Sec. 125. Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership
486 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/s/4629/is/section-125·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Energy, submit to Congress a whole-of-government strategy (to be known as the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership ) and implementation plan to leverage United States expertise to help governments of foreign countries— develop and secure digital infrastructure in those countries; protect technological assets, including data; and advance cybersecurity and interoperability to protect against cybercrime and cyberespionage. The strategy required by subsection
(a)shall address— developing interoperable frameworks that allow for the free flow of data and information, without unnecessarily restrictive requirements for data localization and cross-border data flow, and that respect individual liberties, privacy, and human rights; ensuring that the products and services necessary for the functioning of the digital economy are not subject to the control of an authoritarian government; establishing standards to ensure equipment and software companies have transparent corporate ownership and are financed transparently for the purposes of procurement, investment, and contracting; improving cybersecurity capabilities to mitigate vulnerabilities in a more complex and dynamic threat environment; and developing best practices for financing and deploying telecommunications networks to ensure long-term solvency of market players. In developing the strategy required by subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall consult with— leaders of the United States industry; other relevant technology experts; representatives from relevant United States Government agencies; and representatives from like-minded allies and partners. The Secretary of State shall carry out a program, to be known as the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership Fund , under which the Secretary awards grants to entities to carry out digital infrastructure projects in foreign countries designed to achieve the goals described in subsection (a). The Secretary shall award grants under the program required by this subsection to the entities that submit proposals to the Secretary for digital infrastructure projects that the Secretary determines— meet the requirements established pursuant to paragraph (3)(D); and will have the greatest impact in meeting such requirements for the least cost. In carrying out the program required by this subsection, the Secretary shall develop— the policy goals of projects for which grants will be awarded under the program; procedures for selecting such projects and distributing such grants; a method of maximizing the number of entities competing for such grants; and requirements for proposals for such projects, including— minimum technical and financial requirements; and regulatory requirements. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State shall provide to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a briefing on the implementation of the strategy required by subsection (a). There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.