Title: Taiwan Envoy Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Taiwan Envoy Act
This bill requires the President to appoint the Director of the American Institute in Taiwan with the advice and consent of the Senate. The director shall have the rank and status of Ambassador at Large.
(The United States officially recognizes the government in Beijing as the sole legal government in China and acknowledges that government's position that Taiwan is a part of China. As such, the United States has an unofficial relationship with Taiwan. The American Institute in Taiwan represents U.S. interests in Taiwan and provides consular services.)

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5535 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5535

 To require Senate confirmation of an individual appointed to serve as 
    the Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 23, 2019

Mr. Chabot (for himself and Mr. Sherman) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require Senate confirmation of an individual appointed to serve as 
    the Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, 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 ``Taiwan Envoy Act''.

SEC. 2. SENATE CONFIRMATION REQUIRED OF AN INDIVIDUAL APPOINTED TO 
              SERVE AS DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that an 
extended period without a Director of the American Institute in Taiwan 
would be detrimental to United States interests.
    (b) Senate Confirmation.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, the President shall appoint, by and with the advice and 
        consent of the Senate, an individual to serve as the Director 
        of the American Institute in Taiwan.
            (2) Effective date.--This section shall take effect 
        beginning with the first appointment by the President of an 
        individual to serve as the Director of the American Institute 
        in Taiwan that is made after the date of the enactment of this 
        section.
    (c) Location in Taipei.--An individual who serves as the Director 
of the American Institute in Taiwan shall serve at the Institute in 
Taipei, Taiwan.
    (d) Rank and Status.--The Director of the American Institute in 
Taiwan shall have the rank and status of Ambassador at Large.
    (e) Successor Position.--Any reference to the position of Director 
of the American Institute in Taiwan in this section includes any 
similar successor position.
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