326 
(B) scheduled redeployment of volunteers to 
regional or United States-based healthcare facili-
ties for routine physical and behavioral health 
evaluation. 
(c) VOLUNTEERS IN LOW-INCOME OCEANIA COMMU-
NITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In examining the potential to 
expand the presence of Peace Corps volunteers in low- 
income Oceania communities under subsection (a)(2), 
the Director of the Peace Corps shall consider the de-
velopment of initiatives described in paragraph (2). 
(2) INITIATIVES
DESCRIBED.—Initiatives de-
scribed in this paragraph are volunteer initiatives 
that help the countries of Oceania address social, eco-
nomic, and development needs of their communities, 
including by— 
(A) addressing, through appropriate resil-
ience-based interventions, the vulnerability that 
communities in Oceania face as result of extreme 
weather, severe environmental change, and other 
climate related trends; and 
(B) improving, through smart infrastruc-
ture principles, access to transportation and 
connectivity infrastructure that will help address 
the economic and social challenges that commu-
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nities in Oceania confront as a result of poor or 
nonexistent infrastructure. 
(d) OCEANIA DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘Oceania’’ includes the following: 
(1) Easter Island of Chile. 
(2) Fiji. 
(3) French Polynesia of France. 
(4) Kiribati. 
(5) New Caledonia of France. 
(6) Nieu of New Zealand. 
(7) Papua New Guinea. 
(8) Samoa. 
(9) Vanuatu. 
(10) The Ashmore and Cartier Islands of Aus-
tralia. 
(11) The Cook Islands of New Zealand. 
(12) The Coral Islands of Australia. 
(13) The Federated States of Micronesia. 
(14) The Norfolk Island of Australia. 
(15) The Pitcairn Islands of the United King-
dom. 
(16) The Republic of the Marshal Islands. 
(17) The Republic of Palau. 
(18) The Solomon Islands. 
(19) Tokelau of New Zealand. 
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(20) Tonga. 
(21) Tuvalu. 
(22) Wallis and Futuna of France. 
PART VIII—PACIFIC ISLANDS 
SEC. 295. SHORT TITLE. 
This part may be cited as the ‘‘Boosting Long-term 
U.S. Engagement in the Pacific Act’’ or the ‘‘BLUE Pacific 
Act’’. 
SEC. 296. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Pacific Islands— 
(A) are home to roughly 10 million resi-
dents, including over 8.6 million in Papua New 
Guinea, constituting diverse and dynamic cul-
tures and peoples; 
(B) are spread across an expanse of the Pa-
cific Ocean equivalent to 15 percent of the 
Earth’s surface, including the three sub-regions 
of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia; and 
(C) face shared challenges in development 
that have distinct local contexts, including cli-
mate change and rising sea levels, geographic 
distances from major markets, and vulnerability 
to external shocks such as natural disasters. 
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(2) The United States is a Pacific country with 
longstanding ties and shared values and interests 
with the Pacific Islands, including through the Com-
pacts of Free Association with the Freely Associated 
States, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Fed-
erated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of 
Palau. 
(3) The United States has vital national security 
interests in the Pacific Islands, including— 
(A) protecting regional peace and security 
that fully respects the sovereignty of all nations; 
(B) advancing economic prosperity free 
from coercion through trade and sustainable de-
velopment; and 
(C) supporting democracy, good governance, 
the rule of law, and human rights and funda-
mental freedoms. 
(4) Successive United States administrations 
have recognized the importance of the Pacific region, 
including the Pacific Islands, in high-level strategic 
documents, including the following: 
(A) The 2015 National Security Strategy, 
which first declared the rebalance to Asia and 
the Pacific, affirmed the United States as a Pa-
cific nation, and paved the way for subsequent 
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United States engagement with the Pacific Is-
lands, including several new policies focused on 
conservation and resilience to climate change an-
nounced in September 2016. 
