II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4148 

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

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 17, 2024 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself and Ms. ERNST) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

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 that— 

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

10 people-to-people connections with the Pacific Islands 


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1 region, based on shared values, cultural histories, 

2 common interests, and a commitment to fostering 

3 mutual understanding and cooperation; 

4 (2) successive Presidential administrations have 

5 recognized the critical importance of the Pacific Is6 lands region to the world in high-level strategic doc7 uments, including— 

8 (A) the 2015 National Security Strategy, 

9 which first declared the rebalance to Asia and 

10 the Pacific, affirmed the United States as a Pa11 cific nation, and paved the way for subsequent 

12 United States engagement with the Pacific Is13 lands region; 

14 (B) the 2017 National Security Strategy, 

15 which included a commitment to ‘‘shore up 

16 fragile partner states in the Pacific Islands re17 gion to reduce their vulnerability to economic 

18 fluctuations and natural disasters’’; 

19 (C) the 2019 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, 

20 which identified the Pacific Islands region as 

21 ‘‘critical to the U.S. strategy because of our 

22 shared values, interests, and commitments’’; 

23 (D) the 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, which 

24 recognized the need to engage further with the 


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1 Pacific Islands region on shared security goals; 

2 and 

3 (E) the 2022 Pacific Partnership Strategy, 

4 which outlined goals and methods for deepening 

5 United States partnerships with Pacific Island 

6 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 region that— 

11 (A) promotes peace, security, and pros12 perity for all nations in a manner that respects 

13 the sovereignty and political independence of all 

14 nations; 

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 vision, 

4 values, and objectives of existing regional multilat5 eral institutions, such as the Pacific Islands Forum 

6 and the Pacific Community, and frameworks includ7 ing— 

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; and 

16 (5) the United States should work closely with 

17 allies and partners of the United States that have 

18 existing relationships and interests in the Pacific Is19 lands region, such as Australia, Japan, South 

20 Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan, and regional in21 stitutions such as the Pacific 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 with respect to the diplomatic posts, 

9 defense posture, and economic engagement of the 

10 United States. 

11 (2) An assessment of threats to and pressures 

12 on the Pacific Islands region, including such threats 

13 and pressures caused by factors such as— 

14 (A) natural disasters; 

15 (B) illegal, unreported, and unregulated 

16 fishing; 

17 (C) the presence and activity of non18 United States militaries; 

19 (D) developmental challenges; 

20 (E) economic coercion and corruption; and 

21 (F) other factors causing a direct risk to 

22 the national interests of the United States in 

23 the Pacific Islands region, as determined by the 

24 President. 


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1 (3) A plan to address the threats assessed pur2 suant to paragraph (2). 

3 (4) An analysis of the needs and goals ex4 pressed by governments of nations in the Pacific Is5 lands region, including at or through multilateral in6 stitutions, evaluated in light of the national interests 

7 of the United States. 

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

9 United States to meet its goals in the Pacific Islands 

10 region. 

11 (6) An identification of mechanisms, including 

12 existing forums, for coordinating and cooperating on 

13 shared goals among the following, as appropriate: 

14 (A) The governments of nations in the Pa15 cific Islands region. 

16 (B) Regional partners in the Pacific Is17 lands region, including multilateral forums and 

18 organizations such as the Pacific Islands 

19 Forum. 

20 (C) Civil society in the Pacific Islands re21 gion. 

22 (D) Subnational governments of the 

23 United States in the Pacific. 


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

2 President shall consult, as the President considers appro3 priate, with— 

4 (1) such governmental agencies of the United 

5 States as the President considers relevant; 

6 (2) regional organizations such as the Pacific 

7 Islands Forum, the Pacific Islands Development 

8 Program, the Pacific Community, the Forum Fish9 eries Agency, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Re10 gional Environment Programme; 

11 (3) the governments of nations in the Pacific 

12 Islands region; 

13 (4) stakeholders from civil society; 

14 (5) allies and partners of the United States; 

15 and 

16 (6) States and territories of the United States 

17 in the Pacific. 

