Assistance for science and technology cooperation; limitations

(a) Assistance for science and technology cooperation Chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 536. Assistance for science and technology cooperation (a) In general The President may furnish assistance under this part to countries and organizations, including national and regional institutions, to advance innovation, science, and technologies which advance scientific knowledge, enhance national security, support the commercial competitiveness of the United States. (b) Scope Assistance under this section may include financing for projects that demonstrate, deploy, and scale science and technology projects related to critical minerals and energy that result from cooperation, including— (1) advanced extraction technologies; (2) processing and refining technologies; (3) energy technologies; (4) materials science and mineral substitution; (5) recycling and recovery technologies; (6) advanced manufacturing integration; (7) data, mapping, and geological intelligence; (8) environmental and resource management technologies; (9) biotechnologies; (10) pilot and demonstration projects; (11) the development, construction, or operation of shared pilot or demonstration facilities in coordination with allied and partner countries; (12) activities that support the scale-up and commercialization of technologies, including engineering, testing, and integration into existing industrial systems; (13) partnerships with private sector entities to accelerate the transition from pilot and demonstration phases to full commercial deployment; and (14) other critical and emerging technologies, or industry enabling science and technology which pertain to critical mineral supply chains and that are central to the economic prosperity, national security, and global leadership of the United States. (c) Administration The President shall delegate responsibility for the implementation and management of assistance under this section to the Secretary of State. (d) Congressional notification Not later than 15 days before the date on which funds are obligated for assistance under this section, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a notification that includes the amount and nature of the proposed assistance in accordance with the annual report pursuant to section 634A.. (b) Authorization of transfers (1) In general The Secretary is authorized to make available, from amounts authorized to be appropriated under the heading National Security Investment Programs in Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs or Acts making appropriations for National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (including amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Economic Resilience Initiative), amounts for the purpose of establishing partnerships under the program with allied and partner countries to promote allied research, innovation, and rapid deployment of critical and emerging technologies in support of United States and allied economic and national security. (2) Consultation and notification The transfer authority provided by this subsection is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law, and is subject to the notification procedures under section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. (3) Limitations (A) Limitation relating to countries of concern The Secretary of State may not make transactions with countries of concern under this subsection. (B) Limitation relating to a country of concern entities The Secretary of State may not make transactions with or acquisitions of countries of concern entities under this subsection. (C) Limitation relating to the President and Vice President None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to carry out this subsection may be obligated or expended to provide any grant, contract, loan, other financial assistance, or acquisition to an entity in which the President, or an immediate family member (as such term is defined in section 1128(j) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–7(j))) of the President or Vice President holds, directly or indirectly, any ownership interest or serves in any managerial, officer, director, or board capacity.