[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5375 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5375

To require a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation between 
the United States, Australia, India, and Japan and to seek to establish 
     a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer 
              cooperation on shared interests and values.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 8, 2023

  Mr. Meeks introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation between 
the United States, Australia, India, and Japan and to seek to establish 
     a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer 
              cooperation on shared interests and values.

    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 ``Strengthening the Quad Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) as a Pacific power, the United States should continue 
        to strengthen joint cooperation between the United States, 
        Australia, India, and Japan (commonly referred to as the 
        ``Quadrilateral Dialogue'' or ``Quad'' and referred to as such 
        in this Act) to enhance and implement a shared vision to meet 
        regional challenges and to promote a free, open, inclusive, 
        resilient, and healthy Indo-Pacific, that is characterized by 
        respect for democratic norms, rule of law, and market-driven 
        economic growth, and is free from undue influence and coercion;
            (2) the United States should expand dialogue and 
        cooperation through the Quad with a range of partners to 
        support peace and prosperity, the rule of law, freedom of 
        navigation and overflight, the peaceful resolution of disputes, 
        and democratic resilience in the Indo-Pacific;
            (3) the pledge from the first-ever Quad leaders meeting on 
        March 12, 2021, to respond to the economic and health impacts 
        of COVID-19, and to address shared challenges, including in 
        cyberspace, critical technologies, counterterrorism, quality 
        infrastructure investment, and humanitarian assistance and 
        disaster relief, as well as maritime domains, laid the 
        foundation for critical cooperation among Quad countries;
            (4) the Quad countries, working through institutions, 
        including the United States International Development Finance 
        Corporation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and 
        the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and through 
        partnerships with multilateral development banks such as the 
        World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, should finance 
        development and infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific 
        region that are competitive, transparent, and sustainable;
            (5) President Biden's decision to elevate the Quad to the 
        leaders level was critical to bolstering cooperation, and all 
        four countries should work to ensure that the Quad Leaders' 
        Summit continues to take place regularly;
            (6) the ambitious framework for ongoing cooperation laid 
        out by the four leaders at the fifth convening of the Quad 
        Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023, should continue; 
        and
            (7) the formation of a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working 
        Group will--
                    (A) sustain and deepen engagement between senior 
                officials of the Quad countries on a full spectrum of 
                issues; and
                    (B) be modeled on the successful and long-standing 
                bilateral intra-parliamentary groups between the United 
                States and Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as 
                well as other formal and informal parliamentary 
                exchanges.

