S.Amdt. 3461

This amendment aims to add a new section called the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative Act to bill S. 2296. Its purpose is to protect the undersea communication cables near Taiwan, which are viewed as critical infrastructure for national security, commerce, and global communication.

The amendment seeks to change the bill by adding the following:

• The Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative: This establishes a coordinated effort between the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Coast Guard to:

  • Deploy advanced monitoring and detection systems for real-time warnings of sabotage.
  • Create rapid response protocols and logistical capacity for repairing severed cables.
  • Improve maritime domain awareness through joint patrols and surveillance to detect suspicious vessels.
  • Create international cooperative frameworks for intelligence-sharing and joint drills.
  • Support the physical hardening of cables through reinforced materials and improved burial depths.

• Countering Gray Zone Tactics: It directs the President to work with Taiwan and international partners to increase diplomatic pressure on the Government of the People's Republic of China and raise global awareness regarding cable interference.

• Sanctions: It mandates that the President impose sanctions on any person of the People's Republic of China determined to be responsible for or complicit in damaging Taiwan's critical undersea cables. These sanctions include:

  • Blocking property and prohibiting transactions involving U.S. persons.
  • Making the individuals inadmissible to the United States and revoking their visas.

• Accountability: It requires the President to submit a report to Congress every 180 days detailing any incidents of interference in undersea cables near Taiwan and the actions taken in response.