I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6597 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 5, 2023 Mr. Lawler introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To establish a Task Force on the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) For years, the People’s Republic of China ( China ), has repeatedly exhibited aggressive and irresponsible behavior towards the United States and its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. This includes establishing overseas military bases in the South China Sea, deploying ships and planes near Japan’s Senkaku Islands, invading Taiwan’s air space, and sending a high-altitude surveillance balloon over the United States. (2) For years, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ( North Korea ) has repeatedly exhibited aggressive and erratic behavior towards the United States and its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. This includes conducting missile tests dangerously close to South Korea and Japan as well as deepening ties with the Chinese Communist Party and other hostile regimes. (3) Both China and North Korea pose significant risks to regional security in the Indo-Pacific, to United States security, and to international security. (4) It is critical that the United States work with allies and partners to proactively deter further aggression from China and North Korea to preserve peace, ensure prosperity, and advance democracy. 3. Task force (a) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall establish a task force, to be known as the Task Force on the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization (in this section referred to as the Task Force ) to— (1) analyze the conduct of China and North Korea, as well as the security situation in the Indo-Pacific; and (2) determine whether a collective security agreement between the United States and Indo-Pacific allies and partners could serve as an effective deterrent to further aggression. (b) Allies and partners The Indo-Pacific allies and partners described in subsection (a)(2) may include Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, India, and any other country in the Indo-Pacific region the Task Force determines appropriate. (c) Membership The Task Force established pursuant to subsection (a) shall be— (1) chaired by the Secretary of State; and (2) consist of the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Commerce, the Director of National Intelligence, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. (d) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of the establishment of the Task Force, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate a report that contains the results of the analysis described in subsection (a) and any recommendations of the Task Force with respect to the terms of such a collective security agreement.