[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5435-S5436]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3123. Mr. CARDIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 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 F of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1291. DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the 
     Administrator for the United States Agency for International 
     Development, in coordination with other relevant Federal 
     departments and agencies, shall develop and implement a 
     digital connectivity initiative specific to Pacific Island 
     countries.

[[Page S5436]]

       (b) Elements and Conduct of Pacific Islands Digital 
     Connectivity Initiative.--The initiative developed pursuant 
     to subsection (a) shall--
       (1) include an assessment of opportunities to coordinate 
     with regional allies, including through the United States-
     Japan Global Digital Connectivity Partnership and the United 
     States-Japan-Australia Trilateral Infrastructure Partnership;
       (2) identify and address country-driven digital 
     transformation priorities;
       (3) conduct an assessment of the digital ecosystem of 
     Pacific Island countries, such as through the United States 
     Agency for International Development's (USAID) Digital 
     Ecosystem Country Assessments, to identify opportunities and 
     risks;
       (4) seek to develop human and institutional capacity and 
     infrastructure to catalyze private sector investments in 
     Pacific Island countries' digital ecosystem;
       (5) assist in the development of digital policy and 
     regulatory schemes in Pacific Island countries, including 
     information and communications technology (ICT) regulations 
     and procurement best practices and relevant reforms;
       (6) advance digital platforms and solutions for the 
     delivery of public services and enhance digital skills and 
     literacy;
       (7) seek to expand access to open, interoperable, reliable, 
     and secure internet for Pacific Island communities;
       (8) identify roles that digital technologies can play in 
     addressing important challenges for Pacific Island countries, 
     including the environment, sustainable fishing, readiness, 
     including in response to tsunami warnings;
       (9) identify ways to support women-owned enterprises in the 
     digital ecosystem of Pacific Island countries;
       (10) seek to expand the availability of and access to 
     secure and reliable subsea cable systems;
       (11) regularly assess opportunities for which United States 
     businesses, or those of other like-minded partners, would be 
     competitive;
       (12) promote exports of United States ICT goods and 
     services to advance a secure ICT supply chain and increase 
     United States company market share in Pacific Island digital 
     markets;
       (13) support the development and expand availability of 
     telehealth services for Pacific Island country communities; 
     and
       (14) build digital connectivity among educational 
     institutions within the region as well as with educational 
     institutions in the United States.
       (c) Pacific Island Countries Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``Pacific Island countries'' means the Cook Islands, the 
     Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of 
     the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the 
     Republic of Nauru, Niue, the Republic of Palau, the 
     Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Independent State 
     of Samoa, the Solomon Islands, the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, 
     and the Republic of Vanuatu.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated $3,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 
     through 2029 to carry out this section.
                                 ______