S.Amdt. 3112

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Schumer and Mr. Rounds, aims to add a new subtitle called Robot Security to bill S. 2296. Its purpose is to stop the government from buying or using certain ground-based robotic systems from specific foreign countries and entities.

The amendment focuses on the following changes:

• Procurement and Operation Bans: It prohibits the heads of executive agencies from buying, operating, or using federal funds for covered unmanned ground vehicle systems (which include things like humanoid robots, mobile robotics, and remote surveillance vehicles) that are made or assembled by a covered foreign entity.

• Covered Entities: A covered foreign country is defined as the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. A covered foreign entity is an entity based in those countries or controlled by their governments.

• Specific Exemptions: The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General can bypass these rules if it is in the national interest. These exemptions are limited to:

  • Research, testing, or analysis for cybersecurity and electronic or information warfare.
  • Counterintelligence, counterterrorism, protective missions, or criminal and national security investigations.
  • Systems that are modified so they can no longer download or transfer data to a covered foreign entity and are determined to pose no cybersecurity risks.