Overview
Title
An Act To establish a critical supply chain resiliency and crisis response program in the Department of Commerce, and to secure American leadership in deploying emerging technologies, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
The bill is like a big plan to help America make and get important things like toys and tools safely, even when there are big problems like storms or computer troubles. It wants to make sure that these important things are made more in America and not just depend on other countries.
Summary AI
H.R. 6571, known as the "Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2023," aims to strengthen the United States' supply chains and prepare for any disruptions, like natural disasters or cyber attacks. The bill sets up a program in the Department of Commerce to monitor supply chains and work with partner nations to ensure the steady flow of critical goods and technologies. It gives the Assistant Secretary new responsibilities to promote U.S. leadership in industries critical to national security and economic stability, and to encourage domestic manufacturing and job creation. Furthermore, the bill emphasizes the use of emerging technologies to secure and track critical goods through the supply chain.
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AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
The proposed legislation, titled the "Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2023," aims to bolster the resilience and security of critical supply chains in the United States. The bill seeks to establish a program within the Department of Commerce that focuses on critical supply chain resiliency and crisis response, especially concerning emerging technologies. It outlines new responsibilities for the Assistant Secretary of Commerce, encourages innovation and best practices, and requires a report assessing the Department of Commerce's capabilities related to supply chains. The bill emphasizes the need for collaboration with industry, domestic manufacturers, and international partners to address vulnerabilities and enhance supply chain security.
Summary of Significant Issues
A number of issues arise from the proposed bill that merit consideration:
Ambiguity in Responsibilities and Designations: The bill provides broad responsibilities for the Assistant Secretary of Commerce, which could lead to challenges including inefficient use of resources and potential overlap with existing federal agencies. Similarly, terms such as "critical goods" and "critical industries" are not clearly defined, which could result in ambiguities and arbitrary decision-making.
Financial Concerns: The lack of specific budgetary details throughout the bill raises questions regarding financial accountability. Without clear funding structures and accountability measures, there is a risk of wasteful spending.
Potential Trade Tensions: Parts of the bill aim to reduce reliance on critical goods from certain foreign countries, a move that could lead to strained international relations and trade tensions.
Transparency and Oversight Issues: Provisions that protect voluntarily submitted information could limit transparency and accountability, favoring organizations that have the resources to extensively engage in these processes.
Ethical and Interpretation Concerns: Heavy reliance on private sector involvement without specified conflict of interest management protocols introduces ethical concerns. Additionally, reliance on external legal references for definitions introduces risks of misinterpretation, especially if those laws are amended.
Impact on the Public
For the general public, the intent of the bill to secure supply chains could result in more stable access to essential goods and technologies, particularly in times of crisis such as natural disasters or pandemics. However, ambiguous terms and a lack of financial specificity might lead to inefficiencies that prevent the full realization of these benefits. Moreover, any resultant trade tensions could influence the availability and prices of imported goods, impacting consumers.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Domestic Manufacturers and Industries: This group stands to benefit from a strengthened focus on domestic supply chains and potential incentives to reduce reliance on foreign goods, potentially leading to more local job creation and economic growth. However, inconsistencies in how "critical goods" and "critical industries" are designated may impact who benefits the most.
Federal Agencies and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce: While the new responsibilities could lead to enhanced collaboration and strategy development, they may also lead to budgetary and operational challenges due to broad and overlapping mandates.
International Partners: The bill's emphasis on collaboration with ally and partner nations suggests positive engagement opportunities. However, reducing reliance on goods from certain countries could have diplomatic repercussions, affecting international cooperation.
Private Sector: With a focus on collaboration with private entities, the bill encourages innovation within this sector. However, insufficient conflict of interest safeguards might lead to biased strategies that don't optimally serve the national interest.
Overall, while aiming to enhance national security and supply chain resiliency, the bill requires careful consideration regarding its definitions, funding, and international implications to ensure it effectively meets its objectives without creating unintended negative consequences.
Issues
The responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce in Section 2 are not clearly defined, which could lead to potential wasteful spending and overlap with other federal agencies, resulting in inefficiencies or duplication of efforts.
Sections 2 and 3 encourage a reduction in reliance on critical goods from certain foreign countries. This could lead to trade tensions and affect international relations.
Section 3's broad language around 'critical goods,' 'critical supply chains,' and 'critical industries' could be interpreted in various ways, leading to ambiguity about what specifically falls under these categories and potential arbitrary designations.
The protection of voluntarily submitted information in Section 3 could limit transparency and oversight, raising concerns about accountability and potentially favoring large corporations with resources to engage extensively.
There is a lack of specific budgetary details in Sections 1, 3, and 5, making it difficult to assess financial accountability or determine potential wasteful spending, which is a financial concern.
Section 4 relies heavily on private sector involvement without specifying how conflicts of interest will be managed, potentially leading to ethical concerns.
The lack of defined terms such as 'resiliency' and 'crisis response' in Section 1, and 'critical goods' and 'critical industries' in Section 2, may lead to differing interpretations, creating legal ambiguities.
Section 6's definitions rely on external references, and any amendments to these referenced laws could lead to interpretation issues, causing possible confusion or complexity in understanding responsibilities.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title; table of contents Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
This section of the Act establishes its title as the "Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2023" and lists the main contents, which outline additional responsibilities for the Assistant Secretary of Commerce, programs for supply chain resiliency and innovation, and a capability assessment by the Department of Commerce.
2. Additional responsibilities of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis will have additional responsibilities that include promoting U.S. leadership in critical industries, supporting resilient supply chains, encouraging domestic manufacturing growth, and assisting in responding to supply chain disruptions. They are also tasked with encouraging the relocation of manufacturing to the U.S. and partner nations and creating capabilities to assess technology and innovation.
3. Critical supply chain resiliency and crisis response program Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The bill establishes a critical supply chain resiliency and crisis response program within the Department of Commerce to strengthen and protect critical supply chains, particularly for emerging technologies. This involves coordinating with other governments and partners, identifying vulnerabilities and risks, and finding ways to improve the supply chain's strength and security, with a focus on protecting information and encouraging industry collaboration.
4. Critical supply chain innovation and best practices Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section of the bill mandates the Assistant Secretary to help develop guidelines for improving the resilience and security of critical supply chains, in collaboration with private sector and government partners. It encourages using technologies like blockchain for tracking and suggests voluntary methods for enhancing supply chain efficiency, while ensuring that participation by private entities remains optional.
5. Department of Commerce capability assessment Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines a requirement for the Secretary of Commerce to create a report detailing the roles, responsibilities, and resources within the Department of Commerce that relate to critical supply chain resilience and manufacturing innovation. The report should assess the effectiveness of these elements and offer recommendations to improve them, with a strategy to implement these recommendations submitted to Congress within two years.
6. Definitions Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
This section provides definitions for key terms used in the Act, such as “agency,” “critical good,” “emerging technology,” and “supply chain shock,” among others, to clarify the meaning of these terms and their importance to national security and economic security in the context of the United States.