(B) The 2017 National Security Strategy, 
which includes a commitment to ‘‘shore up frag-
ile partner states in the Pacific Islands region to 
reduce their vulnerability to economic fluctua-
tions and natural disasters’’. 
(C) The 2019 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, 
which identified the Pacific Islands as ‘‘critical 
to U.S. strategy because of our shared values, in-
terests, and commitments’’ and committed the 
United States to ‘‘building capacity and resil-
ience to address maritime security; Illegal, Unre-
ported, and Unregulated fishing; drug traf-
ficking; and resilience to address climate change 
and disaster response’’. 
(5) The United States has deepened its diplo-
matic engagement with the Pacific Islands through 
several recent initiatives, including— 
(A) the Pacific Pledge, which provided an 
additional 
$100,000,000 
in 
2019 
and 
$200,000,000 in 2020, on top of the approxi-
mately $350,000,000 that the United States pro-
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vides annually to the region to support shared 
priorities in economic and human development, 
climate change, and more; and 
(B) the Small and Less Populous Island 
Economies (SALPIE) Initiative launched in 
March 2021 to strengthen United States collabo-
ration with island countries and territories, in-
cluding in the Pacific Islands, on COVID–19 
economic challenges, long-term economic develop-
ment, climate change, and other shared interests. 
(6) The Boe Declaration on Regional Security, 
signed by leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in 
2018, affirmed that climate change ‘‘remains the sin-
gle greatest threat to the livelihoods, security, and 
wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific’’ and asserted 
‘‘the sovereign right of every Member to conduct its 
national affairs free of external interference and coer-
cion’’. 
(7) The Asian Development Bank has estimated 
that the Pacific Islands region needs upwards of $2.8 
billion a year in investment needs through 2030, in 
addition to $300 million a year for climate mitiga-
tion and adaptation over the same period. 
(8) The Pacific Islands swiftly enacted effective 
policies to prevent and contain the spread of the 
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (commonly referred to as 
‘‘COVID–19’’) pandemic to their populations. The 
United States has provided over $130,000,000 in as-
sistance to the Pacific Islands for their COVID–19 re-
sponse. However, priorities must be met to ensure 
continued success in preventing the spread of the 
COVID–19 pandemic, achieving swift and widespread 
vaccinations, and pursuing long-term economic recov-
ery in the Pacific Islands, including through— 
(A) expanding testing capacity and acquisi-
tion of needed medical supplies, including avail-
able COVID–19 vaccines and supporting vac-
cination efforts, through a reliable supply chain; 
(B) planning for lifting of lockdowns and 
reopening of economic and social activities; and 
(C) mitigating and recovering from the im-
pacts of the COVID–19 pandemic on the health 
system and the reliance on food and energy im-
ports as well as lost tourism revenue and other 
economic and food security damages caused by 
the pandemic. 
(9) Since 1966, thousands of Peace Corps volun-
teers have proudly served in the Pacific Islands, 
building strong people-to-people relationships and 
demonstrating the United States commitment to peace 
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and development in the region. Prior to the COVID– 
19 pandemic, the Peace Corps maintained presence in 
four countries of the Pacific Islands. Peace Corps vol-
unteers continue to be in high demand in the Pacific 
Islands and have been requested across the region. 
