I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7159 

To bolster United States engagement with the Pacific Islands region, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 31, 2024 

Mr. CASE (for himself, Mr. BARR, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. 

MOYLAN, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. WOMACK, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. PORTER, Ms. TOKUDA, Ms. STRICKLAND, Mr. NORCROSS, Mr. BERA, Mr. 

DUNN of Florida, and Mr. MEEKS) 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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pacific Partnership 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress as follows: 

8 (1) The United States has longstanding and en9 during cultural, historic, economic, strategic, and 


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1 people-to-people connections with the Pacific Islands, 

2 based on shared values, cultural histories, common 

3 interests, and a commitment to fostering mutual un4 derstanding and cooperation. 

5 (2) Successive United States administrations 

6 have recognized the critical importance of the Pacific 

7 Islands, to the world in high-level strategic docu8 ments, including the— 

9 (A) 2015 National Security Strategy, 

10 which first declared the rebalance to Asia and 

11 the Pacific, affirmed the United States as a Pa12 cific nation, and paved the way for subsequent 

13 United States engagement with the Pacific Is14 lands; 

15 (B) 2017 National Security Strategy, 

16 which includes a commitment to ‘‘shore up 

17 fragile partner states in the Pacific Islands re18 gion to reduce their vulnerability to economic 

19 fluctuations and natural disasters’’; 

20 (C) 2019 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, 

21 which identified the Pacific Islands as ‘‘critical 

22 to United States strategy because of our shared 

23 values, interests, and commitments’’; 

24 (D) 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, 

25 which recognized the need to engage further 


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1 with the Pacific Islands on shared security 

2 goals; and 

3 (E) 2022 Strategy for Pacific Partnership, 

4 which outlined goals and methods for deepening 

5 the United States partnerships with Pacific Is6 land nations. 

7 (3) The United States Government should fur8 ther develop, expand, and support a comprehensive 

9 and multifaceted United States policy for the Pacific 

10 Islands that— 

11 (A) promotes peace, security, and pros12 perity for all countries that respects the sov13 ereignty and political independence of all na14 tions; 

15 (B) preserves the Pacific Ocean as a cor16 ridor for international maritime economic op17 portunities and growth and promotes sustain18 able development; 

19 (C) supports regional efforts to address 

20 shared challenges, including by strengthening 

21 resilience to natural disasters and stewardship 

22 of natural resources; and 

23 (D) strengthens democratic governance 

24 and the rule of law, and promotes human rights 


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1 and the preservation of the region’s cultural 

2 heritages. 

3 (4) The United States should support the vi4 sion, values, and objectives of existing regional mul5 tilateral institutions and frameworks, such as the 

6 Pacific Islands Forum and the Pacific Community, 

7 including— 

8 (A) the 2000 Biketawa Declaration; 

9 (B) the 2014 Framework for Pacific Re10 gionalism; 

11 (C) the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional 

12 Security; 

13 (D) the Boe Declaration Action Plan; and 

14 (E) the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific 

15 Continent. 

16 (5) The United States should work closely with 

17 United States allies and partners with existing rela18 tionships and interests in the Pacific Islands, such 

19 as Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, 

20 and Taiwan, and regional institutions like the Pa21 cific Islands Forum. 

22 SEC. 3. STRATEGY FOR PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than January 1, 2026, 

24 and every 4 years thereafter, the President, in coordina25 tion with the Secretary of State, shall develop and submit 


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1 to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy en2 titled the ‘‘Strategy for Pacific Partnership’’ (in this sec3 tion referred to as the ‘‘Strategy’’). 

4 (b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The Strategy shall 

5 include each of the following: 

6 (1) A description of overarching goals for 

7 United States engagement in the Pacific Islands re8 gion, including United States diplomatic posts, de9 fense posture, and economic engagement. 

10 (2) An assessment of threats and pressures to 

11 the Pacific Islands region including those caused by 

12 factors such as— 

13 (A) natural disasters; 

14 (B) illegal, unreported, and unregulated 

15 fishing; 

16 (C) non-United States military presence 

17 and activity; 

18 (D) developmental challenges; 

19 (E) economic coercion and corruption; and 

20 (F) other factors assessed to be causing a 

21 direct risk to the United States national inter22 ests in the Pacific Islands. 

23 (3) A plan to address the threats assessed pur24 suant to paragraph (2). 


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1 (4) An analysis of the needs and goals ex2 pressed by governments of the Pacific Islands re3 gion, including at or through multilateral institu4 tions, evaluated in light of the United States na5 tional interests. 

6 (5) A plan for the resources necessary for the 

7 United States to meet its goals in the Pacific Islands 

8 region. 

9 (6) Mechanisms, including existing forums, for 

10 coordinating and cooperating on shared goals among 

11 the following, as appropriate: 

12 (A) the governments of Pacific Island 

13 countries; 

14 (B) regional partners in the Pacific Islands 

15 region, including multilateral forums and orga16 nizations, such as the Pacific Islands Forum; 

17 (C) civil society in the Pacific Islands; and 

18 (D) United States subnational govern19 ments in the Pacific. 

