50 U.S.C. § 3241: Biennial reports on foreign…

Summary

The Director of National Intelligence must send the congressional intelligence committees a full report every two years, ending 10 years after March 15, 2022, about how the intelligence community handles foreign biological threats that come from or are sponsored by a covered country. Each report must say what activities each intelligence element is doing, what duties they have, any gaps in activity or responsibility, how they coordinate with each other and with non-intelligence federal partners, an inventory of strategies/plans/policies/interagency agreements and any gaps, and an assessment of foreign malign influence efforts (including any foreign academics involved) and how the intelligence community helps other partners counter those efforts. The report may be classified, but must include an unclassified executive summary. Covered country: China; Iran; North Korea; Russia; or any other country the Director finds is a source of a biological threat or has a known history of, or conditions for, outbreaks or epidemics. Foreign biological threat: biological warfare, bioterrorism, natural infectious diseases, or accidental exposures to biological materials, regardless of origin. Foreign malign influence: as defined in section 3059(e) of this title. Non-intelligence community partner: a federal department or agency that is not part of the intelligence community.

Title 50, §3241

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(a)Reports

On a biennial basis until the date that is 10 years after March 15, 2022, the Director of National Intelligence shall submit to the congressional intelligence committees a comprehensive report on the activities, prioritization, and responsibilities of the intelligence community with respect to foreign biological threats emanating from the territory of, or sponsored by, a covered country.

(b)Matters included

Each report under subsection (a) shall include, with respect to foreign biological threats emanating from the territory of, or sponsored by, a covered country, the following:

(1)A detailed description of all activities relating to such threats undertaken by each element of the intelligence community, and an assessment of any gaps in such activities.

(2)A detailed description of all duties and responsibilities relating to such threats explicitly authorized or otherwise assigned, exclusively or jointly, to each element of the intelligence community, and an assessment of any identified gaps in such duties or responsibilities.

(3)A description of the coordination among the relevant elements of the intelligence community with respect to the activities specified in paragraph (1) and the duties and responsibilities specified in paragraph (2).

(4)An inventory of the strategies, plans, policies, and interagency agreements of the intelligence community relating to the collection, monitoring, analysis, mitigation, and attribution of such threats, and an assessment of any identified gaps therein.

(5)A description of the coordination and interactions among the relevant elements of the intelligence community and non-intelligence community partners.

(6)An assessment of foreign malign influence efforts relating to such threats, including any foreign academics engaged in such efforts, and a description of how the intelligence community contributes to efforts by non-intelligence community partners to counter such foreign malign influence.

(c)Form

Each report submitted under subsection (a) may be submitted in classified form, but if so submitted shall include an unclassified executive summary.

(d)Definitions

In this section: (1) Covered country

(2)Foreign biological threat

The term “foreign biological threat” means biological warfare, bioterrorism, naturally occurring infectious diseases, or accidental exposures to biological materials, without regard to whether the threat originates from a state actor, a non-state actor, natural conditions, or an undetermined source.

(3)Foreign malign influence

The term “foreign malign influence” has the meaning given such term in section 3059(e) of this title.

(4)Non-intelligence community partner

The term “non-intelligence community partner” means a Federal department or agency that is not an element of the intelligence community.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 3059(e) of this title, referred to in subsec. (d)(3), was redesignated as section 3059(f) of this title by Pub. L. 117–263, div. F, title LXIII, §6307(b)(1), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3505.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

First Report Pub. L. 117–103, div. X, title VIII, § 821(b), Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 1020, provided that: “Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Mar. 15, 2022], the Director of National Intelligence shall submit to the congressional intelligence committees the first report required under section 1111 of the National Security Act of 1947 [50 U.S.C. 3241], as added by subsection (a).” [For definition of “congressional intelligence committees” as used in section 821(b) of div. X of Pub. L. 117–103, set out above, see section 2 of div. X of Pub. L. 117–103, set out as a note under section 3003 of this title.]

§3241 Biennial Reports on Foreign Biological Threats