I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1559 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 16, 2017 Mr. Sensenbrenner (for himself, Mr. Young of Alaska , Ms. Pingree , and Mr. Garamendi ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to establish a United States Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs Act of 2017 . 2. United States Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 ( 22 U.S.C. 2651a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 63. United States Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs (a) Establishment There is established within the Department of State an Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs (referred to in this section as the Ambassador ), appointed in accordance with subsection (b). (b) Appointment The Ambassador shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. (c) Duties (1) Diplomatic representation Subject to the direction of the President and the Secretary of State, the Ambassador is authorized to represent the United States in matters and cases relevant to Arctic affairs in— (A) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental organizations, and specialized agencies of the United Nations, the Arctic Council, and other international organizations of which the United States is a member; and (B) multilateral conferences and meetings relating to Arctic affairs. (2) Chair of the Arctic Council The Ambassador shall serve as the Chair of the Arctic Council when the United States holds the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. (3) Policies and procedures The Ambassador shall coordinate United States Arctic policies. .