II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4249 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 2, 2024 Mr. Rubio introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on access to operational energy by the Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fuel Utilization for Enhanced Logistics Act or the FUEL Act . 2. Study, strategy, and report on operational resilience of energy supply for Armed Forces in Indo-Pacific region (a) Study (1) In general The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study on the energy supply, logistics networks, and infrastructure that support access to operational energy (as defined in section 2924 of title 10, United States Code) by the Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region. (2) Elements The study required by paragraph (1) shall assess— (A) current contingency plans and alternative logistics routes that ensure continued access by the Armed Forces to uninterrupted energy supply chains under contested conditions; (B) the current operational energy infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region owned by commercial companies or host countries, and the ability of such infrastructure to endure attacks, including kinetic and cyber attacks; (C) potential political and economic influences on the availability of operational energy in contested environments, taking into consideration the growing market share of national oil companies; and (D) current and projected trends in global refining capacity and investments in petroleum infrastructure, and the implications of such trends for United States national security, including the potential implications in a future conflict. (b) Strategy (1) In general The Secretary shall develop a strategy, based on the findings of the study required by subsection (a), to secure access to operational energy for the Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region. (2) Elements The strategy developed under paragraph (1) shall identify— (A) rapid-deployment energy solutions that enable the Armed Forces to conduct sustained operations in the absence of traditional fuel supplies; (B) any needed or anticipated investment in infrastructure and fuel capabilities owned by the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, to reduce dependency on foreign infrastructure and petroleum; (C) any enhancement needed to ensure the security of operational energy supply chains for such sustained operations through advanced monitoring, including cybersecurity measures and physical protections; (D) any collaboration between United States energy companies and partner countries the Secretary has pursued to reduce reliance on energy sources owned by adversarial countries; and (E) allied and partner countries with which the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command should collaborate to address vulnerabilities in the energy supply and logistics networks of the Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region. (c) Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes— (1) the findings of the study required by subsection (a)(1); (2) the strategy developed under subsection (b)(1); and (3) any recommendation for legislative or administrative actions to support such strategy.