119-hr3332

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3332 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3332

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 13, 2025

 Mr. Case (for himself, Mrs. Radewagen, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Moylan, Mrs. 
King-Hinds, Mr. Womack, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Olszewski, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. 
 Lieu, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Bera, Ms. Titus, Mr. Fitzpatrick, 
Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Sherman, and Mrs. Kim) 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 internationally recognized human 
 rights and the preservation of the region's cultural 
 heritages.

    (4) The United States should collaborate closely with 
 existing regional multilateral institutions and frameworks, 
 such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the Pacific Community.

    (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 again not 
later than January 1, 2030, 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) A plan for the resources necessary for the United 
 States to meet its goals in the Pacific Islands region.

    (5) 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. 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 to 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. 6. REPORTING.

    (a) Updates of Certain Reports.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary of State, in coordination 
 with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies as 
 appropriate, shall annually update the reports listed in 
 paragraph

    (2) to include within the scope of such reports a 
 regional discussion of transnational crime affecting the 
 Pacific Islands.

    (2) Reports listed.--The reports listed in this paragraph 
 are the following:
        (A) The International Narcotics Control Strategy 
 report required by 

section 489 of the Foreign 
 Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291h).
        (B) The Improving International Fisheries 
 Management report required by 

section 607 of title VI 
 of the Fisheries Act of 1995 (16 U.S.C. 1826h).
            (C) The Trafficking in Persons report submitted 
 under 

section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection 
 Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107).

    (b) Modification to Report on Indo-Pacific Region.--

Section 5595
            (c) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263; 136 Stat. 3393) is amended--

    (1) by striking paragraph

    (1) and redesignating paragraph

    (2) as paragraph

    (1) ;

    (2) in paragraph

    (1) , as so redesignated, by striking ``the 
 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, or successor documents,'' and 
 inserting ``any relevant guidance documents''; and

    (3) by inserting after paragraph

    (1) , as so redesignated, 
 the following:
 ``

    (2) Implementing any relevant guidance documents that set 
 forth the United States Government strategy toward the Pacific 
 Islands region.''.

SEC. 7. 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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