(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 vol-
unteers have proudly served in the Pacific Islands, 
building strong people-to-people relationships and 
demonstrating the United States commitment to 
peace 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 volunteers continue to be in high de-
mand in the Pacific Islands and have been requested 
across the region. 
SEC. 3. 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 pros-
perity for all countries through a rules-based 
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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 through responsible stewardship of natural 
resources; 
(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 pre-
venting 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; 
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(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 Re-
gionalism; 
(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 
Micronesia and in 2024 for the Republic of Palau 
unless they are extended and renewed; and 
(4) to work closely with United States allies 
and partners with existing relationships and inter-
ests in the Pacific Islands, including Australia, 
Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan, in advancing 
common goals. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—Except as otherwise provided, the term ‘‘ap-
propriate congressional committees’’ means— 
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(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate. 
(2) PACIFIC ISLANDS.—The terms ‘‘Pacific Is-
lands’’ means the Cook Islands, the Republic of Fiji, 
the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Mar-
shall 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. 5. AUTHORITY TO CONSOLIDATE REPORTS; FORM OF 
REPORTS. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO CONSOLIDATE REPORTS.—Any 
reports required to be submitted to the appropriate con-
gressional committees under this Act that are subject to 
deadlines for submission consisting of the same units of 
time may be consolidated into a single report that is sub-
mitted to appropriate congressional committees pursuant 
to such deadlines and that contains all information re-
quired under such reports. 
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(b) FORM OF REPORTS.—Each report required by 
this Act shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 
contain a classified annex. 
TITLE I—UNITED STATES EN-
GAGEMENT 
AND 
COUN-
TERING 
TRANSNATIONAL 
CRIME 
SEC. 101. DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE IN THE PACIFIC IS-
LANDS. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the strategic importance of the Pacific Is-
lands necessitates an examination of whether United 
States diplomatic, economic, and development en-
gagement and presence in the Pacific Islands region 
is sufficient to effectively support United States ob-
jectives 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; 
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(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 
Information Fusion Centre in Singapore, and robust 
cooperation with regional allies; and 
(4) the United States Government should com-
mit to sending appropriate levels of representation to 
regional events. 
(b) REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and an-
nually thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary of State, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and 
the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report on the 
diplomatic 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 De-
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velopment Finance Corporation, Millennium 
Challenge Corporation, and United States Com-
mercial Service presence, staffing, program-
ming, and resourcing of operations in the Pa-
cific 
Islands, 
including 
programming 
and 
resourcing not specifically allocated to the Pa-
cific 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 stra-
tegic 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. 
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(c) AUTHORITY TO ENHANCE DIPLOMATIC AND ECO-
NOMIC ENGAGEMENT.—The Secretary of State and the 
Secretary of Commerce are authorized to hire locally em-
ployed staff in the Pacific Islands for the purpose of pro-
moting increased diplomatic engagement and economic 
and commercial engagement between the United States 
and the Pacific Islands. 
(d) REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION STRAT-
EGY.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and every 5 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. 102. INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY 
FOR THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall de-
velop and implement a plan to expand coverage of the 
International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEA) pro-
gram 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. 
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(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The plan required 
by subsection (a) shall include consultation and coordina-
tion with existing regional law enforcement entities, in-
cluding the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police and civil soci-
ety, including those focused on human rights and special-
izing in victim-centered approaches, and take into consid-
eration costs of implementation, effectiveness, and capac-
ity of the Pacific Islands to participate in the ILEA pro-
gram. 
(c) BRIEFING REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall provide the appropriate congressional committees a 
briefing on the plan developed under this section. 
SEC. 103. 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 
coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity, shall develop and implement a comprehensive 
strategy to provide assistance to and build the ca-
pacity of local civilian and national security institu-
tions of the Pacific Islands for purposes of— 
(A) enhancing maritime security and mari-
time domain awareness to address challenges 
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such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated 
fishing; 
(B) assisting local law enforcement in de-
tecting, preventing, and combating human and 
drug 
trafficking 
and 
other 
forms 
of 
transnational crime; 
(C) providing essential services to civilian 
populations and responding to humanitarian 
challenges caused by natural disasters; 
(D) participating in efforts by regional in-
stitutions and frameworks to coordinate and fa-
cilitate cooperation on shared security chal-
lenges; and 
(E) 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
DE-
SCRIBED.—The strategy required by this subsection 
shall build on but not be limited to the following 
programs and authorities: 
(A) The International Military Education 
and Training program. 
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tions, to enhance early warning systems, emergency 
management and preparedness procedures, and post- 
disaster relief and recovery; and 
(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 1 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 
required 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. 
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