SHADOW Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7632
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-26: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 46 - 0.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-16T16:20:22Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation aims to strengthen U.S. responses to hybrid warfare threats, particularly those involving Russia and China, by improving coordination, information sharing, and accountability measures. It focuses on protecting U.S. interests abroad and supporting alliances like NATO.
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of State must assess hybrid warfare threats to U.S. interests, engage with foreign governments on transatlantic cooperation, and promote information sharing with NATO allies on topics like cyber campaigns and gray zone activities.
- A senior official in the Department of State is designated as the Coordinator for Hybrid Warfare Accountability, reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, with duties including information integration, gap identification, allied coordination, and resilience efforts in critical sectors.
- The Coordinator must submit a strategy plan within 60 days and annual reports for three years detailing assessments, coordination progress, and resilience measures.
- Within 180 days, the Coordinator must produce a report identifying Chinese entities that materially support Russia’s defense industrial base and recommend sanctions, export controls, or other measures; the unclassified portion is to be published online.
- Hybrid warfare activities are defined to include information campaigns, cyberattacks, economic coercion, irregular forces, migration weaponization, infrastructure sabotage, and targeted assassinations.
Significant Changes to Existing Law This bill creates new requirements for the Department of State without directly amending prior statutes. It establishes a dedicated Coordinator position and mandates specific reporting and coordination processes on hybrid threats and Chinese support for Russia.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases coordination duties within the Department of State and requires interagency collaboration on threat assessments and responses.
- Citizens: May indirectly affect U.S. citizens abroad through enhanced diplomatic efforts to counter threats to their security.
- International relations: Promotes closer ties with NATO and partners such as South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand; could lead to sanctions or restrictions on Chinese entities, potentially straining U.S.-China economic ties.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies involved in foreign policy and security.
- Congressional committees on foreign affairs.
- NATO allies and partner countries.
- Chinese entities identified in the required report.
- Russian defense industrial base operations.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill expands the scope of U.S. diplomatic tools to address non-traditional threats, potentially raising issues around sanctions authority and intelligence sharing. Annual reporting and public disclosure of unclassified findings could increase transparency but also affect diplomatic sensitivities with China and Russia.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (5)
Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9], Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32], Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-26: Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 46 - 0.
- 2026-03-26: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-02-20: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- 2026-02-20: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-20: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Strategic Hybrid Activities Defense and Operations for the West Act — issued 2026-02-20 — PDF (7 pages)