SEC. 3. STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a strategy for bolstering 
engagement and cooperation with the Quad.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The strategy required by subsection 
(a) shall include the following:
            (1) A description of how the United States intends to 
        demonstrate democratic leadership in the Indo-Pacific through 
        quadrilateral engagement with India, Japan, and Australia on 
        shared interests and common challenges.
            (2) A summary of--
                    (A) current and past Quad initiatives across the 
                whole of the United States Government, including to 
                promote broad based and inclusive economic growth and 
                investment, and to advance technology cooperation, 
                energy innovation, climate mitigation and adaptation, 
                physical and digital infrastructure development, 
                education, disaster management, and global health 
                security;
                    (B) proposals agreed to by all Quad countries since 
                January 2021 to deepen existing security cooperation, 
                intelligence sharing, economic partnerships, and 
                multilateral coordination; and
                    (C) initiatives and agreements undertaken jointly 
                with Quad countries, in addition to other like-minded 
                partners in the Indo-Pacific, on areas of shared 
                interest since January 2021.
            (3) A description of efforts, since January 2021, to 
        jointly--
                    (A) expand ongoing COVID-19 cooperation to prepare 
                for the next pandemic by focusing on medium-term 
                vaccine and medical supply production and building a 
                broader dialogue on global public health;
                    (B) develop international technology standards and 
                share or co-develop new innovative technologies of the 
                future;
                    (C) combat economic coercion and develop a 
                framework for ensuring supply chain security and 
                resilience;
                    (D) deepen regional economic engagement and 
                integration, and strengthen regional rules and 
                standards around investment;
                    (E) strengthen climate actions on mitigation, 
                adaptation, resilience, technology, capacity-building, 
                and climate finance;
                    (F) facilitate the development of quality 
                infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific through joint 
                financing, investment, technical assistance, and 
                standards setting;
                    (G) enhance joint maritime security and maritime 
                domain awareness initiatives to protect the maritime 
                commons and support international law and freedom of 
                navigation in the Indo-Pacific;
                    (H) enhance regional capacity and resilience to 
                cyber incidents and threats;
                    (I) work to strengthen capability to prevent, 
                detect and respond to threats posed by terrorism and 
                violent extremism;
                    (J) co-develop space-related technologies to 
                address shared challenges, share expertise and 
                experience in space situational awareness, and enhance 
                consultation to facilitate the peaceful, safe and 
                sustainable use of outer space; and
                    (K) any additional major streams of cooperation.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Permanent 
        Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Select 
        Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF QUAD INTRA-PARLIAMENTARY WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall seek to enter into 
negotiations with the Governments of Japan, Australia, and India 
(collectively, with the United States, known as the ``Quad'') with the 
goal of reaching a written agreement to establish a Quad Intra-
Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation on shared 
interests and values.
    (b) United States Group.--
            (1) In general.--At such time as the governments of the 
        Quad countries enter into a written agreement described in 
        subsection (a) to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working 
        Group, there shall be established a United States Group, which 
        shall represent the United States at the Quad Intra-
        Parliamentary Working Group.
            (2) Membership.--
                    (A) In general.--The United States Group shall be 
                comprised of not more than 24 Members of Congress.
                    (B) Appointment.--Of the Members of Congress 
                appointed to the United States Group under subparagraph 
                (A)--
                            (i) half shall be appointed by the Speaker 
                        of the House of Representatives, based on 
                        recommendations from the minority leader, from 
                        among Members of the House, not fewer than four 
                        of whom shall be members of the Committee on 
                        Foreign Affairs; and
                            (ii) half shall be appointed by the 
                        President Pro Tempore of the Senate, based on 
                        recommendations of the majority leader and 
                        minority leader of the Senate, from among 
                        Members of the Senate, not fewer than four of 
                        whom shall be members of the Committee on 
                        Foreign Relations (unless the majority leader 
                        and minority leader determine otherwise).
            (3) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--The United States Group shall seek 
                to meet not less frequently than annually with 
                representatives and appropriate staff of the 
                legislatures of Japan, Australia, and India, and any 
                other country invited by mutual agreement of the Quad 
                countries.
                    (B) Limitation.--A meeting described in 
                subparagraph (A) may be held--
                            (i) in the United States;
                            (ii) in another Quad country during periods 
                        when Congress is not in session; or
                            (iii) virtually.
            (4) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--
                    (A) House delegation.--The Speaker of the House of 
                Representatives shall designate the chairperson or vice 
                chairperson of the delegation of the United States 
                Group from the House from among members of the 
                Committee on Foreign Affairs.
                    (B) Senate delegation.--The President Pro Tempore 
                of the Senate shall designate the chairperson or vice 
                chairperson of the delegation of the United States 
                Group from the Senate from among members of the 
                Committee on Foreign Relations.
            (5) Authorization of appropriations.--
                    (A) In general.--There is authorized to be 
                appropriated $1,000,000 for each fiscal years 2024 
                through 2028 for the United States Group.
                    (B) Distribution of appropriations.--
                            (i) In general.--For each fiscal year for 
                        which an appropriation is made for the United 
                        States Group, half of the amount appropriated 
                        shall be available to the delegation from the 
                        House of Representatives and half of the amount 
                        appropriated shall be available to the 
                        delegation from the Senate.
                            (ii) Method of distribution.--The amounts 
                        available to the delegations of the House of 
                        Representatives and the Senate under clause (i) 
                        shall be disbursed on vouchers to be approved 
                        by the chairperson of the delegation from the 
                        House of Representatives and the chairperson of 
                        the delegation from the Senate, respectively.
            (6) Private sources.--The United States Group may accept 
        gifts or donations of services or property, subject to the 
        review and approval, as appropriate, of the Committee on Ethics 
        of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Ethics of 
        the Senate.
            (7) Certification of expenditures.--The certificate of the 
        chairperson of the delegation from the House of Representatives 
        or the delegation of the Senate of the United States Group 
        shall be final and conclusive upon the accounting officers in 
        the auditing of the accounts of the United States Group.
            (8) Annual report.--The United States Group shall submit to 
        the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate a report for each fiscal year for which an appropriation 
        is made for the United States Group, including a description of 
        its expenditures under such appropriation.
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