Bill Summary
The "Undersea Cable Control Act" aims to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent foreign adversaries from accessing goods and technologies that support undersea cable projects, which are critical for global telecommunications and internet infrastructure.
Key provisions of the Act include:
1. **Development of a Strategy**: The President, through the Secretary of Commerce and in coordination with the Secretary of State, is required to create a strategy that identifies necessary items for undersea cable projects and assesses the current export controls related to these items.
2. **Identification and Collaboration**: The strategy will detail the items needed for the construction and maintenance of undersea cables, as well as existing export controls. It also mandates collaboration with U.S. allies to establish unified export policies and includes measures to identify foreign entities that could pose security risks.
3. **Reporting Requirements**: The President must submit an initial strategy report within 180 days of enactment and continue to provide annual updates for three years, which will be accessible to the public.
4. **International Agreements**: Within one year, the President is to pursue agreements with allies to reinforce export controls and include penalties for noncompliance.
5. **Evaluation of Export Controls**: The Secretary of Commerce will assess the export of identified items to determine appropriate control levels, ensuring they align with U.S. national security interests.
Overall, this legislation seeks to safeguard U.S. technological infrastructure from potential threats posed by foreign adversaries by tightening control over critical resources related to undersea cables.
Possible Impacts
The "Undersea Cable Control Act" could affect people in various ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Increased Job Opportunities in Security and Compliance**: The implementation of this legislation may lead to the creation of jobs related to export controls, compliance monitoring, and national security assessments. As the government develops strategies and regulations to monitor and restrict the availability of items supporting undersea cables to foreign adversaries, there may be a demand for professionals in cybersecurity, international law, and regulatory compliance. This could lead to increased employment opportunities in related fields.
2. **Impact on Global Trade and Technology Access**: Individuals and businesses that rely on specific technologies or goods identified in the legislation may face restrictions on their access to these items. For instance, companies involved in undersea cable construction or maintenance may experience delays or increased costs if certain items are subject to stricter export controls. This could affect the availability of high-speed internet services, especially in regions reliant on undersea cables, potentially leading to slower internet speeds or increased costs for consumers.
3. **Changes in International Relations and Cooperation**: The Act emphasizes establishing agreements with allies and partners to control the availability of certain technologies. This could affect individuals engaged in international business or diplomacy, as new restrictions may alter the dynamics of trade relationships. For example, businesses operating in countries that are part of these agreements may need to adapt to new compliance requirements, and individuals involved in negotiations may experience shifts in their roles or responsibilities due to changing geopolitical landscapes.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2503 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2503
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 3, 2025
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking,
Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To require the development of a strategy to eliminate the availability
to foreign adversaries of goods and technologies capable of supporting
undersea cables, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Undersea Cable Control Act''.
SEC. 2. STRATEGY TO ELIMINATE THE AVAILABILITY TO FOREIGN ADVERSARIES
OF ITEMS REQUIRED FOR SUPPORTING UNDERSEA CABLES.
(a) In General.--The President, acting through the Secretary of
Commerce and in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall develop
a strategy to eliminate the availability to foreign adversaries of
items required for supporting undersea cables consistent with United
States policy described in section 1752 of the Export Control Reform
Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4811).
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The strategy required under subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) An identification of items required for supporting the
construction, maintenance, or operation of an undersea cable
project.
(2) An identification of United States and multilateral
export controls and licensing policies for items identified
pursuant to paragraph (1) with respect to foreign adversaries.
(3) An identification of United States allies and partners
that have a share of the global market with respect to the
items so identified, including a detailed description of the
availability of such items without restriction in sufficient
quantities and comparable in quality to those produced in the
United States.
(4) A description of ongoing negotiations with other
countries to achieve unified export controls and licensing
policies for items so identified to eliminate availability to
foreign adversaries.
(5) To the extent practicable, an identification of all
identified entities under the control, ownership, or influence
of a foreign adversary that support the construction,
operation, or maintenance of undersea cables.
(6) A description of efforts taken to promote United States
leadership at international standards-setting bodies for
equipment, systems, software, and virtually defined networks
relevant to undersea cables, taking into account the different
processes followed by such bodies.
(7) A description of the presence and activities of foreign
adversaries at international standards-setting bodies relevant
to undersea cables, including information on the differences in
the scope and scale of the engagement of foreign adversaries at
such bodies compared to engagement at such bodies by the United
States and its allies and partners, and the security risks
raised by the proposals of foreign adversaries at such bodies.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for 3 years,
the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report that contains the strategy required under
subsection (a).
(2) Form.--Each report required under this subsection
shall--
(A) be submitted in unclassified form, but may
contain a classified annex; and
(B) be made available on a publicly accessible
Federal Government website.
(d) Agreement.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall seek to--
(A) establish bilateral or multilateral agreements
with allies and partners identified pursuant to
subsection (b)(3) to seek to eliminate the availability
to foreign adversaries of items identified pursuant to
subsection (b)(1); and
(B) include in such agreements penalty provisions
for noncompliance.
(2) Briefings.--The President shall brief the congressional
committees specified in subsection (c)(1) on negotiations to
establish agreements described in paragraph (1) beginning not
later than 30 days after receipt of the report required under
subsection (a) and every 180 days thereafter until each such
agreement is established.
(e) Actions.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce shall evaluate
the export, reexport, and in-country transfer of the items
identified pursuant to subsection (b)(1) for appropriate
controls under the Export Administration Regulations, including
by evaluating, for each item so identified, whether to add the
technology to the Commerce Control List maintained under title
15, Code of Federal Regulations.
(2) Levels of control.--
(A) In general.--In determining the level of
control appropriate for items identified pursuant to
subsection (b)(1), including requirements for a license
or other authorization for the export, reexport, or in-
country transfer of any such technology, the Secretary
of Commerce (in coordination with the Secretary of
Defense, the Secretary of State, and the heads of other
Federal agencies, as appropriate) shall take into
account the potential end uses and end users of the
item.
(B) Statement of policy.--At a minimum, it is the
policy of the United States to work with its allies and
partners to control the export, reexport, or in-country
transfer of technologies identified pursuant to
subsection (b)(1) to or in a country subject to an
embargo, including an arms embargo, imposed by the
United States.
(3) Notification.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 years, the
President, acting through the Secretary of Commerce, shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees an
unclassified notification describing the results of actions
taken pursuant to this subsection in the preceding period,
including a description of--
(A) the individual items evaluated for controls;
and
(B) the rationale, including United States national
security and foreign policy considerations, for adding
or not adding an item to the Commerce Control List
maintained under title 15, Code of Federal Regulations,
pursuant to the evaluation under paragraph (1) with
respect to such item.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs of the Senate.
(2) Foreign adversary.--The term ``foreign adversary'' has
the meaning given such term in section 8(c) of the Secure and
Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C.
1607(c)).
(3) Item.--The term ``item'' has the meaning given such
term in the Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR 772.1).
Passed the House of Representatives September 2, 2025.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.