[Pages S4208-S4209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

SA 2056. Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. Corker) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr.
McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to authorize appropriations for fiscal
year 2016 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of
Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year,
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:

At the end of title XII, add the following:

Subtitle H--Asia-Pacific Maritime Security

SEC. 1291. MARITIME SECURITY CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM.

(a) Program Authorized.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State is authorized,
using funds transferred pursuant to subsection (b), to
provide assistance for the purpose of increasing maritime
security and domain awareness for countries in the Asia-
Pacific region.
(2) Designation of assistance.--Assistance provided by the
Secretary under this section shall be known as the ``Maritime
Security Capacity Building Program'' (in this section
referred to as the ``Program'').
(3) Construction of limitations.--The Secretary may provide
assistance under this section without regard to any other
provision of law, other than section 620J of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2378d)).
(b) Transfer Authority.--The Secretary of Defense may
transfer, from amounts authorized to be appropriated for the
Department of Defense by this Act, $50,000,000 to the
Secretary of State for the Program. Any amount so transferred
shall be deposited in the ``Foreign Military Finance''
account for purposes of the Program.
(c) Eligible Countries.--In selecting countries in the
Asia-Pacific region to which assistance is to be provided
under the Program, the Secretary of State shall prioritize
the provision of assistance to countries that will contribute
to the achievement of following objectives:
(1) Retaining unhindered access to and use of international
waterways in the Asia-Pacific region that are critical to
ensuring the security and free flow of commerce and achieving
United States national security objectives.
(2) Improving maritime domain awareness in the Asia-Pacific
region.
(3) Countering piracy in the Asia-Pacific region.
(4) Disrupting illicit maritime trafficking activities and
other forms of maritime trafficking activity in the Asia-
Pacific that directly benefit organizations that have been
determined to be a security threat to the United States.
(5) Enhancing the maritime capabilities of a country or
regional organization to respond to emerging threats to
maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region.
(d) Priorities for Assistance.--In carrying out the purpose
of the Program, the Secretary of State--
(1) shall place priority on assistance to enhance the
maritime security capabilities of the military or security
forces of countries in the Asia-Pacific region that have
maritime missions and the government agencies responsible for
such forces; and
(2) may provide assistance to a country in the Asia-Pacific
region to enhance the capabilities of that country, or of a
regional organization that includes that country, to conduct
one or more of the following:
(A) Maritime intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance.
(B) Littoral and port security.
(C) Coast guard operations.
(D) Command and control.
(E) Management and oversight of maritime activities.
(e) Annual Report.--The Secretary of State shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress each year a report on
the status of the provision of equipment, training, supplies
or other services provided pursuant to the Program during the
preceding year.
(f) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(1) the Committee of Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate; and
(2) the Committee of Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.

SEC. 1292. REPORT ON PLANS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF FREEDOM OF
OPERATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS AND AIRSPACE
IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC MARITIME DOMAINS.

(a) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense
shall, with the concurrence with the Secretary of State,
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report (in
classified form) setting forth a plan, for each of the six-
month, one-year, and three-year periods beginning on the date
of such report, for Freedom of Navigation Assertions, Shows
of Force, bilateral and multilateral military exercises, Port
Calls, Training, and assistance intended to enhance the
maritime capabilities, respond to emerging threats, and
maintain freedom of operations in international waters and
airspace in the Asia-Pacific maritime domains.
(b) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(1) the Committee of Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate; and
(2) the Committee of Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.

[[Page S4209]]

SEC. 1293. SOUTH CHINA SEA INITIATIVE.

Notwithstanding any provision of section 1261, any
assistance provided pursuant to subparagraph (A) of
subsection (a)(1) of that section, or training provided
pursuant to subparagraph (B) of that subsection, shall be
provided in manner consistent with current law.
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