[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7159 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7159

 To bolster United States engagement with the Pacific Islands region, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 31, 2024

   Mr. Case (for himself, Mr. Barr, Mrs. Radewagen, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. 
  Moylan, Mr. Sablan, Mr. Womack, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Porter, Ms. 
 Tokuda, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Norcross, Mr. Bera, Mr. Dunn of Florida, 
and Mr. Meeks) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To bolster United States engagement with the Pacific Islands region, 
                        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 ``Pacific Partnership Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress as follows:
            (1) The United States has longstanding and enduring 
        cultural, historic, economic, strategic, and people-to-people 
        connections with the Pacific Islands, based on shared values, 
        cultural histories, common interests, and a commitment to 
        fostering mutual understanding and cooperation.
            (2) Successive United States administrations have 
        recognized the critical importance of the Pacific Islands, to 
        the world in high-level strategic documents, including the--
                    (A) 2015 National Security Strategy, which first 
                declared the rebalance to Asia and the Pacific, 
                affirmed the United States as a Pacific nation, and 
                paved the way for subsequent United States engagement 
                with the Pacific Islands;
                    (B) 2017 National Security Strategy, which includes 
                a commitment to ``shore up fragile partner states in 
                the Pacific Islands region to reduce their 
                vulnerability to economic fluctuations and natural 
                disasters'';
                    (C) 2019 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, which 
                identified the Pacific Islands as ``critical to United 
                States strategy because of our shared values, 
                interests, and commitments'';
                    (D) 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, which 
                recognized the need to engage further with the Pacific 
                Islands on shared security goals; and
                    (E) 2022 Strategy for Pacific Partnership, which 
                outlined goals and methods for deepening the United 
                States partnerships with Pacific Island nations.
            (3) The United States Government should further develop, 
        expand, and support a comprehensive and multifaceted United 
        States policy for the Pacific Islands that--
                    (A) promotes peace, security, and prosperity for 
                all countries that respects the sovereignty and 
                political independence of all nations;
                    (B) preserves the Pacific Ocean as a corridor for 
                international maritime economic opportunities and 
                growth and promotes sustainable development;
                    (C) supports regional efforts to address shared 
                challenges, including by strengthening resilience to 
                natural disasters and stewardship of natural resources; 
                and
                    (D) strengthens democratic governance and the rule 
                of law, and promotes human rights and the preservation 
                of the region's cultural heritages.
            (4) The United States should support the vision, values, 
        and objectives of existing regional multilateral institutions 
        and frameworks, such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the 
        Pacific Community, including--
                    (A) the 2000 Biketawa Declaration;
                    (B) the 2014 Framework for Pacific Regionalism;
                    (C) the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security;
                    (D) the Boe Declaration Action Plan; and
                    (E) the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific 
                Continent.
            (5) The United States should work closely with United 
        States allies and partners with existing relationships and 
        interests in the Pacific Islands, such as Australia, Japan, 
        South Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan, and regional institutions 
        like the Pacific Islands Forum.

SEC. 3. STRATEGY FOR PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP.

    (a) In General.--Not later than January 1, 2026, and every 4 years 
thereafter, the President, in coordination with the Secretary of State, 
shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
strategy entitled the ``Strategy for Pacific Partnership'' (in this 
section referred to as the ``Strategy'').
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The Strategy shall include each of the 
following:
            (1) A description of overarching goals for United States 
        engagement in the Pacific Islands region, including United 
        States diplomatic posts, defense posture, and economic 
        engagement.
            (2) An assessment of threats and pressures to the Pacific 
        Islands region including those caused by factors such as--
                    (A) natural disasters;
                    (B) illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing;
                    (C) non-United States military presence and 
                activity;
                    (D) developmental challenges;
                    (E) economic coercion and corruption; and
                    (F) other factors assessed to be causing a direct 
                risk to the United States national interests in the 
                Pacific Islands.
            (3) A plan to address the threats assessed pursuant to 
        paragraph (2).
            (4) An analysis of the needs and goals expressed by 
        governments of the Pacific Islands region, including at or 
        through multilateral institutions, evaluated in light of the 
        United States national interests.
            (5) A plan for the resources necessary for the United 
        States to meet its goals in the Pacific Islands region.
            (6) Mechanisms, including existing forums, for coordinating 
        and cooperating on shared goals among the following, as 
        appropriate:
                    (A) the governments of Pacific Island countries;
                    (B) regional partners in the Pacific Islands 
                region, including multilateral forums and 
                organizations, such as the Pacific Islands Forum;
                    (C) civil society in the Pacific Islands; and
                    (D) United States subnational governments in the 
                Pacific.
    (c) Consultation.--In developing the Strategy, the President should 
consult, as appropriate, with--
            (1) relevant United States governmental agencies;
            (2) regional organizations, such as the Pacific Islands 
        Forum, the Pacific Islands Development Program, the Pacific 
        Community, the Forum Fisheries Agency, and the Secretariat of 
        the Pacific Regional Environment Programme;
            (3) the governments of the countries in the Pacific 
        Islands;
            (4) civil society stakeholders;
            (5) United States allies and partners; and
            (6) United States Pacific territories and States.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITIES TO THE PACIFIC ISLANDS 
              FORUM.

