119-hr1263

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1263 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1263

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 20, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

To require a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation between 
the United States, Australia, India, and Japan and to seek to establish 
 a Quad Inter-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 address shared challenges, including in 
 public health, 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 
 leader level was critical to bolstering cooperation, and all 4 
 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 4 leaders at the fifth convening of the Quad 
 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023, should continue;

    (7) Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the Quad Foreign 
 Ministers in Washington, DC on January 21, 2025--his first day 
 in office--underscoring the continued importance of cooperation 
 between the 4 democracies; and

    (8) the formation of a Quad Inter-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 inter-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 Australia, India, and Japan 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, resilient supply chains 
 including in critical minerals, 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 the diplomatic and bureaucratic 
 barriers and obstacles to implementing and expanding existing 
 streams of Quad cooperation.

    (4) A list of recommendations on how Congress could assist 
 in addressing the barriers described in paragraph

    (3) , as well 
 as--
        (A) any new authorities needed to strengthen United 
 States leadership in and contribution to existing and 
 proposed Quad initiatives and programs; and
        (B) additional resources needed to scale up and 
 expand successful Quad initiatives and programs.
            (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--

    (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
 Representatives; and

    (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF QUAD INTER-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 Australia, India, and Japan 
(collectively, with the United States, known as the ``Quad'') with the 
goal of reaching a written agreement to establish a Quad Inter-
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 Inter-Parliamentary Working 
 Group, there shall be established a United States Group, which 
 shall represent the United States at the Quad Inter-
 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 4 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 4 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 Australia, India, and Japan, 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) 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.

    (6) 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.

    (7) 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 at the end of each year that outlines the 
 group's activities that year, including a description of its 
 expenditures, and its recommendations for enhancing the Quad.

    (8) Engagement with u.s. officials on the quad.--Senior 
 United States officials shall provide regular updates and 
 briefings to the United States Group, including leading up to 
 and after major Quadrilateral dialogues, to ensure close 
 coordination with Congress.

 Passed the House of Representatives May 19, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.