Sec. 239. National Defense Economic Competition Research Council
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Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a council to identify, evaluate, and coordinate existing research efforts, or propose new research topics, relating to economic competition activities, such as economic coercion, manipulation, or other uses of economic power to undermine the national defense strategy of the United States and the partners and allies of the United States. The council established pursuant to paragraph
(1)shall be known as the National Defense Economic Competition Research Council (in this section the Council ). Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a charter for the Council with a mission that includes the following: Conducting analysis of ongoing or proposed government and academic research relating to economic competition. Making proposals for new areas of research to increase understanding of adversarial uses of economic tools in support of military objectives to improve understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and defensive options to mitigate such threats and vulnerabilities. Informing the tools available to the Department of Defense to defend against such economic competition, coercion and manipulation activities, including the use of adversarial capital to acquire technology, real estate, or other infrastructure, or to preemptively deny access by the United States. Assess current data needs or shortfalls impairing understanding of threats and vulnerabilities relating to economic competition. Convene groups, which may include academic, United States Government, nonprofit, commercial, or other international partners, to better understand regional requirements or inform the understanding of regional partners on the threats and vulnerabilities relating to military objectives as a result of increasing economic competition. Such other activities as the Secretary deems appropriate. The co-chairs of the Council shall ensure that the Council includes participation from each of the following: The Office of Commercial and Economic Assessment. The Office of Expanded Competition. The Office of Strategic Capital. The Defense Innovation Unit. The Strategic Capabilities Office. The Joint Warfighting Analysis Center (JWAC). The Office of Global Economic and Investment Security under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. The Office of Naval Research, including ONR-Global. The Army Research Office. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The Strategic Intelligence and Analysis Cell under the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. The program office of the Minerva Research Initiative. Other relevant organizations as determined by the Secretary. The co-chairs of the Council shall be the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. The Council shall regularly solicit input from the Joint Staff and combatant commands on needs, problem statements, or other topics relating to economic competition activities described in subsection (a)(1) affecting their areas of responsibility.