Sec. 1284. Report on Department of Defense role in supporting international legal operations
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/bill/118/s/4638/rs/section-1284·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 Defense, in consultation with the head of any other relevant Federal department or agency, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the role of the Department of Defense in supporting whole-of-government efforts to identify and expose the international legal operations of malign actors. The report required by subsection
(a)shall include the following: A definition of the term international legal operations and a description of the scope of application and usefulness of international legal operations in all phases of military conflict. An assessment of the threats posed to the United States and its allies and partners by hostile, gray-zone, or subconflict international legal operations waged by United States strategic competitors and potential adversaries, including the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and Iran. An assessment of, and a description of lessons learned from, the international legal operations (or similar strategies or doctrines) and related coordinating offices and entities of— strategic competitors and potential adversaries of the United States; the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and allies and partners of the United States. A summary of current Department of Defense activities to support interdepartmental or interagency initiatives of the United States Government applicable to international legal operations, and the costs and benefits of such initiatives. An assessment of each public affairs officer program of the Armed Forces relating to engaging in and defending against international legal operations, including an assessment as to whether such program is— being effectively used to counter disinformation stemming from adversary legal claims and other forms of disinformation; coordinating effectively with the Global Engagement Center of the Department of State to coordinate and amplify United States public messaging efforts; and coordinating with judge advocates of the Armed Forces on public messaging relating to the performance of their duties. Recommendations for improving coordination between the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies on the use of legal tools to achieve national strategic objectives. Such recommendations shall take into consideration areas of law in which it may be advisable to develop standard practices for the Department of Defense to support national security-sensitive litigation, particularly in the maritime domain. Recommendations on the manner in which the Secretary of Defense may best support whole-of-government efforts to counter hostile international legal operations and conduct international legal operations, including through public messaging. The report required by subsection
(a)shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. In this section, the term appropriate committees of Congress means— the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.