§427 Conflict Records Research Center

Summary

The Secretary of Defense can create a center called the Conflict Records Research Center. The center must build a digital research database of captured records (with translations) and support research and analysis of materials taken from countries, groups, or people that were hostile to the United States. It must protect national security information, personal data, and intelligence methods while making a large portion of records available to researchers as soon as it can without harming innocent people or academic integrity. The center will do and share research to help understand international relations, counterterrorism, and different kinds of warfare. It will work with scholars and national security communities at home and abroad on research, conferences, and other exchanges. When that work involves outside national security or intelligence groups, the Secretary should get the agreement of the Director of National Intelligence. Other U.S. agencies may give staff, services, or money to support the center. The Secretary may accept gifts or donations from state or foreign governments, foundations, or private groups, unless a gift would harm fairness or program integrity; the Secretary must write rules to decide this. Money given to the center goes into the Department of Defense account for the center and stays available until spent. Definitions: “captured record” means material taken during combat from hostile sources; “gift or donation” means money, materials, property, or services.