[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S4585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 677. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. ___. STUDY ON UNITED STATES INTERESTS IN THE FREELY 
                   ASSOCIATED STATES.

       (a) Study Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall enter 
     into an agreement with an appropriate independent entity to 
     conduct a study and assessment of United States security and 
     foreign policy interests in the Freely Associated States of 
     the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 
     and the Federated States of Micronesia.
       (b) Elements.--The study required pursuant to subsection 
     (a) shall address the following:
       (1) The role of the Compacts of Free Association in 
     promoting United States defense and foreign policy interests, 
     and the status of the obligations of the United States and 
     the Freely Associated States under the Compacts of Free 
     Association.
       (2) The economic assistance practices of the People's 
     Republic of China in the Freely Associated States, and the 
     implications of such practices for United States defense and 
     foreign policy interests in the Freely Associated States and 
     the Pacific region.
       (3) The economic assistance practices of other countries in 
     the Freely Associated States, as determined by the 
     Comptroller General, and the implications of such practices 
     for United States defense and foreign policy interests in the 
     Freely Associated States and the Pacific region.
       (4) Any other matters the Secretary considers appropriate 
     for purposes of the study.
       (c) Department of Defense Support.--The Secretary shall 
     provide the entity conducting the study pursuant to 
     subsection (a) with timely access to appropriate information, 
     data, resources, and analysis so that the entity may conduct 
     a thorough and independent assessment of the matters covered 
     by the study, including the matters specified in subsection 
     (b).
       (d) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than December 1, 2018, the 
     Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense 
     committees a report setting forth the results of the study 
     conducted pursuant to subsection (a).
       (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified for, but may include a classified 
     annex.
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