SEC. 297. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States— 
(1) to develop and commit to a comprehensive, 
multifaceted, and principled United States policy in 
the Pacific Islands that— 
(A) promotes peace, security, and prosperity 
for all countries through a rules-based regional 
order that respects the sovereignty and political 
independence of all nations; 
(B) preserves the Pacific Ocean as an open 
and vibrant corridor for international maritime 
trade and promotes trade and sustainable devel-
opment that supports inclusive economic growth 
and autonomy for all nations and addresses so-
cioeconomic challenges related to public health, 
education, renewable energy, digital connectivity, 
and more; 
(C) supports regional efforts to address the 
challenges posed by climate change, including by 
strengthening resilience to natural disasters and 
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through responsible stewardship of natural re-
sources; 
(D) improves civil society, strengthens 
democratic governance and the rule of law, and 
promotes human rights and the preservation of 
the region’s unique cultural heritages; 
(E) assists the Pacific Islands in preventing 
and containing the spread of the COVID–19 
pandemic and in pursuing long-term economic 
recovery; and 
(F) supports existing regional architecture 
and international norms; 
(2) to support the vision, values, and objectives 
of existing regional multilateral institutions and 
frameworks, such as the Pacific Islands Forum and 
the Pacific Community, including— 
(A) the 2014 Framework for Pacific Region-
alism; 
(B) the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional 
Security; and 
(C) the Boe Declaration Action Plan; 
(3) to extend and renew the provisions of the 
Compacts of Free Association and related United 
States law that will expire in 2023 for the Republic 
of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of 
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Micronesia and in 2024 for the Republic of Palau un-
less they are extended and renewed; and 
(4) to work closely with United States allies and 
partners with existing relationships and interests in 
the Pacific Islands, such as Australia, Japan, New 
Zealand, and Taiwan, in advancing common goals. 
SEC. 298. DEFINITION. 
In this part, the terms ‘‘Pacific Islands’’ means the 
Cook Islands, the Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Kiribati, 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States 
of Micronesia, the Republic of Nauru, Niue, the Republic 
of Palau, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the 
Independent State of Samoa, the Solomon Islands, the 
Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Vanuatu. 
SEC. 299. AUTHORITY TO CONSOLIDATE REPORTS; FORM OF 
REPORTS. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO CONSOLIDATE REPORTS.—Any re-
ports required to be submitted to the appropriate congres-
sional committees under this part that are subject to dead-
lines for submission consisting of the same units of time 
may be consolidated into a single report that is submitted 
to the appropriate congressional committees pursuant to 
such deadlines and that contains all information required 
under such reports. 
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(b) FORM OF REPORTS.—Each report required by this 
part shall be submitted in unclassified form but may con-
tain a classified annex. 
SEC. 299A. DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE IN THE PACIFIC IS-
LANDS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) the strategic importance of the Pacific Is-
lands necessitates an examination of whether United 
States diplomatic, economic, and development engage-
ment and presence in the Pacific Islands region is 
sufficient to effectively support United States objec-
tives and meaningful participation in regional fora; 
(2) improving shared understanding of and 
jointly combatting the transnational challenges perti-
nent to the Pacific Islands region with countries of 
the Pacific Islands and regional partners such as 
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Taiwan is vi-
tally important to our shared long-term interests of 
stability, security, and prosperity; 
(3) the United States should seek to participate 
in and support efforts to coordinate a regional re-
sponse toward maritime security, including through 
continued United States and Pacific Islands partici-
pation in the Pacific Fusion Centre in Vanuatu and 
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Information Fusion Centre in Singapore, and robust 
cooperation with regional allies and partners; and 
(4) the United States Government should commit 
to sending appropriate levels of representation to re-
gional events. 
(b) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act and annually 
thereafter for five years, the Secretary of State, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development, shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a report on the diplo-
matic and development presence of the United States 
in the Pacific Islands. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A description of the Department of 
State, United States Agency for International 
Development, United States International Devel-
opment Finance Corporation, Millennium Chal-
lenge Corporation, and United States Commer-
cial Service presence, staffing, programming, 
and resourcing of operations in the Pacific Is-
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lands, including programming and resourcing 
not specifically allocated to the Pacific Islands. 
(B) A description of gaps in such presence, 
including unfilled full-time equivalent positions. 
(C) A description of limitations and chal-
lenges such gaps pose to United States strategic 
objectives, including— 
(i) gaps in support of the Pacific Is-
lands due to operations being conducted 
from the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development offices in Manila and 
Suva; and 
(ii) 
gaps 
in 
programming 
and 
resourcing. 
(D) A strategy to expand and elevate such 
presence to fill such gaps, including by estab-
lishing new missions, expanding participation 
in regional forums, and elevating United States 
representation in regional forums. 
