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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9235 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9235
To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study and submit to
Congress a report on strategic ports, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2024
Mr. Wittman (for himself, Mr. Gimenez, and Mr. Auchincloss) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study and submit to
Congress a report on strategic ports, 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 ``Strategic Ports Reporting Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STUDY AND REPORT ON STRATEGIC PORTS.
(a) Study Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study
of--
(1) strategic ports;
(2) the reasons such ports are of interest to the United
States;
(3) the activities and plans of the Government of the
People's Republic of China to expand its control over strategic
ports outside of the People's Republic of China;
(4) the public and private actors, such as China Ocean
Shipping Company, that are executing and supporting the
activities and plans of the Government of the People's Republic
of China to expand its control over strategic ports outside of
the People's Republic of China;
(5) the activities and plans of the Government of the
People's Republic of China to expand its control over maritime
logistics by promoting products, such as LOGINK, and setting
industry standards outside the People's Republic of China;
(6) how the control by the Government of the People's
Republic of China over strategic ports outside of the People's
Republic of China could harm the national security or economic
interests of the United States and allies and partners of the
United States; and
(7) measures the United States Government could take to
ensure open access and security for strategic ports.
(b) Conduct of Study.--The Secretary of Defense may enter into an
arrangement with a federally funded research and development center
under which the center shall conduct the study required under
subsection (a).
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on
the findings of the study conducted under subsection (a).
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) a detailed list of all known strategic ports
operated, controlled, or owned, directly or indirectly,
by the People's Republic of China and an assessment of
the national security and economic interests relevant
to each such port;
(B) a detailed list of all known strategic ports
operated, controlled, or owned, directly or indirectly,
by the United States and an assessment of the national
security and economic interests relevant to each such
port;
(C) an assessment of vulnerabilities of--
(i) ports operated, controlled, or owned,
directly or indirectly, by the United States;
and
(ii) strategic ports;
(D) an analysis of the activities and actions of
the Government of the People's Republic of China to
gain control or ownership over strategic ports,
including promoting products, such as LOGINK, and
setting industry standards;
(E) an assessment of how the Government of the
People's Republic of China plans to expand its control
over strategic ports outside of the People's Republic
of China;
(F) a suggested strategy, developed in consultation
with the heads of the relevant United States Government
offices, that suggests courses of action to secure
trusted investment and ownership of strategic ports and
maritime infrastructure, to protect such ports and
infrastructure from the control of the Government of
the People's Republic of China, and to ensure open
access and security for such ports, that includes--
(i) a list of relevant existing authorities
that can be used to carry out the strategy;
(ii) a list of any additional authorities
necessary to carry out the strategy;
(iii) an assessment of products owned by
the Government of the People's Republic of
China or an entity affiliated with such
government that are used in connection with
strategic ports or maritime infrastructure;
(iv) an assessment of costs to secure
trusted investment and ownership of strategic
ports and replace products owned by the
Government of the People's Republic of China or
an entity affiliated with such government that
are used in connection with such ports; and
(v) a list of funding sources to secure
trusted investment and ownership of strategic
ports, which shall include--
(I) an identification of private
funding sources; and
(II) an identification of public
funding sources, including loans, loan
guarantees, and tax incentives; and
(G) a suggested strategy for Federal agencies to
maintain an up-to-date list of strategic ports.
(3) Form of report.--The report required by paragraph (1)
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified annex.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, the Committee on Armed Services, and
the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, the Committee on Energy and Commerce,
the Committee on Armed Services, and the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives.
(2) The term ``relevant United States Government offices''
means--
(A) the Unified Combatant Commands;
(B) the Office of the Secretary of Defense;
(C) the United States International Development
Finance Corporation;
(D) the Export-Import Bank of the United States;
(E) the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence; and
(F) the Maritime Administration of the Department
of Transportation.
(3) The term ``strategic port'' means an international port
or waterway that the heads of the relevant United States
Government offices determine is critical to the national
security or economic prosperity of the United States.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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