of the strategy.
            (2) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
        which the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Security 
        Strategy commences, and every 180 days thereafter, the 
        Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly 
        provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on 
        the implementation of the strategy.
            (3) Termination.--The authority under this section shall 
        terminate on the date that is three years after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (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.
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