S.Amdt. 6199

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Warnock and Mr. Kennedy, aims to add a new section to bill S. 4784. Its purpose is to require an assessment of a trans-Atlantic submarine fiber optic cable.

The amendment would change the bill by adding the following requirements:

• The Report: The Director of the Trade and Development Agency must submit a report to specific congressional committees within one year of the Act's enactment. This report must assess the cost, value, and feasibility of a fiber optic cable connecting the contiguous United States and Western Africa, and potentially the United States Virgin Islands, to improve U.S. national security.

• What is Assessed: The report must look at:

  • Digital security, national security, and economic opportunities.
  • Current telecommunications security between the contiguous U.S. and Africa.
  • Advantages of working with trusted entities (those not determined to pose an unacceptable risk to national security) for deployment.
  • Opportunities to increase investments in the U.S. economy.
  • The current state of submarine fiber optic cables linked to U.S. infrastructure.

• Rules for the Director: The Director cannot force any entity to provide data for the report. The final report must be unclassified, though it can have a classified annex.