20 (c) CONSULTATION.—In developing the Strategy, the 

21 President should consult, as appropriate, with— 

22 (1) relevant United States governmental agen23 cies; 

24 (2) regional organizations, such as the Pacific 

25 Islands Forum, the Pacific Islands Development 


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1 Program, the Pacific Community, the Forum Fish2 eries Agency, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Re3 gional Environment Programme; 

4 (3) the governments of the countries in the Pa5 cific Islands; 

6 (4) civil society stakeholders; 

7 (5) United States allies and partners; and 

8 (6) United States Pacific territories and States. 

9 SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITIES TO THE 

10 PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM. 

11 The provisions of the International Organizations Im12 munities Act (22 U.S.C. 288 et seq.) may be extended to 

13 the Pacific Islands Forum in the same manner, to the 

14 same extent, and subject to the same conditions as such 

15 provisions may be extended to a public international orga16 nization in which the United States participates pursuant 

17 to any treaty or under the authority of any Act of Con18 gress authorizing such participation or making an appro19 priation for such participation. 

20 SEC. 5. REPORTS ON IMPLEMENTATION. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

22 date of submission of a strategy detailed in section 3(a), 

23 the President shall submit to the appropriate congres24 sional committees an implementation report— 


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1 (1) with a proposed timeline for implementation 

2 of the strategy described in section 3(a) of this Act; 

3 (2) detailing the assessed number of full-time 

4 equivalent positions and contractors needed to 

5 achieve the goals laid out in the strategy described 

6 in section 3(a) of this Act; 

7 (3) describing any institutional or structural re8 organizations suggested to help carry out the strat9 egy described in section 3(a) of this Act; and 

10 (4) if necessary, identifying additional funding 

11 needed to support resource levels to carry out the 

12 strategy described in 3(a). 

13 (b) CONSOLIDATION.—A report required by this sub14 section may be consolidated with any other report required 

15 to be submitted by the same Federal official on the same 

16 or similar date as the requirement under this subsection. 

17 SEC. 6. ALLIES AND PARTNERS IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS 

18 REGION. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President, in consultation 

20 with the Secretary of State, and the relevant heads of 

21 other Federal departments and agencies, should consult 

22 and coordinate with allies and partners in the Pacific Is23 lands region, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, 

24 Taiwan, and regional institutions, such as the Pacific Is25 lands Forum, the Pacific Islands Development Program, 


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1 the Pacific Community and Secretariat for the Pacific Re2 gional Environment Programme, with respect to programs 

3 to provide assistance to the Pacific Islands, including for 

4 purposes of— 

5 (1) deconflicting programming; 

6 (2) ensuring that any programming does not 

7 adversely affect the absorptive capacity of the Pa8 cific Islands; 

9 (3) ensuring complementary programs benefit 

10 the Pacific Islands to the maximum extent prac11 ticable; and 

12 (4) ensuring that programming aligns with re13 gional development goals, as outlined by documents 

14 such as the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Con15 tinent in order to support sustainable development 

16 and promote a shared vision for the future of the 

17 Pacific Islands. 

18 (b) FORMAL CONSULTATIVE PROCESS.—The Presi19 dent should establish a formal consultative process with 

20 such regional allies and partners to coordinate with re21 spect to such programs and future-years programming. 

22 SEC. 7. REPORTING. 

23 (a) UPDATES OF CERTAIN REPORTS.—The Secretary 

24 of State, in coordination with the heads of other Federal 

25 departments and agencies as appropriate, shall annually 


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1 update the reports listed in subsection (b) to include with2 in the scope of such reports a regional discussion of 

3 transnational crime affecting the Pacific Islands. 

4 (b) REPORTS LISTED.—The reports listed in this 

5 subsection are the following: 

6 (1) The International Narcotics Control Strat7 egy report required by section 489 of the Foreign 

8 Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291h). 

9 (2) The Improving International Fisheries Man10 agement report required by section 607 of title VI 

11 of the Fisheries Act of 1995 (16 U.S.C. 1826h). 

12 (3) The Trafficking in Persons report sub13 mitted under section 110 of the Trafficking Victims 

14 Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107). 

15 SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 

16 In this Act: 

17 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT18 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com19 mittees’’ means— 

20 (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

21 the House of Representatives; and 

22 (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

23 the Senate. 

24 (2) PACIFIC ISLANDS; PACIFIC ISLANDS RE25 GION.—The term ‘‘Pacific Islands’’ and ‘‘Pacific IsVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:07 Feb 01, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7159.IH H7159

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1 lands region’’ mean the nations, territories, and 

2 other jurisdictions in the Pacific Ocean within the 

3 broad groupings of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Poly4 nesia. 

Æ 


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