WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by Chairman Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), the Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations today released their proposals for the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Subcommittee will meet at 10:00am ET on Thursday, June 9 in Rayburn 2118 and via the WebEx platform. The markup will be live streamed on the committee’s website. The Subcommittee's mark is available here. 

Specifically, this year's proposal:

Strengthens Irregular Warfare Authority 
  • Codifies the irregular warfare authority in section 1202 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) and increases the amount available to support such operations to $25,000,000.
  • Requires a briefing on the Department’s plans to expand irregular warfare operations to vetted allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Increases Oversight of Special Operations Forces and Capabilities
  • Directs a report on the integration of SOF-peculiar capabilities into Geographical Combatant Command operational plans.
  • Requires a briefing on the information operations capabilities of SOF to counter malign influence activities of Russia and China in Africa.
Increases Oversight of Tactical and Special Operations Peculiar Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Capabilities 
  • Directs the Commander, USSOCOM, to assess artificial intelligence powered tactical ISR 3D mapping solutions. 
  • Directs the Commander, USSOCOM, to provide a briefing on SOCOM ISR reinvestment and modernization plans.
  • Requires the Commandant of the Marine Corps to brief the status of software development interoperability with group 1-5 unmanned aircraft systems.
Enhances Counterintelligence Oversight of Threats to Classified Research
  • Requires a briefing from the National Counterintelligence Task Force on counterintelligence threats to classified research and efforts to address vulnerabilities and enhance operational security against foreign espionage at critical research locations and among contracted researchers or other individuals conducting classified research supported by U.S. federal funding.
Encourages the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to Leverage Commercially Available Data
  • Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, in coordination with the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, to submit a report on open-source intelligence management, including the extent of commercial contracts supporting the open-source intelligence mission.
  • Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, in coordination with the Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, to submit a report on data integration at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency for commercial imagery.
  • Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, in coordination with the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, to provide a briefing on the use of commercially available crowd-sourced data services to augment traditional sources of intelligence. 
Strengthens Oversight Framework for Certain Clandestine Military Operations 
  • Requires a quarterly report on clandestine activities that support operational preparation of the environment carried out during the preceding three months, to include an explanation of how such activities support the respective theater campaign plans. 
Increases Oversight of the Transition of Project Maven to the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
  • Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, in coordination with the Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, to submit a report on the transition of Project Maven, including a plan to secure physical space appropriate for the activities, a staffing plan, the projected timeline for completion, and funding requirements to transition and sustain the program and projected projects.
Continues Oversight of SOCOM Diversity and Inclusion
  • Requires a briefing on the implementation of the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, to include how the Command has instituted best practices to strengthen diversity and inclusion into the organizational climate and culture.
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