SOUTH CHINA SEA INITIATIVE.

SEC. 1263. SOUTH CHINA SEA INITIATIVE.(a) Assistance and Training.—(1) In general.—The Secretary of Defense is authorized, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, for the purpose of increasing maritime security and maritime domain awareness of foreign countries along the South China Sea—(A) to provide assistance to national military or other security forces of such countries that have among their functional responsibilities maritime security missions; and(B) to provide training to ministry, agency, and headquarters level organizations for such forces.(2) Designation of assistance and training.—The provision of assistance and training under this section may be referred to as the “South China Sea Initiative”.(b) Recipient Countries.—The foreign countries that may be provided assistance and training under subsection (a) are the following:(1) Indonesia.(2) Malaysia,(3) The Philippines.(4) Thailand.(5) Vietnam.(c) Types of Assistance and Training.—(1) Authorized elements of assistance.—Assistance provided under subsection (a)(1)(A) may include the provision of equipment, supplies, training, and small-scale military construction.(2) Required elements of assistance and training.—Assistance and training provided under subsection (a) shall include elements that promote the following:(A) Observance of and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.129 STAT. 1074(B) Respect for legitimate civilian authority within the country to which the assistance is provided.(d) Priorities for Assistance and Training.—In developing programs for assistance or training to be provided under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall accord a priority to assistance, training, or both that will enhance the maritime capabilities of the recipient foreign country, or a regional organization of which the recipient country is a member, to respond to emerging threats to maritime security.(e) Incremental Expenses of Personnel of Certain Other Countries for Training.—(1) Authority for payment.—If the Secretary of Defense determines that the payment of incremental expenses in connection with training described in subsection (a)(1)(B) will facilitate the participation in such training of organization personnel of foreign countries specified in paragraph (2), the Secretary may use amounts available under subsection (f) for assistance and training under subsection (a) for the payment of such incremental expenses.(2) Covered countries.—The foreign countries specified in this paragraph are the following:(A) Brunei.(B) Singapore.(C) Taiwan.(f) Availability of Funds.—(1) In general.—Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2016 for the Department of Defense, $50,000,000 may be available for the provision of assistance and training under subsection (a).(2) Notice on source of funds.—If the Secretary of Defense uses funds available to the Department pursuant to paragraph (1) to provide assistance and training under subsection (a) during a fiscal half-year of fiscal year 2016, not later than 30 days after the end of such fiscal half-year, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a notice on the account or accounts providing such funds.(g) Notice to Congress on Assistance and Training.—(1) In general.—Not later than 15 days before exercising the authority under subsection (a) or (e) with respect to a recipient foreign country, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a notification containing the following:(A) The recipient foreign country.(B) A detailed justification of the program for the provision of the assistance or training concerned, and its relationship to United States security interests.(C) The budget for the program, including a timetable of planned expenditures of funds to implement the program, an implementation timeline for the program with milestones (including anticipated delivery schedules for any assistance under the program), the military department or component responsible for management of the program, and the anticipated completion date for the program.(D) A description of the arrangements, if any, to support host nation sustainment of any capability developed pursuant to the program, and the source of funds to support sustainment efforts and performance outcomes to be 129 STAT. 1075 achieved under the program beyond its completion date, if applicable.(E) A description of the program objectives and an assessment framework to be used to develop capability and performance metrics associated with operational outcomes for the recipient force.(F) Such other matters as the Secretary considers appropriate.(2) Appropriate committees of congress defined.—In this subsection, the term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.(h) Expiration.—Assistance and training may not be provided under this section after September 30, 2020.