    The provisions of the International Organizations Immunities Act 
(22 U.S.C. 288 et seq.) may be extended to the Pacific Islands Forum in 
the same manner, to the same extent, and subject to the same conditions 
as such provisions may be extended to a public international 
organization in which the United States participates pursuant to any 
treaty or under the authority of any Act of Congress authorizing such 
participation or making an appropriation for such participation.

SEC. 5. REPORTS ON IMPLEMENTATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
submission of a strategy detailed in section 3(a), the President shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees an implementation 
report--
            (1) with a proposed timeline for implementation of the 
        strategy described in section 3(a) of this Act;
            (2) detailing the assessed number of full-time equivalent 
        positions and contractors needed to achieve the goals laid out 
        in the strategy described in section 3(a) of this Act;
            (3) describing any institutional or structural re-
        organizations suggested to help carry out the strategy 
        described in section 3(a) of this Act; and
            (4) if necessary, identifying additional funding needed to 
        support resource levels to carry out the strategy described in 
        3(a).
    (b) Consolidation.--A report required by this subsection may be 
consolidated with any other report required to be submitted by the same 
Federal official on the same or similar date as the requirement under 
this subsection.

SEC. 6. ALLIES AND PARTNERS IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION.

    (a) In General.--The President, in consultation with the Secretary 
of State, and the relevant heads of other Federal departments and 
agencies, should consult and coordinate with allies and partners in the 
Pacific Islands region, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, 
Taiwan, and regional institutions, such as the Pacific Islands Forum, 
the Pacific Islands Development Program, the Pacific Community and 
Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, with 
respect to programs to provide assistance to the Pacific Islands, 
including for purposes of--
            (1) deconflicting programming;
            (2) ensuring that any programming does not adversely affect 
        the absorptive capacity of the Pacific Islands;
            (3) ensuring complementary programs benefit the Pacific 
        Islands to the maximum extent practicable; and
            (4) ensuring that programming aligns with regional 
        development goals, as outlined by documents such as the 2050 
        Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent in order to support 
        sustainable development and promote a shared vision for the 
        future of the Pacific Islands.
    (b) Formal Consultative Process.--The President should establish a 
formal consultative process with such regional allies and partners to 
coordinate with respect to such programs and future-years programming.

SEC. 7. REPORTING.

    (a) Updates of Certain Reports.--The Secretary of State, in 
coordination with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies 
as appropriate, shall annually update the reports listed in subsection 
(b) to include within the scope of such reports a regional discussion 
of transnational crime affecting the Pacific Islands.
    (b) Reports Listed.--The reports listed in this subsection are the 
following:
            (1) The International Narcotics Control Strategy report 
        required by section 489 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
        (22 U.S.C. 2291h).
            (2) The Improving International Fisheries Management report 
        required by section 607 of title VI of the Fisheries Act of 
        1995 (16 U.S.C. 1826h).
            (3) The Trafficking in Persons report submitted under 
        section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 
        (22 U.S.C. 7107).

SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate.
            (2) Pacific islands; pacific islands region.--The term 
        ``Pacific Islands'' and ``Pacific Islands region'' mean the 
        nations, territories, and other jurisdictions in the Pacific 
        Ocean within the broad groupings of Melanesia, Micronesia, and 
        Polynesia.
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