(c) AUTHORITY TO ENHANCE DIPLOMATIC AND ECO-
NOMIC ENGAGEMENT.—The Secretary of State and the Sec-
retary of Commerce are authorized to hire locally employed 
staff in the Pacific Islands for the purpose of promoting 
increased diplomatic engagement and economic and com-
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mercial engagement between the United States and the Pa-
cific Islands. 
(d) REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION STRAT-
EGY.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and every five years thereafter, the Admin-
istrator of the United States Agency for International De-
velopment shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a regional development cooperation strategy for 
the Pacific Islands. 
SEC. 299B. COORDINATION WITH REGIONAL ALLIES AND 
PARTNERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall consult 
and coordinate with regional allies and partners, such as 
Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and regional in-
stitutions such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the Pacific 
Community, with respect to programs to provide assistance 
to the Pacific Islands, including programs established by 
this Act, including for purposes of— 
(1) deconflicting programming; 
(2) ensuring that any programming does not ad-
versely affect the absorptive capacity of the Pacific Is-
lands; and 
(3) ensuring complementary programs benefit 
the Pacific Islands to the maximum extent prac-
ticable. 
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(b) FORMAL CONSULTATIVE PROCESS.—The Secretary 
of State shall establish a formal consultative process with 
such regional allies and partners to coordinate with respect 
to such programs and future-years programming. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees and the Armed Services Committees of 
the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that 
includes— 
(1) a review of ongoing efforts, initiatives, and 
programs undertaken by regional allies and partners, 
including multilateral organizations, to advance pri-
orities identified in this Act; 
(2) a review of ongoing efforts, initiatives, and 
programs undertaken by non-allied foreign actors that 
are viewed as being potentially harmful or in any 
way detrimental to one or more countries of the Pa-
cific Islands; 
(3) an assessment of United States programs in 
the Pacific Islands and their alignment and 
complementarity with the efforts of regional allies and 
partners identified in paragraph (1); and 
(4) a review of the formal consultative process 
required in subsection (b) to summarize engagements 
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held and identify opportunities to improve coordina-
tion with regional allies and partners. 
SEC. 299C. CLIMATE RESILIENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE PA-
CIFIC ISLANDS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) the United States Government should lever-
age the full range of authorities and programs avail-
able to assist the Pacific Islands in achieving their 
development goals; 
(2) United States development assistance should 
seek to build on existing public and private sector in-
vestments while creating new opportunities toward a 
favorable environment for additional such invest-
ments; and 
(3) United States development efforts should be 
coordinated with and seek to build on existing efforts 
by like-minded partners and allies and regional and 
international multilateral organizations. 
(b) STRATEGY.—The Secretary of State, in coordina-
tion with the Administrator of the United States Agency 
for International Development, the Secretary of the Treas-
ury, and the Chief Executive Officer of the United States 
International Development Finance Corporation, shall de-
velop and implement a strategy to— 
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(1) invest in and improve critical infrastructure, 
including transport connectivity, information and 
communications technology, food security, coastal 
zone management, marine and water resource man-
agement, and energy security and access to electricity 
in the Pacific Islands, with an emphasis on climate 
resiliency and sustainable development; 
(2) provide technical assistance to assist local 
government and civil society leaders assess risks to 
local infrastructure, especially those posed by climate 
change, consider and implement risk mitigation ef-
forts and policies to strengthen resilience, and evalu-
ate proposed projects and solutions for their efficacy 
and sustainability; and 
(3) support investment and improvement in eco-
system conservation and protection for the long-term 
sustainable use of ecosystem services, especially those 
that mitigate effects of climate change and those that 
support food security and livelihoods. 
(c) CONDUCT OF STRATEGY.—The strategy developed 
under this section shall be coordinated with like-minded 
partners and allies, regional and international multilateral 
organizations, and regional frameworks for development in 
the Pacific Islands. 
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(d) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.—The 
Secretary of the Treasury shall direct the representatives 
of the United States to the World Bank Group, the Inter-
national Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank 
to use the voice and vote of the United States to support 
climate resilient infrastructure projects in the Pacific Is-
lands. 
