[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1579 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1579

To establish United States embassies with consular services in the five 
countries in the Caribbean with which the United States has diplomatic 
 relations but no permanent diplomatic presence: Antigua and Barbuda, 
   Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the 
                              Grenadines.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 24, 2015

Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Hastings, 
Ms. Lee, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Frankel of Florida, Mr. Sires, and 
 Mr. Deutch) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish United States embassies with consular services in the five 
countries in the Caribbean with which the United States has diplomatic 
 relations but no permanent diplomatic presence: Antigua and Barbuda, 
   Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the 
                              Grenadines.

    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 ``United States-Caribbean Partnership 
Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITION.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) While often overlooked, the countries of the Caribbean 
        are important United States partners.
            (2) United States-Caribbean cooperation on commerce, 
        security, and energy must be deepened.
            (3) The countries of the Caribbean are key voting members 
        of the Organization of American States.
            (4) There are five countries in the Caribbean with which 
        the United States has diplomatic relations, but within which 
        the United States does not have a permanent diplomatic 
        presence. Those countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, 
        St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the 
        Grenadines.
            (5) Diplomatic relations with these five countries are 
        conducted through the United States Embassy in Bridgetown, 
        Barbados.
            (6) Due to the lack of presence of United States diplomats 
        in these five countries, citizens of these five countries are 
        required to travel to Barbados for all consular services.
            (7) Due to the lack of presence of United States diplomats 
        in these five countries, in order to meet with local officials, 
        civil society representatives, private sector leaders, United 
        States citizens or others, embassy officials must fly from 
        Barbados to these countries on what are often expensive, 
        sometimes infrequent flights and remain overnight in what are 
        often expensive hotel rooms.
            (8) Due to the lack of presence of United States diplomats 
        in these five countries, United States citizens living in and 
        visiting these five countries do not have full consular 
        services, and in the event of a consular emergency, air traffic 
        could be shut off to any of these islands, in effect stranding 
        United States citizens without full in-country consular 
        services.
            (9) Due to the lack of presence of United States diplomats 
        in these five countries, key events, meetings, ceremonies, and 
        other opportunities are often not attended by United States 
        officials as they are in other countries where there is a 
        permanent diplomatic presence.
            (10) Due to the lack of presence of United States diplomats 
        in these five countries, it is more difficult for United States 
        diplomats to establish close working relationships with local 
        officials, civil society representatives, and others.
            (11) Due to the lack of presence of United States diplomats 
        in these five countries, United States official diplomatic 
        interaction with these countries, including delivery of 
        demarches and other diplomatic messages, which the Secretary of 
        State sometimes requires embassy officials to personally 
        deliver, particularly if of a confidential nature, is often 
        relegated to telephone, facsimile, or email, dramatically 
        reducing the ability of the United States to engage host 
        governments in substantive dialogue.
            (12) Due to the lack of presence of United States diplomats 
        in these five countries, it is more difficult for the United 
        States to conduct public diplomacy in these five countries.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITED STATES EMBASSIES WITH CONSULAR SERVICES 
              IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, DOMINICA, ST. KITTS AND NEVIS, 
              ST. LUCIA, AND ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES.

    Not later than five years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of State shall establish United States embassies 
with consular services in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and 
Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to--
            (1) provide consular services to citizens of these 
        countries and United States citizens living in or traveling to 
        these countries; and
            (2) engage in direct diplomacy with appropriate government 
        counterparts in these countries.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and annually thereafter until the requirements under section 4 have 
been satisfied, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on the progress made toward carrying 
out such section.

SEC. 6. EXCEPTION FOR DELAY.

    The Secretary of State may delay for up to one year the carrying 
out of section 4 if the Secretary determines that more time is needed 
to carry out such section and submits to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report explaining the reason for such delay.

SEC. 7. LIMITATION ON ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

    To carry out this Act, the Secretary of State may use only amounts 
that are available from the Embassy Security, Construction, and 
Maintenance account and the Diplomatic and Consular Programs account of 
the Department of State for such purpose.
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