Indo-Pacific Engagement Act
Bill: H.R.8153 | Sponsor: Rep. Bera, Ami (D-CA)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Indo-Pacific Engagement Act
This bill requires the Department of State to, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development, report annually to Congress an assessment of the resources and activities needed to achieve certain U.S. objectives in the Indo-Pacific region, such as enhancing diplomatic and economic relations with regional allies and partners and countering any malign influence of China's government.

To support diplomatic and development resourcing to the Indo-Pacific, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Indo-Pacific Engagement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Indo-Pacific region is home to some 60 percent of 
        the world's population.
            (2) The Indo-Pacific region contains some of the most 
        dynamic and rapidly growing economies in the world.
            (3) A free and open Indo-Pacific is essential to American 
        security and prosperity in the 21st century.
            (4) The United States has made significant commitments of 
        diplomatic and foreign assistance resources to the region over 
        the past century, which have supported shared growth and 
        prosperity.
            (5) A sustained and enhanced commitment is required to 
        advance American interests in the 21st century.
            (6) Historically, independent cost assessments have served 
        as effective tools to enhance public debate over resource 
        allocation and have helped Congress make more informed 
        decisions.
            (7) The importance and urgency of enhancing U.S. engagement 
        in the Indo-Pacific is such that similar tools are required to 
        ensure a proper level of engagement with the region.

SEC. 3. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--At the same time as the submission of the budget 
of the President (submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of 
title 31, United States Code) for each of fiscal years 2024 through 
2028, the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary of State 
for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and Assistant 
Administrator for the Bureau for Asia of the United States Agency for 
International Development (USAID), shall submit to the congressional 
foreign affairs committees a report assessing the resources and 
activities required to achieve the policy objectives described in 
subsection (c).
    (b) Criteria.--The report required in subsection (a) shall be 
developed in accordance with the following criteria:
            (1) It shall reflect the objective, autonomous, and 
        independent assessment of the activities, resources, and costs 
        required to achieve objectives detailed in subsection (c) by 
        the principals, the subordinate and parallel offices providing 
        input into the assessment, and ultimately by the Assistant 
        Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs as the 
        final decision-making authority on the contents of the final 
        report.
            (2) It shall cover a period of five fiscal years, beginning 
        with the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the 
        report is submitted.
            (3) It shall incorporate input from U.S. Ambassadors in the 
        Indo-Pacific region provided explicitly for the required 
        report.
            (4) It may include information gathered through 
        consultation with program offices and subject matter experts in 
        relevant functional bureaus, as deemed necessary by the 
        principals.
            (5) It shall not be subject to fiscal guidance or global 
        strategic tradeoffs associated with the annual President's 
        budget request.
    (c) Policy Objectives.--The report required in subsection (a) shall 
assess the activities and resources required to achieve the following 
policy objectives:
            (1) Implement the Interim National Security Strategic 
        Guidance, or the most recent National Security Strategy, with 
        respect to the Indo-Pacific region.
            (2) Implement the 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, or successor 
        documents, that set forth the U.S. Government strategy toward 
        the Indo-Pacific region.
            (3) Implement the State-USAID Joint Strategic Plan with 
        respect to the Indo-Pacific region.
            (4) Enhance meaningful diplomatic and economic relations 
        with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific and demonstrate an 
        enduring U.S. commitment to the region.
            (5) Secure and advance U.S. national interests in the Indo-
        Pacific, including through countering the malign influence of 
        the Government of the People's Republic of China.
    (d) Matters To Be Included.--The report required under subsection 
(a) shall include the following:
            (1) A description of the Bureaus' bilateral and 
        multilateral goals for the period covered in the report that 
        the principals deem necessary to accomplish the objectives 
        outlined in subsection (c), disaggregated by country and forum.
            (2) A timeline with annual benchmarks for achieving the 
        objectives described in subsection (c).
            (3) An assessment of the sufficiency of U.S. diplomatic 
        personnel and facilities currently available in the Indo-
        Pacific region to achieve the objectives outlined in subsection 
        (c), through consultation with U.S. embassies in the region. 
        The assessment shall include:
                    (A) A list, in priority order, of locations in the 
                Indo-Pacific region that require additional diplomatic 
                personnel or facilities.
                    (B) A description of locations where the United 
                States may be able to collocate diplomatic personnel at 
                allied or partner embassies and consulates.
                    (C) A discussion of embassies or consulates where 
                diplomatic staff could be reduced within the Indo-
                Pacific region, where appropriate.
                    (D) A detailed description of the fiscal and 
                personnel resources required to fill gaps identified.
            (4) A detailed plan to expand U.S. diplomatic engagement 
        and foreign assistance presence in the Pacific Island nations 
        within the next five years, including a description of ``quick 
        impact'' programs that can be developed and implemented within 
        the first fiscal year of the period covered in the report.
            (5) A discussion of the resources needed to enhance U.S. 
        strategic messaging and spotlight coercive PRC behavior.
            (6) A detailed description of the resources and policy 
        tools needed to expand the United States ability to offer high-
        quality infrastructure projects in strategically significant 
        parts of the Indo-Pacific region, with a particular focus on 
        expanding investments in Southeast Asia and the Pacific 
        Islands.
            (7) A gap assessment of security assistance by country, and 
        of the resources needed to fill those gaps.
            (8) A description of the resources and policy tools needed 
        to facilitate continued private sector investment in partner 
        countries in the Indo-Pacific.
            (9) A discussion of any additional bilateral or regional 
        assistance resources needed to achieve the objectives outlined 
        in subsection (c), as deemed necessary by the principals.
    (e) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be 
submitted in an unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
    (f) Availability.--Not later than February 1 each year, the 
Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs shall make the 
report available to the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the 
USAID, the Deputy Secretary of State, the Deputy Secretary of State for 
Management and Resources, the Deputy Administrator for Policy and 
Programming, the Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources, the 
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the Director of the 
Office of Foreign Assistance at the Department of State, the Director 
of the Bureau of Foreign Assistance at the USAID, and the Director of 
Policy Planning.
    (g) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Indo-pacific region.--The term ``Indo-Pacific region'' 
        means the countries under the jurisdiction of the Bureau for 
        East Asian and Pacific Affairs, as well as the countries of 
        Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
            (2) Foreign affairs committees.--The term ``foreign affairs 
        committees'' means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
        House of Representatives; the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
        the Senate; the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
        Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations of the 
        House of Representatives; and the Subcommittee on State, 
        Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate.
            (3) Principals.--The term ``principals'' means the 
        Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and 
        Pacific Affairs, the Assistant Secretary of State for the 
        Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and the Assistant 
        Administrator for the Bureau for Asia of the United States 
        Agency for International Development.
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