(e) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment this Act and annually there-
after, the Secretary of State shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees, the Committee on 
Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate a report on foreign infrastructure devel-
opments in the Pacific Islands. 
(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired by paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) a review of foreign infrastructure devel-
opments in the Pacific Islands by non-United 
States allies and partners; 
(B) assessments of the environmental im-
pact and sustainability of such developments; 
and 
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(C) an analysis of the financial sustain-
ability of such developments and their impacts 
on the debt of host countries in the Pacific Is-
lands. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 299D. INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY 
FOR THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall develop 
and implement a plan to expand coverage of the Inter-
national Law Enforcement Academies (ILEA) program for 
the Pacific Islands, including by— 
(1) expanding coverage of the regional program 
located in Bangkok, Thailand, to the Pacific Islands; 
or 
(2) establishing a new regional program for the 
Pacific Islands. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The plan required 
by subsection (a) shall include consultation and coordina-
tion with existing regional law enforcement entities, includ-
ing the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police and civil society, 
including those focused on human rights and specializing 
in victim-centered approaches, and take into consideration 
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costs of implementation, effectiveness, and capacity of the 
Pacific Islands to participate in the ILEA program. 
(c) BRIEFING REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State shall provide the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a briefing on the plan developed under this section. 
SEC. 299E. SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR THE PACIFIC IS-
LANDS. 
(a) STRATEGY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, with 
the concurrence of the Secretary of Defense and in co-
ordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
shall develop and implement a comprehensive strategy 
to provide assistance to and build the capacity of 
local civilian and national security institutions of the 
Pacific Islands for purposes of— 
(A) enhancing maritime security and mari-
time domain awareness to address challenges 
such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fish-
ing; 
(B) assisting local law enforcement in de-
tecting, preventing, and combatting human and 
drug trafficking and other forms of transnational 
crime; 
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(C) participating in efforts by regional in-
stitutions and frameworks to coordinate and fa-
cilitate cooperation on shared security challenges; 
and 
(D) expanding information sharing and to 
work toward operational coordination and inter-
operability among Pacific Island maritime secu-
rity forces, including through regional fusion 
centers. 
(2) PROGRAMS AND AUTHORITIES DESCRIBED.— 
The strategy required by this subsection shall build on 
but not be limited to the following programs and au-
thorities: 
(A) The International Military Education 
and Training program. 
(B) The Foreign Military Financing pro-
gram. 
(C) The authority to build the capacity of 
foreign security forces under section 333 of title 
10, United States Code. 
(D) The authority to provide excess defense 
articles under section 516 of the Foreign Assist-
ance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j). 
(E) The Department of Defense State Part-
nership Program. 
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(3) NATIONAL
POLICE
FORCES
AND
COAST 
GUARDS.—The national police forces and coast guards 
of the Pacific Islands are eligible to receive assistance 
under the programs and authorities described in 
paragraph (2) (other than the programs and authori-
ties described in subparagraphs (A), (D), and (F) of 
paragraph (2)) for purposes of the strategy required 
by this subsection. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The strategy re-
quired by subsection (a) shall seek to preserve peace and 
regional stability in the Pacific Islands and take into con-
sideration and seek to build upon but not duplicate existing 
assistance provided by United States allies and partners. 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees a report that contains the strategy developed 
under this section. 
