II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4209 

To require a feasibility study regarding establishing new diplomatic posts 

in the Pacific Islands. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 12, 2022 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. COTTON, Mr. MARKEY, and Mr. HAGERTY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To require a feasibility study regarding establishing new 

diplomatic posts in the Pacific Islands. 

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 ‘‘Expanding America’s 

5 Pacific Diplomatic Presence Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FEASIBILITY STUDY REGARDING ESTABLISHING 

7 NEW DIPLOMATIC POSTS IN THE PACIFIC IS8 LANDS. 

9 (a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Comptroller General of 

10 the United States shall conduct a study assessing the feaVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:29 May 17, 2022 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4209.IS S4209

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1 sibility of establishing new diplomatic posts in Pacific Is2 lands countries and territories that currently do not have 

3 a United States embassy or other United States diplo4 matic post. 

5 (b) BRIEFING AND REPORT.—The Comptroller Gen6 eral of the United States shall— 

7 (1) not later than one year after the date of the 

8 enactment of this Act, brief the appropriate congres9 sional committees on preliminary observations relat10 ing to the study conducted under subsection (a); and 

11 (2) not later than 18 months after the date of 

12 the enactment of this Act, submit to the appropriate 

13 congressional committees a report on the results of 

14 the study. 

15 (c) ELEMENTS.—The report required under sub16 section (b) shall include the following elements: 

17 (1) An explanation of the methodologies and 

18 processes the Department of State uses when deter19 mining whether and where to establish new diplo20 matic posts abroad and the scale and size of such 

21 posts. 

22 (2) A description of the existing diplomatic 

23 posts the Department of State has in the Pacific Is24 lands region and an analysis of how they advance 

25 United States national security priorities. 


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1 (3) An assessment of what is known about the 

2 impact the opening of new diplomatic posts in the 

3 Pacific Islands region will have on— 

4 (A) United States relations with host na5 tions; 

6 (B) United States relations with other al7 lies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region; and 

8 (C) the advancement of United States na9 tional security priorities. 

10 (4) An assessment of what is known about the 

11 feasibility of establishing new diplomatic posts in the 

12 Pacific Islands region. 

13 (5) An assessment of proposed locations for 

14 new diplomatic posts in the Pacific Islands region to 

15 expand the United States diplomatic presence in the 

16 region. 

17 (6) An assessment of alternatives to estab18 lishing new diplomatic posts that would expand the 

19 United States diplomatic presence in the Pacific Is20 lands region. 

21 (7) A determination of the costs to the Depart22 ment of constructing or acquiring new diplomatic 

23 posts in the Pacific Islands region, and an expla24 nation and analysis of such costs. 


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1 (8) A determination of the costs to the Depart2 ment of expanding existing diplomatic posts in the 

3 Pacific Islands region as an alternative to con4 structing or acquiring new facilities, and an expla5 nation and analysis of such costs. 

6 (9) A determination of the costs to the Depart7 ment of staffing new diplomatic posts in the Pacific 

8 Islands region, including with regard to allowances, 

9 differentials, and other benefits to which Foreign 

10 Service officers assigned to such posts may be enti11 tled and the salaries and benefits afforded to locally 

12 employed staff. 

13 (10) An assessment of personnel from agencies 

14 other than the Department of State, including the 

15 Department of Defense, who will be needed at new 

16 diplomatic posts in the Pacific Islands region. 

17 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

18 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT19 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com20 mittees’’ means— 

21 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 

22 and the Committee on Armed Services of the 

23 Senate; and 


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1 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 

2 the Committee on Armed Services of the House 

3 of Representatives. 

4 (2) DIPLOMATIC POST.—The term ‘‘diplomatic 

5 post’’ means an embassy, consulate general, con6 sulate, consular agency, or other overseas post of a 

7 United States mission. 

8 (3) PACIFIC ISLANDS COUNTRIES AND TERRI9 TORIES THAT CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE A UNITED

10 STATES EMBASSY OR OTHER UNITED STATES DIPLO11 MATIC POST.—The term ‘‘Pacific Islands countries 

12 and territories that currently do not have a United 

13 States embassy or other United States diplomatic 

14 post’’ means Tonga, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, 

15 Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands, 

16 Niue, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia. 

Æ 


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