18 (d) REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

20 after the date on which the Strategy is submitted, 

21 the President shall submit to the appropriate con22 gressional committees a report on the implementa23 tion of the Strategy. 


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1 (2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report 

2 required by paragraph (1) shall include the fol3 lowing: 

4 (A) A proposed timeline for the implemen5 tation of the Strategy. 

6 (B) The number of full-time equivalent po7 sitions and contractors needed to achieve the 

8 goals included in the Strategy. 

9 (C) A description of any institutional or 

10 structural reorganizations the President rec11 ommends to help carry out the Strategy. 

12 (D) An identification of any additional 

13 funding needed to carry out the Strategy. 

14 (3) CONSOLIDATION.—The report required by 

15 paragraph (1) may be consolidated with any other 

16 report required to be submitted by the President on 

17 the date described in such paragraph or a similar 

18 date. 

19 SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES, EXEMP20 TIONS, AND IMMUNITIES TO THE PACIFIC IS21 LANDS FORUM. 

22 The provisions of the International Organizations Im23 munities Act (22 U.S.C. 288 et seq.) may be extended to 

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

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


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1 provisions may be extended to a public international orga2 nization in which the United States participates pursuant 

3 to any treaty or under the authority of any Act of Con4 gress authorizing such participation or making an appro5 priation for such participation. 

6 SEC. 5. CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION WITH ALLIES 

7 AND PARTNERS IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS RE8 GION. 

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

10 with the Secretary of State and such other heads of Fed11 eral departments and agencies as the President considers 

12 relevant, shall consult and coordinate with allies and part13 ners of the United States in the Pacific Islands region, 

14 including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and re15 gional institutions such as the Pacific Islands Forum, the 

16 Pacific Islands Development Program, the Pacific Com17 munity, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Envi18 ronment Programme, with respect to programs to provide 

19 assistance to the Pacific Islands region, including for pur20 poses of— 

21 (1) deconflicting programming; 

22 (2) ensuring that any programming does not 

23 adversely affect the absorptive capacity of the Pa24 cific Islands region; 


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1 (3) ensuring complementary programs benefit 

2 the Pacific Islands region to the maximum extent 

3 practicable; and 

4 (4) ensuring that programming aligns with re5 gional development goals, as outlined by documents 

6 such as the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Con7 tinent, in order to support sustainable development 

8 and promote a shared vision for the future of the 

9 Pacific Islands region. 

10 (b) FORMAL CONSULTATIVE PROCESS.—The Presi11 dent shall establish a formal consultative process with the 

12 allies and partners described in subsection (a) for coordi13 nation with respect to the programs described in such sub14 section. 

15 SEC. 6. REPORTS ON TRANSNATIONAL CRIME AFFECTING 

16 THE PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION. 

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

18 of State, in coordination with such other heads of Federal 

19 departments and agencies as the Secretary considers ap20 propriate, shall annually update the reports listed in sub21 section (b) to include a discussion of transnational crime 

22 affecting the Pacific Islands region. 

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

24 subsection are the following: 


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1 (1) The international narcotics control strategy 

2 report required by section 489(a) of the Foreign As3 sistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291h(a)). 

4 (2) The report on international compliance with 

5 fisheries requirements required by section 607 of the 

6 High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection 

7 Act (16 U.S.C. 1826h). 

8 (3) The report on trafficking in persons re9 quired by section 110(b)(1) of the Trafficking Vic10 tims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(1)). 

11 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 

12 In this Act: 

13 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT14 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com15 mittees’’ means— 

16 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

17 the Senate; and 

18 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

19 the House of Representatives. 

20 (2) PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION.—The term ‘‘Pa21 cific Islands region’’ means the nations, territories, 

22 and other jurisdictions in the Pacific Ocean within 

23 Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. 

Æ 


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