(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired by paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) an assessment of security challenges to 
the Pacific Islands; 
(B) an analysis of demonstrated needs of 
the Pacific Islands for assistance; 
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(C) a review of existing security assistance 
programs in the Pacific Islands, including pro-
grams and efforts provided by United States al-
lies and partners; 
(D) a plan for programs for training, 
equipping, and sustainment, including excess de-
fense equipment and related materials; 
(E) a list of militaries, national police 
forces, coast guards, and other national security 
forces of the Pacific Islands receiving assistance 
under the strategy; 
(F) a review of existing cross-border mari-
time law enforcement operations (commonly 
known as ‘‘shiprider agreements’’) with the Pa-
cific Islands, an assessment of additional 
resourcing needs to enhance operational capac-
ity, and a plan to improve on these programs 
and operations; 
(G) a review of existing Department of De-
fense State Partnership Programs with the Pa-
cific Islands and an assessment of additional op-
portunities to leverage Department of Defense 
State Partnership Programs to address national 
security, law enforcement, disaster relief and 
emergency management, and related priorities; 
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(H) a review of current efforts and progress 
in removing unexploded ordnance in the Pacific 
Islands 
and 
an 
assessment 
of 
additional 
resourcing needed to ensure continued progress, 
including to support coordination with regional 
efforts and those of United States allies and 
partners; 
(I) a review of existing regional fusion cen-
ters and other cooperative intelligence sharing ef-
forts in the Pacific Islands to address maritime 
security, transnational crime, natural disasters, 
and other security challenges and an assessment 
of opportunities for the United States to partici-
pate in such efforts, including by allocating staff 
and supplying resourcing; 
(J) measures to evaluate success for the 
strategy; and 
(K) a detailed assessment of appropriations 
required to achieve the objectives for the strategy 
in future years. 
(3) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appropriate 
congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Committee on Armed Services, and the Com-
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mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 
the Committee on Armed Services, and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate. 
SEC. 299F. COUNTERING TRANSNATIONAL CRIME. 
(a) RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INSTRU-
MENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall 
prioritize efforts to assist the Pacific Islands in rati-
fying and implementing international legal conven-
tions related to transnational crime, such as— 
(A) the Convention on International Trade 
in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and 
Flora; 
(B) the Agreement on Port State Measures; 
and 
(C) relevant protocols supplementing the 
United 
Nations 
Convention 
Against 
Transnational Organized Crime, such as— 
(i) the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, 
and Punish Trafficking in Person, Espe-
cially Women and Children; and 
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(ii) the Protocol Against the Smug-
gling of Migrants by Land, Sea, and Air. 
(2) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act and every 
two years thereafter as appropriate, the Secretary of 
State shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on— 
(A) the status of the progress of each coun-
try of the Pacific Islands toward ratifying and 
implementing international legal conventions re-
lated to transnational crime; and 
(B) United States plans for assisting those 
countries that have yet to fully ratify such con-
ventions with their respective ratification efforts. 
(b) UPDATES OF CERTAIN REPORTS.—The Secretary 
of State, in coordination with other Federal agencies as ap-
propriate, shall identify and update existing reports to in-
clude forms of transnational crime affecting the Pacific Is-
lands, such as— 
(1) the International Narcotics Control Strategy 
report; 
(2) the Improving International Fisheries Man-
agement report; and 
(3) the Trafficking in Persons report. 
(c) ILLEGAL LOGGING AND ASSOCIATED TRADE.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary of State, in coordination 
with the heads of relevant Federal agencies, shall sub-
mit to appropriate congressional committees a report 
that identifies countries of the Pacific Islands that are 
countries of concern with respect to illegal logging 
and associated trade. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A description of the impact illegal log-
ging and associated trade have had on local com-
munities, good governance, and biodiversity, in-
cluding an identification of those foreign coun-
tries that may be financing or in any other 
manner supporting illegal logging activities. 
(B) A description of efforts taken by coun-
tries identified under paragraph (1) to comply 
and take appropriate corrective action to miti-
gate illegal logging, and an evaluation of the 
progress of those efforts. 
(C) A description of steps taken by the 
heads of relevant Federal agencies to assist the 
Pacific Islands in adopting and implementing 
international measures comparable to those of 
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the United States, such as the Lacey Act, to re-
duce impacts of illicit logging. 
(3) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appropriate 
congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Finance of the Senate. 
