,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ddfa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #cj1    
#bjbf,mr4 ,cotton introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend chapter
 #cg of title #ah1 ,united ,states      
,code1 to improve the prohibition on    
espionage4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,visual ,protection 
of ,strategic ,assets ,act4  #b4        
,improvements to the prohibition on     
espionage  7a7 ,gathering1 transmitting1
 or losing defense information ,section 
#gic of title #ah1 ,united ,states      
,code1 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  7i7 7#a7 ,in this       
subsection-- 7,a7 the term country of   
concern means-- 7i7 the ,democratic     
,people's ,republic of ,korea2  7ii7 the
 ,people's ,republic of ,china2  7iii7  
the ,russian ,federation2 and  7iv7 the 
,islamic ,republic of ,iran2  7,b7 the  
term covered person means-- 7i7 a       

citizen or national of a country of     
concern2 or  7ii7 a person acting on    
behalf of a citizen or national of a    
country of concern2  7,c7 the term      
high-value asset means an asset included
 on the list maintained under paragraph 
7#c72 and  7,d7 the term tier-#a        
installation means a military           
installation designated as a tier-#a    
installation by the ,secretary of       
,defense under paragraph 7#d74  7#b7    
7,a7 ,for purposes of this section1     
there shall be a rebuttable presumption 
that a covered person who photographs1  
videos1 or tracks a high-value asset or 
tier-#a installation photographed1      
videoed1 or tracked the high-value asset
 or tier-#a installation with intent or 
reason to believe the information would 
injure the ,united ,states or advantage 
a foreign nation4  7,b7 ,a covered      
person may rebut the presumption under  
subparagraph 7,a7 by demonstrating1 by  
clear and convincing evidence1 that the 
covered person photographed1 videoed1 or

 tracked the high-value asset or tier-#a
 installation with prior approval from  
the ,secretary of ,defense4  7#c7 ,the  
,secretary of ,defense shall maintain a 
list of high-value assets of the        
,department of ,defense1 which shall    
include-- 7,a7 the ,boeing ,e-#d;,b     
,nightwatch aircraft2  7,b7 the ,boeing 
,,rc-#ace aircraft2  7,c7 the ,northrop 
,b-#b ,spirit aircraft2  7,d7 the       
,rockwell ,b-#a ,lancer aircraft2 and   
7,e7 any nuclear command platform4  7#d7
 ,the ,secretary of ,defense1 in        
consultation with the ,chairman of the  
,joint ,chiefs of ,staff and the        
,secretaries of the military            
departments1 shall designate as a       
tier-#a installation each military      
installation that--  7,a7 houses1       
supports1 or serves as a primary        
operating location for #a or more       
high-value assets2 or  7,b7 is critical 
to the execution of national strategic  
missions1 including nuclear deterrence1 
global strike1 or strategic intelligence

 collection4  7#e7 ,the ,secretary of   
,defense shall-- 7,a7 not less          
frequently than annually1 make publicly 
available an updated list of high-value 
assets and tier-#a installations2 and   
7,b7 install signs and other markers--  
7i7 identifying high-value assets and   
tier-#a installations2 and  7ii7 stating
 that photography and other surveillance
 of the high-value assets and tier-#a   
installations are strictly prohibited4  
4  7b7 ,modernizing and strengthening   
the prohibition on photographing and    
sketching defense installations  7#a7   
,in general ,section #gie of title #ah1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7,a7
 in subsection 7a71 by striking         
photograph1 and inserting photograph    
7including a digital photograph71 video 
7including the transmission of video    
content over the internet               
contemporaneously with1 or nearly       
contemporaneously with1 the capturing of
 the video content71 visual depiction   
enhanced using artificial intelligence  

7as defined in section #ejjb of the     
,national ,artificial ,intelligence     
,initiative ,act of #bjbj 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4
 #idja7712 and  7,b7 by striking        
subsection 7b7 and inserting the        
following3  7b7 7#a7 ,in this           
subsection1 the terms country of        
concern1 high-value asset1 and tier-#a  
installation have the meanings given    
such terms in section #gic7;i77#a74     
7#b7 ,whoever violates this section--   
7,a7 shall be fined under this title1   
imprisoned for not more than #a year1 or
 both2  7,b7 if the violation involved a
 high-value asset or a tier-#a          
installation1 shall be fined under this 
title1 imprisoned for not more than #g  
years1 or both2 or  7,c7 if the         
defendant is a citizen or national of a 
country of concern1 shall be fined under
 this title1 imprisoned for not less    
than #e years and not more than #aj     
years1 or both4  7c7 ,any person who    
violates this section shall-- 7#a7      
forfeit to the ,united ,states1         

irrespective of any provision of ,state 
law1 any electronic or other device used
 in the commission of the violation2 and
  7#b7 be subject to a civil penalty of 
not more than #ajj1jjj4  4  7#b7 ,visa  
revocation ,any citizen or national of a
 country of concern 7as defined in      
section #gic7;i77#a7 of title #ah1      
,united ,states ,code71 as added by     
subsection 7a71 who has been convicted  
of a violation described in section #gie
 of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 as
 amended by paragraph 7#a71 shall-- 7,a7
 have his or her visa revoked1 in       
accordance with section #bba7;i7 of the 
,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h  
,u4,s4,c4 #abja7;i772 and  7,b7 shall be
 placed in removal proceedings1 in      
accordance with sections #bci and #bdj  
of such ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abbi and    
#abbi;a74