((a))

((1)) ** .—** The Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, is authorized to establish a program of activities described in paragraph (2), to support the security cooperation objectives of the United States, between members of the National Guard of a State or territory and any of the following:

((A)) The military forces of a foreign country.

((B)) The security forces of a foreign country.

((C)) Governmental organizations of a foreign country whose primary functions include disaster response or emergency response.

((2)) ** .—** Each program established under this subsection shall be known as a “State Partnership”.

((b))

((1)) ** .—** An activity with forces referred to in subsection (a)(1)(B) or organizations described in subsection (a)(1)(C) under a program established under subsection (a) may be carried out only if the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, determines and notifies the appropriate congressional committees not less than 15 days before initiating such activity that the activity is in the national security interests of the United States.

((2)) ** .—** The conduct of any assistance activities under a program established under subsection (a) shall be subject to the provisions of .

((c)) ** .—** The Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall designate a director for each State and territory to be responsible for the coordination of activities under a program established under subsection (a) for such State or territory and reporting on activities under the program.

((d)) ** .—** This section shall be carried out in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe for purposes of this section. Such regulations shall include accounting procedures to ensure that expenditures of funds to carry out this section are accounted for and appropriate.

((e))

((1)) ** .—** Funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Defense, including funds authorized to be appropriated for the Army National Guard and Air National Guard, are authorized to be available—

((A)) for payment of costs incurred by the National Guard of a State or territory to conduct activities under a program established under subsection (a); and

((B)) for payment of incremental expenses of a foreign country to conduct activities under a program established under subsection (a).

((2))

((A)) ** .—** Funds shall not be available under paragraph (1) for the participation of a member of the National Guard of a State or territory in activities in a foreign country unless the member is on active duty in the Armed Forces at the time of such participation.

((B)) ** .—** The total amount of payments for incremental expenses of foreign countries as authorized under paragraph (1)(B) for activities under programs established under subsection (a) in any fiscal year may not exceed $10,000,000.

((f)) ** .—** Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede any authority under title 10 as in effect on .