I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8378 
To strengthen the role of the United States with respect to the Indian 
Ocean region, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 14, 2024 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself and Mr. ISSA) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To strengthen the role of the United States with respect 
to the Indian Ocean region, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Indian Ocean Region 
Strategic Review Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States has vitally important po-
litical, economic, and security interests in the Indian 
Ocean region, and the United States is uniquely po-
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sitioned to capitalize on opportunities that advance 
such interests. 
(2) The United States needs to engage and co-
operate with partners in the Indo-Pacific region, in-
cluding India, Japan, Australia, and island countries 
located within such region, to bolster regional gov-
ernance, 
to 
increase 
sustainable 
economic 
connectivity and development, and to strengthen co-
operation on security challenges such as threats to 
freedom of navigation and environmental disasters. 
(3) The United States must work to better un-
derstand the environmental, economic, security, and 
political issues faced by the Governments of Indian 
Ocean region countries. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States with respect to 
the Indian Ocean region, as part of the broader Indo-Pa-
cific engagement strategy of the United States, to 
strengthen engagement with Indian Ocean region coun-
tries (including with the governments, civil society, aca-
demia, and private sectors of such countries) and to en-
hance meaningful diplomatic, security, and economic rela-
tions with allies and partners of the United States in the 
Indian Ocean region, by the following: 
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(1) Promoting cohesive political ties between 
the United States and Indian Ocean region countries 
through active participation in regional organiza-
tions and strengthening bilateral diplomatic relations 
with such allies and partners. 
(2) Continuing to build the bilateral security re-
lationship between the United States and India, for 
the purpose of regularizing security cooperation by 
building upon foundational agreements concerning 
intelligence sharing, military communication, and 
naval cooperation. 
(3) Engaging with India to better understand 
and operationalize economic and political opportuni-
ties across the Indian Ocean region. 
(4) Enhancing economic connectivity and com-
mercial exchange between the United States and In-
dian Ocean region countries. 
(5) Ensuring the freedom of navigation by pro-
tecting trade routes and shipping lanes within the 
Indian Ocean region for all countries to enjoy 
unimpeded access in a manner consistent with inter-
national law. 
(6) Cooperating with the governments of Indian 
Ocean region countries on security challenges, in-
cluding issues relating to piracy and illegal fishing. 
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(7) Supporting the ability of such governments, 
and of nongovernmental organizations within the In-
dian Ocean region, to respond to environmental dis-
asters and work to mitigate potential future disas-
ters with resilient infrastructure. 
(8) Facilitating cooperation between the United 
States and allies and partners of the United States 
in the Indian Ocean region to build capacity in mari-
time security and maritime domain awareness. 
(9) Promoting cooperation with United States 
allies in the Indo-Pacific region (including Japan 
and Australia), major defense partners (including 
India), and NATO allies (including the United King-
dom and France), to support a rules-based order in 
such region. 
(10) Understanding resources and costs re-
quired for the United States to effectively engage 
diplomatically and economically in the Indian Ocean 
region. 
SEC. 4. STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN RELATING 
TO INDIAN OCEAN REGION. 
(a) STRATEGY.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, 
in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the Ad-
ministrator of the United States Agency for International 
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Development, shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a multi-year strategy and implementa-
tion plan for United States engagements and posture to 
support the interests of the United States with respect to 
the Indian Ocean region. 
(b) MATTERS.—The strategy under subsection (a) 
shall include the following: 
(1) An identification of the political, economic, 
and security goals and opportunities of the United 
States in the Indian Ocean region. 
(2) An explanation of the political, economic, 
and security goals of Indian Ocean region countries 
and a detailed description of areas with respect to 
which such interests align with the goals of the 
United States. 
(3) A list that details the economic and political 
efforts of the People’s Republic of China with re-
spect to the Indian Ocean region, particularly with 
respect to the engagement by the People’s Republic 
of China with each country located within the Indian 
Ocean region. 
(4) A description and analysis of challenges, in-
cluding countries and specific projects, to the en-
gagement with Indian Ocean region countries as a 
result of— 
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(A) disparate policy goals across the de-
partments and agencies of the United States 
Government; and 
(B) disparate definitions of the term ‘‘In-
dian Ocean region’’ across the Department of 
State, Department of Defense, and United 
States Agency for International Development. 
(5) A list that details efforts to improve co-
operation between the United States and Australia, 
India, and Japan (commonly referred to as the 
‘‘Quadrilateral Dialogue’’ or ‘‘Quad’’ and referred to 
as such in this section), through coordination be-
tween members of the Quad with respect to diplo-
macy and development priorities, joint military exer-
cises and operations, and other activities that pro-
mote and balance the political, economic, and secu-
rity interests of the United States with respect to 
Indian Ocean region countries. 