(d) ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, 
AND
UNREGULATED 
FISHING.—Section 3553 of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (16 U.S.C. 8033) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (8) as para-
graph (9); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (7) (as amend-
ed) the following: 
‘‘(8) an assessment of gaps or limitations in the 
ability of the United States to effectively assist pri-
ority regions and priority flag states relating to IUU 
fishing due to resource constraints and the additional 
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resources necessary to overcome those constraints; 
and’’. 
SEC. 299G. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE FOR 
THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development shall develop 
and implement an initiative to assist the Pacific Islands 
in enhancing their preparedness for and resilience to nat-
ural disasters and other emergencies. 
(b) CONDUCT OF PROGRAM.—The program developed 
under this section shall include— 
(1) education and training programs on natural 
disaster prevention and preparedness for emergency 
management professionals in the Pacific Islands, in-
cluding by leveraging the expertise of nonprofit orga-
nizations and institutions of higher education in the 
United States; 
(2) technical assistance, including through 
grants and cooperative agreements for qualified 
United States and local nongovernmental organiza-
tions, to enhance early warning systems, emergency 
management and preparedness procedures, and post- 
disaster relief and recovery; and 
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(3) coordination of existing disaster mitigation 
and response plans in the region, including by United 
States allies and partners in the region. 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
trator shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on the program developed under 
this section. 
(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired by paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) an assessment of disaster risks in the 
Pacific Islands and existing local and regional 
capacity to respond to such risks; 
(B) a review of existing efforts by United 
States allies and partners to provide assistance 
and training for natural disaster preparedness 
and emergency management; and 
(C) objectives, means of implementation, 
and measures of success for the initiative. 
(3) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appropriate 
congressional committees’’ means— 
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(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
sources of the Senate. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 299H. PEACE CORPS IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) the presence of the Peace Corps in the Pacific 
Islands should be expanded and the Peace Corps 
should reopen its programs in as many of the Pacific 
Islands as possible, including where it has previously 
operated but has suspended operations; 
(2) consulting like-minded regional allies and 
partners, such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, 
and Taiwan is crucial for identifying and overcoming 
challenges for increased Peace Corps presence in the 
Pacific Islands; 
(3) the Peace Corps, whose mission is to promote 
world peace and friendship in part by helping the 
people of interested countries in meeting their need 
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for trained men and women, provides an invaluable 
opportunity to connect the American people with the 
people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of 
Palau; and 
(4) the Peace Corps should promptly reopen its 
programs in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of 
Palau. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace Corps 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
report that includes— 
(1) a comparative analysis of the Peace Corps 
presence in the Pacific Islands region to other regions 
of the world, including a cost-benefit analysis of 
placement in the region versus elsewhere globally; 
(2) analysis of current impediments to Peace 
Corps expansion in the Pacific Islands region; 
(3) outcomes of consultations among United 
States agencies, and with regional allies and part-
ners, on areas in which cooperation can reduce factors 
limiting Peace Corps expansion, particularly those 
related to medical transportation and personal safety; 
and 
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(1) to prohibit the import of all goods, wares, ar-
ticles, or merchandise mined, produced, or manufac-
tured, wholly or in part, by forced labor from the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China and particularly any such 
goods, wares, articles, or merchandise produced in the 
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (commonly re-
ferred to as ‘‘Xinjiang’’ or ‘‘XUAR’’) of China; 
(2) to encourage the international community to 
reduce the import of any goods made with forced 
labor from the People’s Republic of China, particu-
larly goods mined, manufactured, or produced in the 
XUAR; 
(3) to coordinate with Mexico and Canada to ef-
fectively implement Article 23.6 of the United States- 
Mexico-Canada Agreement to prohibit the importa-
tion of goods produced in whole or in part by forced 
or compulsory labor, which includes goods produced 
in whole or in part by forced or compulsory labor in 
the People’s Republic of China; 
(4) to actively work to prevent, publicly de-
nounce, and end human trafficking as a horrific as-
sault on human dignity and to restore the lives of 
those affected by human trafficking, a modern form of 
slavery; 
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