[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1632 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1632

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
   To require a strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and the 
            Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

    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 ``Southeast Asia Strategy Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Southeast Asia is the fulcrum of the Indo-Pacific 
        region, providing both a geographic and maritime link between 
        East and South Asia.
            (2) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a 
        regional intergovernmental organization, remains central to the 
        Indo-Pacific region's institutional architecture and to United 
        States foreign policy toward the region.
            (3) The United States has reaffirmed that the security and 
        sovereignty of its Southeast Asian allies and partners, 
        including a strong, independent ASEAN, remain vital to the 
        security, prosperity, and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
            (4) The United States has committed to continuing to deepen 
        longstanding alliances and partnerships with a range of 
        Southeast Asian nations, including by promoting our shared 
        values, democracy, human rights, and civil society.
            (5) Since the end of the Second World War, United States 
        investments in strengthening alliances and partnerships with 
        Southeast Asian nations have yielded tremendous returns for 
        United States interests, as working with and through these 
        alliances and partnerships have increased the region's capacity 
        and capability to address common challenges.
            (6) ASEAN member states are critical United States security 
        partners in preventing violent extremism and protecting the 
        freedom and openness of the maritime domain and in preventing 
        the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction.
            (7) ASEAN member states have contributed significantly to 
        regional disaster monitoring and management and emergency 
        response through initiatives such as the ASEAN Coordinating 
        Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, an 
        inter-governmental organization that facilitates coordination 
        and cooperation among ASEAN member states and international 
        organizations in times of emergency.
            (8) According to the 2018 ASEAN Business Outlook Survey, 
        ASEAN member states are vital to the prosperity of the United 
        States economy and exports to ASEAN economies support more than 
        500,000 jobs in the United States.
            (9) The United States and ASEAN have recently celebrated 
        the 40th anniversary of their ties and established a new 
        strategic partnership that will enhance cooperation across the 
        economic, political-security, and people-to-people pillars of 
        the relationship.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to--
            (1) deepen cooperation with ASEAN and ASEAN member states 
        in the interest of promoting peace, security, and stability in 
        the Indo-Pacific region;
            (2) affirm the importance of ASEAN centrality and ASEAN-led 
        mechanisms in the evolving institutional architecture of the 
        Indo-Pacific region; and
            (3) establish and communicate a comprehensive strategy 
        toward the Indo-Pacific region that articulates--
                    (A) the role and importance of Southeast Asia to 
                the United States;
                    (B) the value of the United States-ASEAN 
                relationship;
                    (C) the mutual interests of all parties;
                    (D) the concrete and material benefits all nations 
                derive from strong United States engagement and 
                leadership in Southeast Asia; and
                    (E) efforts to forge and maintain ASEAN consensus, 
                especially on key issues of political and security 
                concern to the region, such as the South China Sea.

SEC. 4. STRATEGY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SOUTHEAST ASIA AND ASEAN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
heads of other Federal departments and agencies as appropriate, shall 
develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
comprehensive strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and ASEAN.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The strategy required by subsection 
(a) shall include the following:
            (1) A statement of enduring United States interests in 
        Southeast Asia and a description of efforts to bolster the 
        effectiveness of ASEAN.
            (2) A description of efforts to--
                    (A) deepen and expand Southeast Asian alliances, 
                partnerships, and multilateral engagements, including 
                efforts to expand broad based and inclusive economic 
                growth, security ties, security cooperation and 
                interoperability, economic connectivity, and expand 
                opportunities for ASEAN to work with other like-minded 
                partners in the region; and
                    (B) encourage like-minded partners outside of the 
                Indo-Pacific region to engage with ASEAN.
            (3) A summary of initiatives across the whole of the United 
        States Government to strengthen the United States partnership 
        with Southeast Asian nations and ASEAN, including to promote 
        broad based and inclusive economic growth, trade, investment, 
        energy and efforts to combat climate change, public-private 
        partnerships, physical and digital infrastructure development, 
        education, disaster management, public health and economic and 
        political diplomacy in Southeast Asia.
            (4) A summary of initiatives across the whole of the United 
        States Government to enhance the capacity of Southeast Asian 
        nations with respect to enforcing international law and 
        multilateral sanctions, and initiatives to cooperate with ASEAN 
        as an institution in these areas.
            (5) A summary of initiatives across the whole of the United 
        States Government to promote human rights and democracy, to 
        strengthen the rule of law, civil society, and transparent 
        governance, and to protect the integrity of elections from 
        outside influence.
            (6) A summary of initiatives to promote security 
        cooperation and security assistance within Southeast Asian 
        nations, including--
                    (A) maritime security and maritime domain awareness 
                initiatives for protecting the maritime commons and 
                supporting international law and freedom of navigation 
                in the South China Sea; and
                    (B) efforts to combat terrorism, human trafficking, 
                piracy, and illegal fishing, and promote more open, 
                reliable routes for sea lines of communication.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 24, 2019.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
116th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 1632

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

   To require a strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and the 
            Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).