DHS Trade and Economic Security Council Act of 2022

DHS Trade and Economic Security Council Act of 2022

This bill establishes an advisory council within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and sets out other efforts to address economic security and trade, as such matters relate to DHS's mission.

Specifically, DHS must establish the DHS Trade and Economic Security Council, comprised of component heads or their designees, to advise on economic security concerns, such as identification of concentrated risks and priorities for protecting the nation's economic security.

Additionally, the bill provides statutory authority for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security and specifies its functions and duties. These include, among other responsibilities, coordination of supply chain policy.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4243 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4243

  To establish the Department of Homeland Security Trade and Economic 
Security Council and the position of Assistant Secretary for Trade and 
 Economic Security within the Department of Homeland Security, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 18 (legislative day, May 17), 2022

Mr. Portman (for himself, Mr. Peters, and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
               Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the Department of Homeland Security Trade and Economic 
Security Council and the position of Assistant Secretary for Trade and 
 Economic Security within the Department of Homeland Security, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Trade and Economic Security 
Council Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. DHS TRADE AND ECONOMIC SECURITY COUNCIL.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the DHS Trade and 
        Economic Security Council established under subsection (b).
            (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' refers to the 
        Department of Homeland Security.
            (3) Economic security.--The term ``economic security'' 
        means the condition of having secure and resilient domestic 
        production capacity combined with reliable access to the global 
        resources necessary to maintain an acceptable standard of 
        living and protect core national values.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Department of Homeland Security.
    (b) DHS Trade and Economic Security Council.--In accordance with 
the mission of the Department under section 101(b) of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 111(b)), and in particular paragraph 
(1)(F) of that subsection, the Secretary shall establish a standing 
council of component heads or their designees within the Department 
known as the ``DHS Trade and Economic Security Council''.
    (c) Duties of the Council.--Pursuant to the scope of the 
Department's mission as described in subsection (b), the Council shall 
provide to the Secretary advice and recommendations on matters of trade 
and economic security, including--
            (1) identifying concentrated risks for trade and economic 
        security;
            (2) setting priorities for securing the trade and economic 
        security of the United States;
            (3) coordinating Department-wide activity on trade and 
        economic security matters;
            (4) with respect to the development of the President's 
        continuity of the economy plan under section 9603 of the 
        William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act 
        of Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283);
            (5) proposing statutory and regulatory changes impacting 
        trade and economic security; and
            (6) any other matters the Secretary considers appropriate.
    (d) Chair and Vice Chair.--The Assistant Secretary for Trade and 
Economic Security of the Department--
            (1) shall serve as Chair of the Council; and
            (2) may designate a Council member as a Vice Chair.
    (e) Meetings.--The Council shall meet not less frequently than 
quarterly, as well as--
            (1) at the call of the Chair; or
            (2) at the direction of the Secretary.
    (f) Briefings.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act and every 6 months thereafter for 4 years, the Council 
shall brief the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives on the actions and activities of the Council.

SEC. 3. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND ECONOMIC SECURITY.

    Section 709 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 349) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(g) Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security.--
            ``(1) In general.--There is established within the Office 
        of Strategy, Policy, and Plans an Assistant Secretary for Trade 
        and Economic Security.
            ``(2) Duties.--The Assistant Secretary for Trade and 
        Economic Security shall be responsible for policy formulation 
        regarding matters relating to economic security and trade, as 
        such matters relate to the mission and the operations of the 
        Department.
            ``(3) Additional responsibilities.--In addition to the 
        duties specified in paragraph (2), the Assistant Secretary for 
        Trade and Economic Security shall--
                    ``(A) oversee--
                            ``(i) coordination of supply chain policy; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) assessments and reports to Congress 
                        related to critical economic security domains;
                    ``(B) serve as the designee of the Secretary for 
                the purposes of representing the Department on the 
                Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, 
                and the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign 
                Participation in the United States Telecommunications 
                Services Sector;
                    ``(C) coordinate with stakeholders in other Federal 
                departments and agencies and non-governmental entities 
                with trade and economic security interests, 
                authorities, and responsibilities; and
                    ``(D) perform such additional duties as the 
                Secretary or the Under Secretary of Strategy, Policy, 
                and Plans may prescribe.
            ``(4) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Critical economic security domain.--The term 
                `critical economic security domain' means any 
                infrastructure, industry, technology, or intellectual 
                property (or combination thereof) that is essential for 
                the economic security of the United States.
                    ``(B) Economic security.--The term `economic 
                security' has the meaning given that term in section 
                890B(c)(2).''.
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