A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy for crisis management in the South China Sea, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4609 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4609 To require the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy for crisis management in the South China Sea, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 20, 2026 Ms. Duckworth (for herself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy for crisis management in the South China Sea, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Strategy for Crisis Management Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. STRATEGY FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH CHINA SEA. (a) Crisis Defined.--In this section, the term ``crisis'' means an incident or situation that creates a condition of such national security importance that the President or the Secretary of Defense may consider a commitment of the United States Armed Forces or Department resources, or the initiation of activities by the Department of Defense, to achieve or defend national objectives. (b) Strategy.--The Secretary of Defense shall develop a strategy for crisis management in the South China Sea that-- (1) identifies the exact locations of the most likely flashpoints in the South China Sea that could lead to scenarios of crises short of war that would require heightened interagency and international coordination; and (2) includes, for each major likely flashpoint, a crisis playbook with sequenced response options and a plan for coordination with foreign partners. (c) Objectives.--The strategy required by subsection (b) shall be designed-- (1) to deny the aim