,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cedg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ad1 
#bjbc,ms4 ,ernst 7for herself1 ,ms4     
,hirono1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 and  
,mr4 ,van ,hollen7 introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,foreign 
,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the  
,united ,states ,government to assist in
 the establishment of national security 
councils in specified countries4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,connecting ,oceania's ,nations with
 ,vanguard ,exercises and ,national     
,empowerment ,act of #bjbc or the       
,,convene ,act of #bjbc4  #b4           
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        
,appropriate committees of ,congress    
,the term appropriate committees of     
,congress means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on
 ,foreign ,relations1 the ,select       
,committee on ,intelligence1 the ,armed 
,services ,committee1 and the ,committee
 on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 and 

7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign         
,affairs1 the ,permanent ,select        
,committee on ,intelligence1 the ,armed 
,services ,committee1 and the ,committee
 on ,appropriations of the ,house of    
,representatives4  7#b7 ,national       
security council ,the term national     
security council means1 with respect to 
a specified country1 an                 
intergovernmental body under the        
jurisdiction of the freely elected      
government of the specified country that
 acts as the primary coordinating entity
 for security cooperation1 disaster     
response1 and the activities described  
in section #c7;e74  7#c7 ,specified     
country ,the term specified country     
means-- 7,a7 the ,federated ,states of  
,micronesia2  7,b7 the ,republic of the 
,marshall ,islands2 and  7,c7 the       
,republic of ,palau4  #c4 ,national     
security councils of specified countries
  7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of    
,state1 in consultation with other      
relevant ,federal departments and       

agencies1 as appropriate1 may consult   
and engage with each specified country  
to advise and provide assistance to a   
national security council 7including by 
developing a national security council1 
if appropriate71 or to identify a       
similar coordinating body for national  
security matters1 comprised of citizens 
of the specified country-- 7#a7 that    
enables the specified country-- 7,a7 to 
better coordinate with the ,united      
,states ,government1 including the      
,armed ,forces1 as appropriate2  7,b7 to
 increase cohesion on activities1       
including emergency humanitarian        
response1 law enforcement1 and maritime 
security activities2 and  7,c7 to       
provide trained professionals to serve  
as members of the committees of the     
specified country established under the 
applicable ,compact of ,free            
,association2 and  7#b7 for the purpose 
of enhancing resilience capabilities and
 protecting the people1 infrastructure1 
and territory of the specified country  

from malign actions4  7b7 ,composition  
,the ,secretary of ,state1 respecting   
the unique needs of each specified      
country1 may seek to ensure that the    
national security council1 or other     
identified coordinating body1 of the    
specified country is composed of        
sufficient staff and members to enable  
the activities described in subsection  
7e74  7c7 ,standards for equipment and  
services ,the ,secretary of ,state may  
work with the national security council1
 or other identified coordinating body1 
of each specified country to ensure     
that-- 7#a7 the equipment and services  
used by the national security council or
 other identified coordinating body are 
compliant with security standards so as 
to minimize the risk of cyberattacks or 
espionage2  7#b7 the national security  
council or other identified coordinating
 body takes all reasonable efforts not  
to procure or use systems1 equipment1 or
 software that originates from any      
entity identified under section #abfj;,h

 of the ,william ,m4 7,mac7 ,thornberry 
,national ,defense ,authorization ,act  
for ,fiscal ,year 7,public ,law         
#aaf-bhc2 #aj ,u4,s4,c4 #aac note72 and 
7#c7 to the extent practicable1 the     
equipment and services used by the      
national security council or other      
identified coordinating body are        
interoperable with the equipment and    
services used by the national security  
councils1 or other identified           
coordinating bodies1 of the other       
specified countries4  7d7 ,report on    
implementation  7#a7 ,in general ,not   
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 and annually
 thereafter for #b years1 the ,secretary
 of ,state shall submit to the          
appropriate committees of ,congress a   
report that includes-- 7,a7 an          
assessment as to whether a national     
security council or a similar formal    
coordinating body is helping or would   
help achieve the objectives described in
 subsection 7a7 at acceptable financial 

and opportunity cost2  7,b7 a           
description of all actions taken by the 
,united ,states ,government to assist in
 the identification or maintenance of a 
national security council1 or other     
identified coordinating body1 in each   
specified country2  7,c7 with respect to
 each specified country1 an assessment  
as to whether-- 7i7 the specified       
country has appropriately staffed its   
national security council or other      
identified coordinating body2 and  7ii7 
the extent to which the national        
security council1 or other identified   
coordinating body1 of the specified     
country is capable of carrying out the  
activities described in subsection 7e72 
7,d7 an assessment of-- 7i7 any         
challenge to cooperation and            
coordination with the national security 
council1 or other identified            
coordinating body1 of any specified     
country2  7ii7 current efforts by the   
,secretary of ,state to coordinate with 
the specified countries on the          

activities described in subsection 7e72 
and  7iii7 existing governmental        
entities within each specified country  
that are capable of supporting such     
activities2  7,e7 a description of any  
challenge with respect to-- 7i7 the     
implementation of the national security 
council1 or other identified            
coordinating body1 of any specified     
country2 and  7ii7 the implementation of
 subsections 7a7 through 7c72  7,f7 an  
assessment of any attempt or campaign by
 a malign actor to influence the        
political1 security1 or economic policy 
of a specified country1 a member of a   
national security council or other      
identified coordinating body1 or an     
immediate family member of such a       
member2 and  7,g7 any other matter the  
,secretary of ,state considers relevant4
  7#b7 ,form ,each report required by   
paragraph 7#a7 may be submitted in      
unclassified form and may include a     
classified annex4  7e7 ,activities      
described ,the activities described in  

this subsection are the following       
homeland security activities3 7#a7      
,coordination of-- 7,a7 the prosecution 
and investigation of transnational      
criminal enterprises2  7,b7 responses to
 national emergencies1 such as natural  
disasters2  7,c7 counterintelligence and
 counter- coercion responses to foreign 
threats2 and  7,d7 efforts to combat    
illegal1 unreported1 or unregulated     
fishing4  7#b7 ,coordination with       
,united ,states ,government officials on
 humanitarian response1 military        
exercises1 law enforcement1 and other   
issues of security concern4  7#c7       
,identification and development of an   
existing governmental entity to support 
homeland defense and civil support      
activities4