S.Amdt. 3622

SA 3622, submitted by Mr. Risch, aims to add Section 1256 to bill S. 2296. The purpose of this amendment is to address threats from unmanned aerial systems (drones) by establishing a framework for cooperation with specific partners.

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

• Sense of Congress: It expresses that the U.S. condemns the January 28, 2024, drone attack on Tower 22 in Jordan and identifies low-cost armed unmanned aerial systems as a dangerous asymmetric threat from Iranian-aligned militias. It states that the U.S. should improve cooperation with partners to disrupt procurement networks used by Iranian proxies and that joint research and development will serve national security interests.

• Presidential Authority: The amendment authorizes the President to enter into cooperative project agreements with Israel, Jordan, and countries on the Arabian Peninsula (defined as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen). These agreements are for the research, development, testing, evaluation, and joint production of defense articles and services to detect, track, and destroy armed unmanned aerial systems.

• Requirements and Restrictions: Any agreements must be defensive in nature, establish a framework for intellectual property rights, and follow applicable requirements of the Arms Export Control Act.

• Clarification on Force: The text explicitly states that nothing in this section can be interpreted as an authorization for the use of military force.