I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3325 

To establish the Azores Cooperative Initiative Program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 29, 2015 

Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Mr. COSTA, Mr. HONDA, Mr. KEATING, and Mr. 

MCGOVERN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish the Azores Cooperative Initiative Program. 

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 ‘‘Azores Cooperative Ini5 tiative Program Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) In 1995, the United States and Portugal 

9 negotiated an agreement to institute the Azores Co10 operative Initiative Program (ACIP). ACIP replaced 

11 an earlier United States lease payment agreement 


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1 for the use of Lajes Air Force Base on the Island 

2 of Terceira in the Azores. 

3 (2) Seven hundred United States Air Force per4 sonnel and their families are stationed at Lajes Air 

5 Force Base. 

6 (3) In exchange for United States access to 

7 Lajes Air Force Base, the United States agreed to 

8 undertake ‘‘cooperation programs with the Azores’’, 

9 including in the areas of agriculture, education, 

10 tourism, and health. 

11 (4) However, the Department of Defense ceased 

12 funding ACIP because its activities have not been 

13 explicitly authorized by law. 

14 (5) The Government of Portugal and the Azor15 ean people have allowed the United States Air Force 

16 presence on the Island, which is an important stra17 tegic location for United States security interests. 

18 (6) There are many vibrant Azorean commu19 nities in the United States, including in California, 

20 Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Is21 land, and as a result the relationship between the 

22 United States and the Azores remains strong and 

23 important, for strategic, diplomatic, and cultural 

24 reasons. 


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1 (7) ACIP is a non-defense initiative, and is 

2 critically important to the United States relationship 

3 with Portugal and the Azores. 

4 (8) The 65th Air Base Wing is a United States 

5 military unit stationed at Lajes Air Force Base, 

6 Azores, Portugal, and is currently the only United 

7 States military organization in the Azores. 

8 (9) Lajes Air Force Base supported transiting 

9 aircraft during the course of Operations Joint 

10 Guard, Deny Flight, Provide Comfort, and Southern 

11 Watch. 

12 (10) Beginning in 1997, large fighter aircraft 

13 movements called Air Expeditionary Forces filled the 

14 Lajes Air Force Base flightline. Lajes has also 

15 hosted B–52 and B–1 bomber aircraft en route from 

16 global air missions. 

17 (11) Lajes Air Force Base has supported many 

18 routine North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 

19 exercises, such as the biennial Northern Viking exer20 cise. 

21 (12) For Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraq 

22 Freedom, New Dawn, and Odyssey Dawn, airmen 

23 have been deployed in support of these operations 

24 and Lajes Air Force Base hosted aircraft transiting 

25 the Azores in support of these missions. 


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1 (13) Lajes Air Force Base is an important stra2 tegic location for the United States Armed Forces 

3 and NATO, and ACIP helps to support United 

4 States strategic interests in the region. 

5 SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH AZORES COOPERATIVE 

6 INITIATIVE PROGRAM. 

7 (a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of State is author8 ized to establish a program, to be known as the ‘‘Azores 

9 Cooperative Initiative Program’’, to provide bilateral co10 operation, expertise, and resources to design and imple11 ment solutions to the provisions of the 1995 United 

12 States-Portugal Agreement on Cooperation and Defense, 

13 in areas of science, technology, education, environment 

14 and agriculture in order to further Luso-American rela15 tions. 

16 (b) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.—The program shall in17 clude the following activities: 

18 (1) Integrated pest management program for 

19 horticultural crops in the Azores, Portugal. 

20 (2) Establishment of aquacultural research in 

21 the Azores. 

22 (3) Sustainable fisheries in the Azores. 

23 (4) Improvements to the Azores health care sys24 tem, including epidemiology and control of Lepto25 spirosis in the Azores. 


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1 (5) Geological risk monitoring. 

2 (6) Tourism promotion. 

3 (7) Assistance in economic policy analysis. 

4 (8) Technical cooperation for rural develop5 ment. 

6 (9) Export promotion of Azorean products. 

7 (10) Training exchanges with regard to the ac8 tivities described in paragraphs (1) through (9). 

Æ 


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