114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4939 

AN ACT 

To increase engagement with the governments of the Caribbean region, the Caribbean diaspora community in the 

United States, and the private sector and civil society 

in both the United States and the Caribbean, 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, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States–Carib3 bean Strategic Engagement Act of 2016’’. 

4 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

5 Congress declares that it is the policy of the United 

6 States to increase engagement with the governments of 

7 the Caribbean region, the Caribbean diaspora community 

8 in the United States, and the private sector and civil soci9 ety in both the United States and the Caribbean in a con10 certed effort to— 

11 (1) enhance diplomatic relations between the 

12 United States and the Caribbean region; 

13 (2) increase economic cooperation between the 

14 United States and the Caribbean region; 

15 (3) support regional economic, political, and se16 curity integration efforts in the Caribbean region; 

17 (4) encourage sustainable economic develop18 ment and increased regional economic diversification 

19 and global competitiveness; 

20 (5) reduce levels of crime and violence, curb the 

21 trafficking of illicit drugs, strengthen the rule of law, 

22 and improve citizen security; 

23 (6) improve energy security by increasing access 

24 to diverse, reliable, affordable, and sustainable 

25 power; 
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1 (7) advance cooperation on democracy and 

2 human rights in the Caribbean region and at multi3 lateral fora; and 

4 (8) continue support for public health advances 

5 and cooperation on health concerns and threats to 

6 the Caribbean region. 

7 SEC. 3. STRATEGY. 

8 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact9 ment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination 

10 with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 

11 International Development (USAID), shall submit to the 

12 appropriate congressional committees a multi-year strat13 egy for United States engagement with the Caribbean re14 gion that— 

15 (1) identifies Department of State and USAID 

16 efforts, in coordination with other executive branch 

17 agencies, to prioritize United States policy towards 

18 the Caribbean region; 

19 (2) outlines an approach to broaden Depart20 ment of State and USAID outreach to the Carib21 bean diaspora community in the United States to 

22 promote their involvement and participation in the 

23 economic development and citizen security of the 

24 Caribbean region; 
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1 (3) outlines an approach to partner with the 

2 governments of the Caribbean region to improve cit3 izen security, reduce the trafficking of illicit drugs, 

4 strengthen the rule of law, and improve the effective5 ness and sustainability of the Caribbean Basin Secu6 rity Initiative; 

7 (4) establishes a comprehensive, integrated, 

8 multi-year strategy to encourage the efforts of the 

9 Caribbean region to implement regional and national 

10 strategies that improve energy security by increasing 

11 access to diverse, reliable, affordable, and sustain12 able power, including significant renewable energy 

13 resources within the Caribbean region such as bio14 mass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, tidal, waste-to15 energy, and wind, and by taking advantage of the 

16 ongoing energy revolution in the Unites States; 

17 (5) outlines an approach to improve diplomatic 

18 engagement with the governments of the Caribbean 

19 region, including with respect to key votes on human 

20 rights and democracy at the United Nations and the 

21 Organization of American States; 

22 (6) develops an approach to assisting Caribbean 

23 countries in the diversification of their economies, 

24 the reduction of legal, technical, and administrative 

25 barriers that prevent the free flow of foreign direct 
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1 investment and trade to and from each country and 

2 within the Caribbean region, and support for the 

3 training and employment of youth and citizens in 

4 marginalized communities; and 

5 (7) reflects the input of other executive branch 

6 agencies, as appropriate. 

7 SEC. 4. BRIEFINGS. 

8 The Secretary of State shall provide annual briefings 

9 to the appropriate congressional committees that review 

10 Department of State efforts to implement the strategy for 

11 United States engagement with the Caribbean region in 

12 accordance with section 3. 

13 SEC. 5. PROGRESS REPORT. 

14 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

15 of this Act and biennially thereafter for the following 4 

16 years, the President shall transmit to the appropriate con17 gressional committees a report on progress made toward 

18 to implementing the strategy for United States engage19 ment with the Caribbean region in accordance with section 

20 3. 

21 SEC. 6. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORT 

22 ON CARIBBEAN BASIN SECURITY INITIATIVE. 

23 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

24 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
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1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

2 a report that contains the following: 

3 (1) An evaluation of the Caribbean Basin Secu4 rity Initiative (CBSI) and the extent to which the 

5 CBSI has met Department of State and USAID 

6 benchmarks. 

7 (2) An accounting of CBSI funding appro8 priated, obligated, and expended from fiscal year 

9 2010 through fiscal year 2016. 

10 (3) A breakdown of yearly CBSI assistance pro11 vided to each CBSI country. 

12 (4) A description of how CBSI is coordinated 

13 with other security assistance programs in the West14 ern Hemisphere, particularly the Merida Initiative 

15 and the Central America Regional Security Initia16 tive, and the role of the Department of State’s Sen17 ior Coordinator for the Citizen Security Initiatives in 

18 the Western Hemisphere in such coordination. 

19 (5) A description of all United States security 

20 assistance provided to the Caribbean region, exclu21 sive of assistance through CBSI. 

22 (6) Recommendations for legislative and execu23 tive action to make CBSI more effective and effi24 cient, as appropriate. 
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1 SEC. 7. GAO REPORT ON DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT IN 

2 THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN. 

3 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

4 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 

5 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

6 a report that contains the following: 

7 (1) An evaluation of United States diplomatic 

8 outreach from the United States embassy in Bar9 bados to the countries of Antigua and Barbuda, 

10 Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. 

11 Vincent, and the Grenadines. 

12 (2) A list of visits over the previous 5 years of 

13 personnel at the United States embassy in Barbados 

14 to the countries of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, 

15 St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent, and 

16 the Grenadines. 

17 (3) A description of how personnel at the 

18 United States embassy in Barbados have engaged 

19 with government officials and civil society organiza20 tions in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts 

21 and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent, and the Gren22 adines over the previous 5 years. 

23 (4) A description of how personnel at the 

24 United States embassy in Grenada have engaged 

25 with government officials and civil society organiza26 tions over the previous 5 years. 
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1 SEC. 8. REPORTING COST OFFSET. 

2 Paragraph (4) of section 601(c) of the Foreign Serv3 ice Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4001(c)) is amended in the 

4 matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘the fol5 lowing:’’ and all that follows through ‘‘A workforce plan’’ 

6 and inserting ‘‘a workforce plan’’ and adjusting the mar7 gins accordingly. 

8 SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act: 

10 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT11 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com12 mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

13 the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

14 Foreign Relations of the Senate. 

15 (2) CARIBBEAN REGION.—The term ‘‘Caribbean 

16 region’’ means the Caribbean Basin Security Initia17 tive beneficiary countries. 

18 (3) SECURITY ASSISTANCE.—The term ‘‘secu19 rity assistance’’ has the meaning given such term in 

20 section 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

21 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(d)). 

Passed the House of Representatives June 13, 2016. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4939 

AN ACT 

To increase engagement with the governments of 

and the Caribbean, and for other purposes. sector and civil society in both the United States community in the United States, and the private the Caribbean region, the Caribbean diaspora