§182a. Center for Excellence in Environmental Security

(a) Establishment.-The Secretary of Defense may operate a Center for Excellence in Environmental Security (in this section referred to as the "Center").

(b) Missions.-(1) The Center shall be used to provide and facilitate education, training, and research in civil-military operations, particularly operations that require international assistance and operations that require coordination between the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies.

(2) The Center shall be used to provide and facilitate education, training, interagency coordination, and research on the following additional matters:

(A) Management of the consequences of environmental insecurity with respect to-

(i) access to water, food, and energy;

(ii) related health matters; and

(iii) matters relating to when, how, and why environmental stresses to human safety, health, water, energy, and food will cascade to economic, social, political, or national security events.

(B) Appropriate roles for the reserve components in response to environmental insecurity resulting from natural disasters.

(C) Meeting requirements for information in connection with regional and global disasters, including through the use of advanced communications technology as a virtual library.

(3) The Center shall perform such other missions as the Secretary of Defense may specify.

(4) To assist the Center in carrying out the missions under this subsection, upon request of the Center, the head of any Federal agency may grant to the Center access to the data, archives, and other physical resources (including facilities) of that agency, and may detail any personnel of that agency to the Center, for the purpose of enabling the development of global environmental indicators.

(c) Joint Operation With Educational Institution Authorized.-The Secretary of Defense may enter into an agreement with appropriate officials of an institution of higher education to provide for the operation of the Center. Any such agreement shall provide for the institution to furnish necessary administrative services for the Center, including by directly providing such services or providing the funds for such services.

(d) Acceptance of Donations.-(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense may accept, on behalf of the Center, donations to be used to defray the costs of the Center or to enhance the operation of the Center. Such donations may be accepted from any agency of the Federal Government, any State or local government, any foreign government, any foundation or other charitable organization (including any that is organized or operates under the laws of a foreign country), or any other private source in the United States or a foreign country.

(2) The Secretary may not accept a donation under paragraph (1) if the acceptance of the donation would compromise or appear to compromise-

(A) the ability of the Department of Defense, any employee of the Department, or any member of the armed forces, to carry out any responsibility or duty of the Department or the armed forces in a fair and objective manner; or

(B) the integrity of any program of the Department of Defense or of any person involved in such a program.

(3) The Secretary shall prescribe written guidance setting forth the criteria to be used in determining whether or not the acceptance of a foreign donation under paragraph (1) would have a result described in paragraph (2).

(4) Funds accepted by the Secretary under paragraph (1) as a donation on behalf of the Center shall be credited to appropriations available to the Department of Defense for the Center. Funds so credited shall be merged with the appropriations to which credited and shall be available for the Center for the same purposes and the same period as the appropriations with which merged.

(Added Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title III, §311, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2501 .)