,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cehi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #g   
7legislative day1 ,february #c71        
#bjbb,mr4 ,rubio 7for himself and ,mr4  
,menendez7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations
  ,a ,,bill  ,to require a ,united      
,states security strategy for the       
,western ,hemisphere1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,western ,hemisphere
 ,security ,strategy ,act of #bjbb4  #b4
 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of
 ,congress that-- 7#a7 the security1    
stability1 prosperity1 and state of     
democratic governance in countries of   
the ,western ,hemisphere are vital to   
the national interests of the ,united   
,states2  7#b7 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-- 7,a7 the people and    
countries of ,latin ,america and the    
,caribbean2 and  7,b7 the national      
interests of the ,united ,states2  7#c7 
the ,united ,states should expand its   
engagement in the ,western ,hemisphere  
by-- 7,a7 strengthening its alliances   
and partnerships with countries in the  
,western ,hemisphere2  7,b7 fostering   
security cooperation among countries in 
the ,western ,hemisphere to facilitate  
trade1 investment1 training1 and        
humanitarian assistance in the near and 
long term2 and  7,c7 working with       
security and law enforcement agencies in
 the ,western ,hemisphere-- 7i7 to      
address the shared challenges of-- 7,i7 
narcotics trafficking1 human            
trafficking1 and other forms of illicit 
trafficking2 and  7,,ii7 transnational  
criminal organizations2 and  7ii7 to    
support the rule of law1 democracy1 and 
human rights in the region2  7#d7 the   
,united ,states should maintain credible
 security capabilities dedicated to     

,latin ,america and the ,caribbean--    
7,a7 to build partner country capacity2 
7,b7 to support the delivery of         
humanitarian assistance and disaster    
relief2  7,c7 to deter acts of          
aggression2 and  7,d7 to respond1 if    
necessary1 to regional threats and      
threats to the national security of the 
,united ,states2 and  7#e7 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 ,hemisphere4  
#c4 ,security strategy for the ,western 
,hemisphere  7a7 ,in general ,not later 
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,state and the ,secretary of ,defense
 shall jointly submit to the appropriate
 committees of ,congress a multi-year   
strategy1 to be known as the ,western   
,hemisphere ,security ,strategy1 for    

purposes of enhancing diplomatic        
engagement and security assistance and  
cooperation1 promoting regional security
 and stability1 and advancing ,united   
,states strategic interests in the      
,western ,hemisphere4  7b7 ,elements    
,the strategy required by subsection 7a7
 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,a   
proposal for increasing ,united ,states 
bilateral and multilateral security     
assistance and cooperation in ,latin    
,america and the ,caribbean4  7#b7      
,activities to build the defense and    
security capacity of partner countries  
in ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean4  
7#c7 ,activities to counter-- 7,a7      
malign influence by state actors2 and   
7,b7 transnational criminal             
organizations with connections to-- 7i7 
illicit trafficking1 including the      
illicit trafficking of narcotics and    
weapons2 or  7ii7 terrorism4  7#d7      
,efforts to disrupt1 degrade1 and       
counter transnational illicit           
trafficking1 with an emphasis on illicit

 narcotics and precursor chemicals that 
produce illicit narcotics4  7#e7        
,activities to increase transparency in1
 and support for1 strong and accountable
 defense1 security1 and law enforcement 
institutions through institutional      
capacity-building efforts1 including    
efforts to ensure respect for           
internationally recognized human rights 
and direction and oversight by civilian 
authorities4  7#f7 ,efforts to expand   
bilateral and multinational military    
training exercises with partner         
countries in ,latin ,america and the    
,caribbean4  7#g7 ,humanitarian         
assistance and disaster relief          
initiatives to support partner countries
 by promoting the development and growth
 of responsive institutions through     
activities such as-- 7,a7 the provision 
of appropriate equipment1 training1     
logistical support2  7,b7 transportation
 of humanitarian supplies or personnel  
of foreign security forces2  7,c7 making
 available1 preparing1 and transferring 

on-hand nonlethal supplies1 and         
providing training on the use of such   
supplies1 for humanitarian or health    
purposes to respond to unforeseen       
emergencies2  7,d7 the provision of     
,department of ,state humanitarian      
demining assistance2 and  7,e7          
conducting medical support operations   
and medical humanitarian missions1 such 
as hospital ship deployments and        
base-operating services1 to the extent  
required by the operation4  7#h7        
,continued support for the women1 peace1
 and security initiatives of the        
,department of ,state to support the    
capacity of partner countries in the    
,western ,hemisphere-- 7,a7 to ensure-- 
7i7 the safety and security of women and
 girls2 and  7ii7 that the rights of    
women and girls are protected2 and  7,b7
 to promote the meaningful participation
 of women in the defense and security   
sectors4  7#i7 ,professional military   
education initiatives1 such as the      
,department of ,state's ,international  

,military and ,education ,training      
program4  7#aj7 ,a detailed assessment  
of the resources required to carry out  
such strategy and a plan to be executed 
not later than fiscal year #bjbc4  7c7  
,implementation  7#a7 ,in general ,not  
later than #ij days after the date on   
which the ,western ,hemisphere ,security
 ,strategy is submitted under subsection
 7a71 the ,secretary of ,state and the  
,secretary of ,defense shall commence   
implementation of the strategy4  7#b7   
,briefing ,not later than #ahj days     
after the date on which the             
implementation of the ,western          
,hemisphere ,security ,strategy         
commences1 and every #ahj days          
thereafter1 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 strategy4     
7#c7 ,termination ,the authority under  
this section shall terminate on the date
 that is three years after the date of  

the enactment of this ,act4  7d7        
,appropriate committees of ,congress    
defined ,in this section1 the term      
appropriate committees of ,congress     
means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign 
,relations and the ,committee on ,armed 
,services of the ,senate2 and  7#b7 the 
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and the 
,committee on ,armed ,services of the   
,house of ,representatives4