[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8452 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8452

   To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain 
   membership status for Taiwan in the International Criminal Police 
                 Organization, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 17, 2024

Mr. Gooden of Texas (for himself, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Ogles, Mr. Tiffany, 
Mr. Biggs, Mr. Babin, Mr. Weber of Texas, and Mr. Sessions) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain 
   membership status for Taiwan in the International Criminal Police 
                 Organization, 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 ``Taiwan Interpol Endorsement and 
Inclusion Act''.

SEC. 2. PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE 
              ORGANIZATION.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Taiwan is an important contributor to peace and 
        stability around the world.
            (2) The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 (Public Law 96-8) 
        states that it is the policy of the United States ``to preserve 
        and promote extensive, close, and friendly commercial, 
        cultural, and other relations between the people of the United 
        States and the people of Taiwan''.
            (3) The United States, in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review, 
        declared its intention to support Taiwan's participation in 
        appropriate international organizations and has consistently 
        reiterated that support.
            (4) Following the enactment of Public Law 108-235, a law 
        authorizing the Secretary of State to initiate and implement a 
        plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the 
        annual summit of the World Health Assembly and subsequent 
        advocacy by the United States, Taiwan was granted observer 
        status to the World Health Assembly between 2009-2016 under the 
        name ``Chinese Taipei''. Both prior to and in its capacity as 
        an observer, Taiwan contributed significantly to the 
        international community's collective efforts in pandemic 
        control, monitoring, early warning, and other related matters. 
        Since 2016, the World Health Assembly has rejected any bids for 
        Taiwan's inclusion as an observer.
            (5) Safety, security, and peace is important to every 
        citizen of the world, and shared information ensuring wide 
        assistance among police authorities of nations for expeditious 
        dissemination of information regarding criminal activities 
        greatly assists in these efforts.
            (6) Direct and unobstructed participation in the 
        International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is 
        beneficial for all nations and their police authorities. 
        Internationally shared information with authorized police 
        authorities are vital to peacekeeping efforts.
            (7) With a history dating back to 1914, the role of 
        Interpol is defined in its constitution: ``To ensure and 
        promote the widest possible mutual assistance between all 
        criminal police authorities within the limits of the laws 
        existing in the different countries and in the spirit of the 
        Universal Declaration of Human Rights.''.
            (8) Ongoing international threats, including international 
        networks of terrorism, show the ongoing necessity to be ever 
        inclusive of nations willing to work together to combat 
        criminal activity. The ability of police authorities to 
        coordinate, preempt, and act swiftly and in unison is an 
        essential element of crisis prevention and response.
            (9) Taiwan maintained full membership in Interpol starting 
        in 1964 through its National Police Administration but was 
        ejected in 1984 when the People's Republic of China (PRC) 
        applied for membership.
            (10) Nonmembership in Interpol prevents Taiwan from gaining 
        access to Interpol's I-24/7 global police communications 
        system, which provides real-time information on criminals and 
        global criminal activities. Taiwan is relegated to second-hand 
        information from friendly nations, including the United States.
            (11) Taiwan is unable to swiftly share information on 
        criminals and suspicious activity with the international 
        community, leaving a huge void in the global crime-fighting 
        efforts and leaving the entire world at risk.
            (12) Interpol's constitution allows for observers at its 
        meetings by ``police bodies which are not members of the 
        Organization''.
    (b) Statement of Policy.--It should be the policy of the United 
States--
            (1) to advocate, as appropriate--
                    (A) for Taiwan's membership in all international 
                organizations, including Interpol, and in which the 
                United States is also a participant; and
                    (B) for Taiwan to be granted full membership status 
                in other appropriate international organizations;
            (2) to instruct, as appropriate, representatives of the 
        United States Government in all organizations described in 
        paragraph (1) to use the voice, vote, and influence of the 
        United States to advocate for Taiwan's membership or observer 
        status in such organizations; and
            (3) for the President or the President's designees to 
        advocate, as appropriate, for Taiwan's membership or observer 
        status in all organizations described in paragraph (1) as part 
        of any relevant bilateral engagements between the United States 
        and the People's Republic of China, including leader summits 
        and the U.S.-China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue.
    (c) Taiwan's Participation in Interpol.--The Secretary of State 
shall--
            (1) develop a strategy to--
                    (A) obtain membership status for Taiwan in Interpol 
                and at other related meetings, activities, and 
                mechanisms thereafter;
                    (B) encourage meaningful interaction, including 
                information sharing, with U.S. National Central Bureau 
                (Interpol Washington) and Taiwan on issues related to 
                global crime fighting;
                    (C) involve Taiwan in Interpol meetings, events, 
                and related activities; and
                    (D) in certain cases as appropriate and in 
                alignment with United States interests, assist Taiwan 
                in increasing its economic, security, and diplomatic 
                engagement with countries in the Indo-Pacific region 
                and around the world; and
            (2) instruct Interpol Washington to officially request 
        membership status for Taiwan in Interpol and to actively urge 
        Interpol member states to support such membership status and 
        participation for Taiwan.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with Interpol 
Washington, shall transmit to Congress a report, in unclassified form, 
describing the United States strategy to endorse and obtain observer 
status or membership status for Taiwan in appropriate international 
organizations, including Interpol, and at other related meetings, 
activities, and mechanisms thereafter. The report shall include the 
following:
            (1) A description of the efforts the Secretary has made to 
        encourage member states to promote Taiwan's bids to obtain 
        observer status or membership status in appropriate 
        international organizations, including Interpol.
            (2) A description of the actions the Secretary will take to 
        endorse and obtain observer status or membership status for 
        Taiwan in appropriate international organizations, including 
        Interpol, and at other related meetings, activities, and 
        mechanisms thereafter.

SEC. 3. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the U.S. National Central Bureau (Interpol 
Washington) shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a 
report on any and all threats posed to Taiwan's criminal intelligence 
as a result of their non-member and non-observer status in the 
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and, therefore, 
Taiwan's lack of access to Interpol communications and data.
    (b) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted 
in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.
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