Sec. 208. Technology partnership office at the Department of State
949 words·~4 min read·
/bill/117/s/1169/is/section-208A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It shall be the policy of the United States to lead new technology policy partnerships focused on the shared interests of the world’s technology-leading democracies. The Secretary of State shall establish an interagency-staffed Technology Partnership Office (referred to in this section as the Office ), which shall be housed in the Department of State. The Office shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Technology, who shall— be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; have the rank and status of ambassador; and report to the Secretary of State, unless otherwise directed.
The Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Treasury shall each appoint, from within their respective departments at the level of GS–14 or higher, liaisons between the Office and the Department of Commerce or the Department of the Treasury, as applicable, to perform the following duties: Collaborate with the Department of State on relevant technology initiatives and partnerships. Provide technical and other relevant expertise to the Office, as appropriate. In addition to the liaisons referred to in subsection (c), the Office shall include a representative or expert detailee from key Federal agencies, as determined by the Ambassador-at-Large for Technology.
The purposes of the Office shall include responsibilities such as— creating, overseeing, and carrying out technology partnerships with countries and relevant political and economic unions that are committed to— the rule of law, freedom of speech, and respect for an promotion of human rights; the safe and responsible development and use of new and emerging technologies and the establishment of related norms and standards; a secure internet architecture governed by a multi-stakeholder model instead of centralized government control; robust international cooperation to promote an open internet and interoperable technological products and services that are necessary to freedom, innovation, transparency, and privacy; and multilateral coordination, including through diplomatic initiatives, information sharing, and other activities, to defend the principles described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(C)against efforts by state and non-state actors to undermine them; harmonizing technology governance regimes with partners, coordinating on basic and pre-competitive research and development initiatives, and collaborating to pursue such opportunities in key technologies, including— artificial intelligence and machine learning; 5G telecommunications and other advanced wireless networking technologies; semiconductor manufacturing; biotechnology; quantum computing; surveillance technologies, including facial recognition technologies and censorship software; and fiber optic cables; coordinating with such countries regarding shared technology strategies, including technology controls and standards, as well as strategies with respect to the development and acquisition of key technologies to provide alternatives for those countries utilizing systems supported by authoritarian regimes; supporting and expanding adherence to international treaties and frameworks governing the responsible use of new and emerging technologies; coordinating the adoption of shared data privacy, data sharing, and data archiving standards among the United States and partner countries and relevant economic and political unions, including complementary data protection regulations; coordinating with other technology partners on export control policies, including as appropriate through the Wassenaar Arrangement On Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies, done at The Hague December 1995, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group, and the Missile Technology Control Regime; supply chain security; and investment in or licensing of critical infrastructure and dual-use technologies; coordinating with members of technology partnerships on other policies for the use and control of emerging and foundational technologies through appropriate restrictions, investment screening, and appropriate measures with respect to technology transfers; coordinating policies, in coordination with the Department of Commerce, around the resiliency of supply chains in critical technology areas and explore possible diversification of supply chain components to countries involved in technology partnerships with the United States, while also maintaining transparency surrounding subsidies and product origins; sharing information regarding the technology transfer threat posed by authoritarian governments and the ways in which autocratic regimes are utilizing technology to erode individual freedoms and other foundations of open, democratic societies; administering the establishment of— the common funding mechanism for development and adoption of measurably secure semiconductors and measurably secure semiconductors supply chains created in and in accordance with the requirements of section 9905 of the William M.
(Mac)Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 ( Public Law 116–283 ); and the multilateral telecommunications security fund created in and in accordance with the requirements of section 9202 of such Act; and collaborating with private companies, trade associations, and think tanks to realize the purposes of paragraphs
(1)through (10). The Secretary of State may— appoint employees without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, regarding appointments in the competitive service; and fix the basic compensation of such employees without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title regarding classification and General Schedule pay rates. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the next three years, the Secretary of State shall submit an unclassified report to the appropriate congressional committees, with a classified index, if necessary, about the activities of the Office, including any cooperative initiatives and partnerships pursued with United States allies and partners, and the results of those activities, initiatives, and partnerships. It is the sense of Congress that the Ambassador-at-Large for Technology should seek to establish an International Technology Partnership for the purposes described in this section with foreign countries that have— democratic national government and a strong commitment to democratic values, including an adherence to the rule of law, freedom of speech, and respect for and promotion of human rights; an economy with advanced technology sectors; and a demonstrated record of trust or an expressed interest in international cooperation and coordination with the United States on important defense and intelligence issues.
Connectionstraces to 1
Traces to 1 document
Citation graph
cites case law
Sec. 208
Technology partnership office at the Department of State
Cites 1Cited by 0 across 0 sources