(6) An overview of efforts to support the eco-
nomic connectivity and development of island coun-
tries located within the Indian Ocean region, includ-
ing through the United States-India-Japan Tri-
lateral Infrastructure Working Group, the Asia-Afri-
ca Growth Corridor, and other efforts to expand and 
enhance connectivity across the Indo-Pacific region 
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(including with the countries of Southeast Asia) that 
maintain high standards of investment and support 
for civil society and people-to-people connectivity. 
(7) A description of how the United States may 
engage with regional intergovernmental organiza-
tions and multilateral organizations, including the 
Indian Ocean Rim Association and the United Na-
tions, to promote the political, economic, and secu-
rity goals of the United States in the Indian Ocean 
region. 
(8) A description of how the United States may 
facilitate cooperation between Indian Ocean region 
countries (including with the governments, civil soci-
ety, academia, and private sectors of such countries) 
and Taiwan, through Taiwan’s New Southbound 
Policy. 
(9) A review of the diplomatic posture of the 
United States in the Indian Ocean region, includ-
ing— 
(A) an assessment of the diplomatic en-
gagement by the United States with Indian 
Ocean region countries without a permanent 
United States embassy or diplomatic mission; 
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(B) an assessment of means by which to 
improve cooperation by the United States with 
the Maldives, the Seychelles, and Comoros; 
(C) an assessment of the sufficiency of 
United States diplomatic personnel and facili-
ties available in the Indian Ocean region to 
achieve the policy referred to in section 3; 
(D) a description of any fiscal or personnel 
resources required to fill identified gaps with 
respect to such diplomatic posture; and 
(E) a description of the bilateral and mul-
tilateral diplomatic goals of the Department of 
State that the Secretary of State deems nec-
essary to achieve the policy referred to in sec-
tion 3. 
(10) A review of the agreements entered into 
between the United States and Indian Ocean region 
countries for the purpose of facilitating the military 
operations of the United States pursuant to bilateral 
and multilateral agreements and a description of any 
efforts to expand the naval and coast guard coopera-
tion of the United States with India and other In-
dian Ocean region countries through the negotiation 
of additional agreements. 
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(11) A strategy for the provision of United 
States security assistance to the governments of In-
dian Ocean region countries, including a summary of 
the security priorities, objectives, and actions of the 
prospective recipient country and a description of 
the means by which the United States may support 
such security priorities, objectives, and actions while 
promoting the political, economic, and security goals 
of the United States in the Indian Ocean region. 
(12) A security assistance assessment of the ca-
pabilities, training, and funding needed for countries 
in the region to push back against shared challenges 
in the region. 
(13) A plan to expand the foreign assistance 
presence of the United States with respect to the 
governments of island countries located within the 
Indian Ocean region, including a description of any 
resources or policy tools required to expand the abil-
ity of the United States to offer high-quality infra-
structure resiliency projects to such countries. 
(c) INCLUSION.—The strategy under subsection (a) 
may be submitted to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees as a part of any other strategy relating to the 
Indo-Pacific region. 
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(d) REPORTS ON IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 
one year after the date on which the Secretary of State 
submits the strategy under subsection (a), and one year 
thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report on progress 
made toward implementing the strategy. 
SEC. 5. MODIFICATION TO UNITED STATES-CHINA ECO-
NOMIC AND SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION. 
(a) MODIFICATION.—Section 1238(c)(2)(E) of the 
Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2001 (22 U.S.C. 7002(c)(2)(E)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘, including in the Indian 
Ocean region’’ after ‘‘deployments of the People’s 
Republic of China military’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sen-
tence: ‘‘In this subparagraph, the term ‘Indian 
Ocean region’ means the Indian Ocean, including 
the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and the lit-
toral areas surrounding the Indian Ocean.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub-
section (a) shall apply with respect to each report under 
section 1238 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 required to be sub-
mitted on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the Committee on Armed Services of the House 
of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
Senate. 
(2) INDIAN OCEAN REGION.—The term ‘‘Indian 
Ocean region’’ means the Indian Ocean, including 
the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and the lit-
toral areas surrounding the Indian Ocean. 
(3) INDIAN
OCEAN
REGION
COUNTRY.—The 
term ‘‘Indian Ocean region country’’ means any 
country located within or surrounding the Indian 
Ocean region. 
Æ 
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