,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cche  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #af1 #bjbc,ms4  
,plaskett introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,energy and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
direct the ,assistant ,secretary of     
,commerce for ,communications and       
,information to submit to ,congress a   
report containing an assessment of the  
value1 cost1 and feasibility of         
developing a trans-,atlantic submarine  
fiber optic cable connecting the        
contiguous ,united ,states1 the ,united 
,states ,virgin ,islands1 ,ghana1 and   
,nigeria1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,diaspora,link ,act4  #b4           
,assessment of the development of       
trans-,atlantic submarine fiber optic   
cable  7a7 ,report ,not later than #a   
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,assistant ,secretary1 in
 consultation with the heads of other   
,federal departments and agencies as    

necessary1 shall submit to the          
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation of the ,senate a report 
containing an assessment of the value1  
cost1 and feasibility of developing a   
trans-,atlantic submarine fiber optic   
cable connecting the contiguous ,united 
,states1 the ,united ,states ,virgin    
,islands1 ,ghana1 and ,nigeria4  7b7    
,elements ,the report required by       
subsection 7a7 shall include-- 7#a7 the 
digital security1 national security1 and
 economic opportunities associated with 
a trans-,atlantic submarine fiber optic 
cable described in subsection 7a72  7#b7
 the lifespan of submarine fiber optic  
cables currently connecting the ,united 
,states ,virgin ,islands to the         
contiguous ,united ,states2  7#c7 the   
current security of telecommunications  
between the contiguous ,united ,states  
and the ,united ,states ,virgin         
,islands2  7#d7 the current reliability 

and security of telecommunications      
infrastructure in the ,united ,states   
,virgin ,islands2  7#e7 the potential   
for engagement with trusted entities in 
the development by the ,united ,states  
of a trans-,atlantic submarine fiber    
optic cable described in subsection 7a71
 and the associated geopolitical and    
economic advantages2  7#f7 the potential
 digital sovereignty opportunities of a 
trans-,atlantic submarine fiber optic   
cable described in subsection 7a72  7#g7
 the value1 cost1 and feasibility of    
establishing a data center and          
high-security cloud services facility1  
with independent power generation1 in   
the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands for
 military and national security         
communications2 and  7#h7 any other     
related matters the ,assistant          
,secretary determines are appropriate4  
7c7 ,form ,the report required by       
subsection 7a7 shall be submitted in    
unclassified form without any           
designation relating to dissemination   

control1 but may include a classified   
annex4  7d7 ,definitions ,in this       
section3 7#a7 ,assistant ,secretary ,the
 term ,assistant ,secretary means the   
,assistant ,secretary of ,commerce for  
,communications and ,information4  7#b7 
,not trusted ,the term not trusted      
means1 with respect to an entity1 that  
the entity is determined by the         
,assistant ,secretary to pose an        
unacceptable risk to the national       
security of the ,united ,states1 or the 
security and safety of ,united ,states  
persons1 based solely on one or more    
determination described under paragraphs
 7#a7 through 7#d7 of section #b7;c7 of 
the ,secure and ,trusted ,communications
 ,networks ,act of #bjai 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 
#afja7;c774  7#c7 ,trusted ,the term    
trusted means1 with respect to an       
entity1 that the ,assistant ,secretary  
has not determined that the entity is   
not trusted4