Sec. 176. Office of the Special Envoy For Critical and Emerging Technology
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The Secretary shall establish an Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology (referred to in this section as the Office ), which may be located within the Bureau for Cyberspace and Digital Policy. The Office shall be headed by a Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging 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 Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy.
The Office may include representatives or expert detailees from other key Federal agencies or research and technology-focused fellowship programs, as determined by the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology and with the consent of the Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, in coordination with relevant Department stakeholders and appropriate senior officials of the Department of State and such agencies. The purposes of the Office are to assist the Secretary of State in the coordination of Department and interagency action in support of the functions described in subsection (e).
The Secretary of State shall— establish, in coordination with relevant bureaus, offices and other Federal agencies, an interagency security review process for proposals regarding United States Government-funded international collaboration on certain critical and emerging technologies and associated research; establish and coordinate an interagency strategy to facilitate international cooperation with United States allies and partners regarding the development, use, and deployment of certain critical and emerging technologies and associated standards and safeguards for research security, intellectual property protection, and illicit knowledge transfer; facilitate technology partnerships with countries and relevant political and economic unions that are committed to— the rule of law and respect for human rights, including freedom of speech, and expression; the safe and responsible development and use of certain critical and emerging technologies and the establishment of related norms and standards, including for research security and the protection of sensitive data and technology; a secure internet architecture governed by a multi-stakeholder model instead of centralized government control; robust international cooperation to promote open and interoperable technological products and services that are necessary to freedom, innovation, transparency, and privacy; and strengthening multilateral coordination on certain critical and emerging technologies, as defined in subsection (f), in coordination with relevant Department stakeholders and bureaus, including through diplomatic initiatives, information sharing, and other activities, to defend the principles described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(D)against efforts by state and non-state actors to undermine them; support efforts to harmonize critical and emerging technology governance regimes with partners, coordinating on basic and pre-competitive research and development initiatives, and collaborating to pursue such opportunities in certain critical and emerging technologies; coordinate with other technology partners on export control policies for certain critical and emerging technologies, as defined in subsection (g), including countering illicit knowledge and data transfer related to certain critical and emerging technologies research and use; conduct or support diplomatic engagement, in coordination with other relevant Department stakeholders and bureaus, offices, and relevant Federal departments and agencies, with allies and partners to develop standards and coordinate policies designed to counter illicit knowledge and data transfer in academia related to certain critical and emerging technology research; coordinate with allies, partners, and other relevant Federal agencies, with the concurrence of other relevant Department stakeholders and bureaus, to prevent the exploitation of research partnerships related to certain critical and emerging technologies; share information regarding the threat posed by the transfer of certain critical and emerging technologies to authoritarian governments, including the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation, and the ways in which autocratic regimes are utilizing technology to erode individual freedoms and other foundations of open, democratic societies; and collaborate with private companies, trade associations, and think tanks to realize the purposes described in paragraphs
(1)through (8), in coordination with relevant Department stakeholders and bureaus. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the following 3 years, the Secretary, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an unclassified report, with a classified index, if necessary, regarding— the activities of the Office related to paragraphs
(1)through
(9)of subsection (e), including any cooperative initiatives and partnerships pursued with United States allies and partners, and the results of such activities, initiatives, and partnerships; the activities of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and the Russian Federation in sectors related to certain critical and emerging technologies and the threats they pose to the United States; and an inventory of all international research and development programs for certain critical and emerging technologies funded by the Department or USAID that include participation by institutions or organizations that are affiliated with, or receive support from, the Government of the People’s Republic of China or the Government of the Russian Federation. In this section, the term certain critical and emerging technologies means technologies determined by the Secretary from the critical and emerging technologies list published by the National Science and Technology Council
(NSTC)at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, as amended by subsequent updates to the list issued by the NSTC.