“A bill to bolster United States engagement with the Pacific Islands region, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states the sense of Congress recognizing longstanding U.S. cultural, historic, economic, strategic, and people-to-people connections with the Pacific Islands and successive administrations' strategic documents affirming their importance, including the 2015 and 2017 National Security Strategies, 2019 and 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy Reports, and 2022 Strategy for Pacific Partnership. The section urges the United States to develop a comprehensive policy for the Pacific Islands that (1) promotes peace, security, and prosperity while respecting sovereignty; (2) preserves the Pacific Ocean for maritime economic opportunities and sustainable development; (3) supports regional efforts on shared challenges such as natural disasters and natural resources; and (4) strengthens democratic governance, rule of law, human rights, and cultural heritage. It further states the sense of Congress that the United States should collaborate with regional institutions such as the Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific Community, as well as allies and partners including Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan.
This section directs the President, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a “Strategy for Pacific Partnership” by January 1, 2026, and again by January 1, 2030. The strategy must include (1) a description of overarching goals for U.S. engagement in the Pacific Islands region, including diplomatic posts, defense posture, and economic engagement; (2) an assessment of threats and pressures such as natural disasters, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, non-U.S. military presence and activity, developmental challenges, economic coercion and corruption, and other risks to U.S. national interests; (3) a plan to address those threats; (4) a plan for necessary resources; and (5) mechanisms, including existing forums, for coordinating with Pacific Island governments, regional partners such as the Pacific Islands Forum, civil society, and U.S. subnational governments in the Pacific. In developing the strategy, the President must consult, as appropriate, with relevant U.S. agencies, regional organizations (e.g., Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Community), Pacific Island governments, civil society, U.S. allies and partners, and U.S. Pacific territories and states.
This section authorizes extension of the International Organizations Immunities Act (IOIA; 22 U.S.C. 288 et seq.) to the Pacific Islands Forum in the same manner, to the same extent, and subject to the same conditions as to a public international organization in which the United States participates pursuant to treaty or Act of Congress. (The IOIA provides immunities and privileges—similar to diplomatic status—to designated international organizations and their officers, employees, and accredited representatives.)
This section directs the President, in consultation with the Secretary of State and relevant federal agency heads, to 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, Pacific Islands Development Program, Pacific Community, and Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme—on assistance programs for the Pacific Islands to (1) deconflict programming, (2) avoid adversely affecting absorptive capacity, (3) maximize complementary benefits, and (4) align with regional development goals. The section further directs the President to establish a formal consultative process with such allies and partners for coordinating current and future assistance programming.
This section requires the Secretary of State, in coordination with other federal departments and agencies as appropriate, to annually update three congressionally mandated reports—(1) the International Narcotics Control Strategy report required by section 489 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291h); (2) the Improving International Fisheries Management report required by section 607 of title VI of the Fisheries Act of 1995 (16 U.S.C. 1826h), previously biennial; and (3) the Trafficking in Persons report required by section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107)—to include a regional discussion of transnational crime affecting the Pacific Islands. (As background, the Improving International Fisheries Management report assesses shared international living marine resources, nations identified for illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing under related authorities, and U.S. and international efforts to address such activities and protect marine species.) This section also amends section 5595(c) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263) by striking paragraph (1); redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (1) and, in such paragraph, replacing "the 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, or successor documents" with "any relevant guidance documents"; and inserting a new paragraph (2) requiring implementation of relevant U.S. government strategy guidance documents toward the Pacific Islands region.
This section defines key terms for the Act, including (1) "appropriate congressional committees" as the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and (2) "Pacific Islands" and "Pacific Islands region" as the nations, territories, and other jurisdictions in the Pacific Ocean within the broad groupings of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.