[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4939 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4939

 To increase engagement with the governments of the Caribbean region, 
the Caribbean diaspora community in the United States, and the private 
 sector and civil society in both the United States and the Caribbean, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2016

 Mr. Engel (for himself and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To increase engagement with the governments of the Caribbean region, 
the Caribbean diaspora community in the United States, and the private 
 sector and civil society in both the United States and the Caribbean, 
                        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 ``United States-Caribbean Strategic 
Engagement Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States to 
increase engagement with the governments of the Caribbean region, the 
Caribbean diaspora community in the United States, and the private 
sector and civil society in both the United States and the Caribbean in 
a concerted effort to--
            (1) enhance diplomatic relations between the United States 
        and the Caribbean region;
            (2) increase economic cooperation between the United States 
        and the Caribbean region;
            (3) support regional economic, political, and security 
        integration efforts in the Caribbean region;
            (4) encourage sustainable economic development and 
        increased regional economic diversification and global 
        competitiveness;
            (5) reduce levels of crime and violence, curb the 
        trafficking of illicit drugs, strengthen the rule of law, and 
        improve citizen security;
            (6) improve energy security by increasing access to 
        diverse, reliable, affordable, and sustainable power;
            (7) advance cooperation on democracy and human rights in 
        the Caribbean region and at multilateral fora; and
            (8) continue support for public health advances and 
        cooperation on health concerns and threats to the Caribbean 
        region.

SEC. 3. STRATEGY.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a multi-year 
strategy for United States engagement with the Caribbean region that--
            (1) identifies Department of State and USAID efforts, in 
        coordination with other executive branch agencies, to 
        prioritize United States policy towards the Caribbean region;
            (2) outlines an approach to broaden Department of State and 
        USAID outreach to the Caribbean diaspora community in the 
        United States to promote their involvement and participation in 
        the economic development and citizen security of the Caribbean 
        region;
            (3) outlines an approach to partner with the governments of 
        the Caribbean region to improve citizen security, reduce the 
        trafficking of illicit drugs, strengthen the rule of law, and 
        improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the Caribbean 
        Basin Security Initiative;
            (4) establishes a comprehensive, integrated, multi-year 
        strategy to encourage the efforts of the Caribbean region to 
        implement regional and national strategies that improve energy 
        security by increasing access to diverse, reliable, affordable, 
        and sustainable power, including significant renewable energy 
        resources within the Caribbean region such as biomass, 
        geothermal, hydropower, solar, tidal, waste-to-energy, and 
        wind, and by taking advantage of the ongoing energy revolution 
        in the Unites States;
            (5) outlines an approach to improve diplomatic engagement 
        with the governments of the Caribbean region, including with 
        respect to key votes on human rights and democracy at the 
        United Nations and the Organization of American States;
            (6) develops an approach to assisting Caribbean countries 
        in the diversification of their economies, the reduction of 
        legal, technical, and administrative barriers that prevent the 
        free flow of foreign direct investment and trade to and from 
        each country and within the Caribbean region, and support for 
        the training and employment of youth and citizens in 
        marginalized communities; and
            (7) reflects the input of other executive branch agencies, 
        as appropriate.

SEC. 4. BRIEFINGS.

    The Secretary of State shall provide annual briefings to the 
appropriate congressional committees that review Department of State 
efforts to implement the strategy for United States engagement with the 
Caribbean region in accordance with section 3.

SEC. 5. PROGRESS REPORT.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and biennially thereafter, the President shall transmit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on progress made toward 
to implementing the strategy for United States engagement with the 
Caribbean region in accordance with section 3.

SEC. 6. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORT ON CARIBBEAN BASIN 
              SECURITY INITIATIVE.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the 
following:
            (1) An evaluation of the Caribbean Basin Security 
        Initiative (CBSI) and the extent to which the CBSI has met 
        Department of State and USAID benchmarks.
            (2) An accounting of CBSI funding appropriated, obligated, 
        and expended from fiscal year 2010 through fiscal year 2016.
            (3) A breakdown of yearly CBSI assistance provided to each 
        CBSI country.
            (4) A description of how CBSI is coordinated with other 
        security assistance programs in the Western Hemisphere, 
        particularly the Merida Initiative and the Central America 
        Regional Security Initiative, and the role of the Department of 
        State's Senior Coordinator for the Citizen Security Initiatives 
        in the Western Hemisphere in such coordination.
            (5) A description of all United States security assistance 
        provided to the Caribbean region, exclusive of assistance 
        through CBSI.
            (6) Recommendations for legislative and executive action to 
        make CBSI more effective and efficient.

SEC. 7. GAO REPORT ON DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the 
following:
            (1) An evaluation of United States diplomatic outreach from 
        the United States embassy in Barbados to the countries of 
        Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia 
        and St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.
            (2) A list of visits over the previous five years of 
        personnel at the United States embassy in Barbados to the 
        countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and 
        Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent, and the Grenadines.
            (3) A description of how personnel at the United States 
        embassy in Barbados have engaged with government officials and 
        civil society organizations in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, 
        St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent, and the 
        Grenadines over the previous five years.
            (4) A description of how personnel at the United States 
        embassy in Grenada have engaged with government officials and 
        civil society organizations over the previous five years.

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--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.
            (2) Caribbean region.--The term ``Caribbean region'' means 
        the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative beneficiary countries.
            (3) Security assistance.--The term ``security assistance'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 502B(b) of the 
        Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(d)).
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