This bill would create a Department of State program called the United States Cyber and Digital Technology Procurement Program. The Program, run by the Bureau for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, is meant to help foreign government partners buy trusted U.S.-origin cyber and digital technologies. It lists categories of covered technologies (software and licenses, hardware like processors and networking gear, cybersecurity products, telecommunications equipment, and AI-related equipment and models). The Secretary of State, working with the Secretary of Commerce and other agencies, would identify partners, design procurement and capacity-building plans, set risk mitigation and end-use monitoring rules, and vet partners for human rights abuses or misuse. The Program must avoid funding foreign countries of concern and sanctioned entities or companies on the Commerce Entity List. The bill also creates an Office of United States Technology Procurement to run the Program, requires annual reports to Congress and 15-day notifications before obligating certain funds, requires GAO reviews, extends a Regional Technology Officer program, and includes a sunset eight years after enactment.
Supporters of the bill state that many foreign partners are buying low-cost technology from strategic competitors and that those purchases can create supply chain and security risks, reduce interoperability with U.S. systems, and encourage digital governance practices at odds with U.S. interests. The bill frames the Program as a way to meet foreign partner demand for trusted suppliers, streamline procurement, build long-term supplier relationships, help partners navigate technical and regulatory hurdles, and support U.S. competitiveness in critical technologies. The bill also says the effort should align with initiatives such as the Pax Silica initiative.
No publicly available information.