119-hr3748

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3748 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3748

To require the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on the 
 promotion of certain policies regarding the effects of sea level rise 
 on the statehood and maritime zones of countries, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 5, 2025

 Mr. Bera (for himself, Mr. Moylan, Mr. Case, Mrs. Radewagen, and Mr. 
 Krishnamoorthi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To require the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on the 
 promotion of certain policies regarding the effects of sea level rise 
 on the statehood and maritime zones of countries, 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 ``Maintaining Area Rights and 
Integrity Through International Maritime Enforcement Act'' or the 
``MARITIME Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Increasing sea levels pose an existential threat to 
 low-lying island States in the Pacific Ocean.

    (2) Maritime zones are critical for the economies of the 
 Pacific Islands, which depend on exclusive rights to resources.

    (3) New trends are developing in the practices and views of 
 States on the need for stable maritime zones in the face of sea 
 level rise, as reflected in the approach taken by the members 
 of the Pacific Islands Forum and the Alliance of Small Island 
 States.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

 It is the policy of the United States that--

    (1) sea level rise driven by climate change should not 
 cause any country to lose its statehood or its membership in 
 the United Nations, its specialized agencies, or other 
 international organizations;

    (2) the United States is committed to working with other 
 countries on issues relating to sea level rise and statehood to 
 advance these objectives;

    (3) sea level rise driven by climate change should not 
 diminish the maritime zones on which island States and other 
 coastal States rely, including for food and livelihoods;

    (4) the United States is committed to preserving the 
 legitimacy of maritime zones, and associated rights and 
 entitlements, that have been established consistent with 
 international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention 
 on the Law of the Sea and that are not subsequently updated 
 despite sea level rise caused by climate change;

    (5) countries should support the initiative of the Pacific 
 Islands Forum and the Alliance of Small Island States to take 
 steps now to determine, memorialize, and publish their coastal 
 baselines in accordance with the international law of the sea 
 as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the 
 Sea; and

    (6) the United States will encourage countries to adopt 
 similar policies on the issue of statehood and the preservation 
 of maritime zones.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on the efforts of the 
United States to promote the adoption, by foreign countries and 
international organizations, of policies that are complementary to 
United States policies regarding the effects of sea level rise on the 
statehood and maritime zones of countries.

    (b) Report Contents.--The report required by subsection

    (a) shall 
include the following:

    (1) A comprehensive review of the initiatives of the 
 Department of State and other relevant departments and agencies 
 to promote the adoption of policies described in subsection

    (a) by foreign countries and international organizations.

    (2) An assessment of how the Department of State and other 
 relevant departments and agencies are establishing or expanding 
 bilateral and multilateral efforts to encourage the adoption of 
 policies described in subsection

    (a) in international fora.

    (3) An assessment of any legal, policy, logistical, 
 financial, or administrative barrier to promoting the adoption 
 of policies described in subsection

    (a) .

    (4) A list of countries and international organizations 
 that have adopted policies described in subsection

    (a) .
            (c) Form of Report.--The report required under subsection

    (a) shall 
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
            (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--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.
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