Engage the Pacific Act

Bill: 118-hr-10206
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
Introduced: 2024-11-21
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-11-21
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10206 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 21, 2024 Mr. Case (for himself, Mr. Moylan , Ms. Porter , Ms. Titus , Ms. Tokuda , Mr. Krishnamoorthi , Mrs. Radewagen , Mr. Sablan , Mr. Sherman , Mr. Norcross , Mr. Gottheimer , and Mr. Vargas ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To support the strengthening of civil society organizations in the Pacific Islands, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Engage the Pacific Act . 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) in the Pacific Islands region, civil society organizations are critical components of overall cohesion and support; (2) in pursuit of a Pacific-led approach to regional assistance, it is critical that the United States engage with and support the strengthening of civil society organizations in the Pacific Islands region, including faith-based organizations, environmental organizations, educational organizations, and media organizations; (3) in order to maximize the effectiveness of United States engagement in and support of the Pacific Islands region, the United States must ensure the dissemination of information both generally and through civil society organizations; (4) in order to support a free and open Indo-Pacific, it is necessary to bolster freedom of information and expression and combat foreign interference by supporting investigative journalism, promoting media literacy and pluralistic and independent media, and increasing collaboration to address threats from information manipulation , as the White House 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy states; (5) as stated in the statement released after the 2024 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, the United States is committed to working with Pacific Island countries’ governments, likeminded partners, and the private sector to empower and support Pacific economic resilience , and one avenue to achieve such goals is for the United States to support capacity by Pacific Island countries’ workforces to maximize the benefits of national investment and business opportunities; and (6) American Spaces, a program of the Department of State, including American Corners and American Centers, contribute to local society and boost United States presence in the region by facilitating United States engagement in collaboration with civil society organizations where residents can learn about the United States, engage in English language learning opportunities, learn about opportunities to study in the United States, and engage in various in-person and virtual programming, which facilitates the relationship between the United States and the Pacific Islands. 3. Committee on Engagement with Civil Society Organizations in the Pacific Islands (a) Establishment The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and the Secretary of Defense, shall establish a committee, to be known as the Committee on Engagement with Civil Society Organizations in the Pacific Islands (referred to in this subsection as the Committee ) for the purposes of— (1) coordinating interagency engagement with civil society organizations in the Pacific Islands; (2) coordinating collaboration with United States partners and allies on engagement with civil society organizations in the Pacific Islands; and (3) aligning such engagement with the needs of the Pacific Islands and the national security priorities of the United States. (b) Strategy Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Committee shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy on engagement with civil society organizations in the Pacific Islands, including— (1) a review of current efforts across the United States Government to engage with such organizations, including the role of such efforts in the delivery of foreign aid to communities; (2) a plan for engagement across the United States Government with such organizations; (3) an assessment of the importance of engagement by the United States with such organizations and how such engagement aligns with the advancement of Indo-Pacific and Pacific Islands priorities within the National Security Strategy, Indo-Pacific Strategy, and Pacific Partnership Strategy; (4) an analysis of interagency cooperation regarding United States engagement with such organizations and specific recommendations for expansion and improvement of such cooperation; (5) an analysis of the resources needed to bolster and streamline United States engagement with such organizations, including any additional statutory authorities or appropriations of funds; (6) an analysis of any engagement conducted by a country other than the United States with such organizations, including engagement that may undermine civil society in the Pacific Islands; and (7) an assessment of opportunities for greater coordination between the United States and like-minded partners and allies. 4. Strategic communications in the Pacific Islands Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for strategic communications in the Pacific Islands, including— (1) a review of such communications, including United States interagency and multilateral efforts with like-minded partners; (2) an assessment of the resources being used for such communications, including the number of staff devoted to such communications, the location of such staff, and the funds appropriated for such communications; (3) an assessment of any additional resources needed for such communications; (4) an assessment of how United States engagement is being perceived in the Pacific Islands and how such perception might be improved; (5) an assessment of how engagement by other actors is being perceived in the Pacific Islands; and (6) specific recommendations for the expansion and improvement of such communications. 5. Indo-Pacific Media Advancement Program (a) In general The Secretary of State shall continue to implement and develop the Indo-Pacific Media Advancement Program to promote a robust, free media in the Pacific Islands and strengthen the capacity of media outlets and journalists in the Indo-Pacific region to develop their business strategies, enhance their ability to conduct independent journalism, and counter disinformation. (b) Goals The goals of the Indo-Pacific Media Advancement Program shall be to accomplish the following: (1) Increase the understanding of prevalent misinformation and disinformation narratives. (2) Develop the capacity of professional, independent media organizations and journalists to develop and implement media sustainability plans, improve business operations, and increase the quality and quantity of published information and news. (3) Expand media outlets’ access to resources, content-sharing agreements, and equipment, so that such outlets can provide quality content. (4) Develop the technical and investigative skills of journalists to conduct pre-bunking, fact-checking, and debunking to address misinformation and disinformation. (c) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the heads of other Federal departments or agencies, as appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the Indo-Pacific Media Advancement Program and the engagement of the United States with the free media in the Pacific Islands, including the following: (1) An overview of the media and journalism landscape in the Pacific Islands. (2) A review of the efforts and planned efforts of the United States Government to strengthen free and independent media in the Pacific Islands, including a description of the objectives, means of implementation, and measures of success of the Indo-Pacific Media Advancement Program. (3) An assessment of challenges to a free and open media in the Pacific Islands and to the implementation of the Indo-Pacific Media Advancement Program, including strategies to mitigate such challenges. (4) An assessment of any additional authorities or resources necessary for more robust United States engagement to promote a free media in the Pacific Islands and greater implementation of the Indo-Pacific Media Advancement Program. (d) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated $4,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out this section. 6. Pacific Islands TRADES Program (a) Establishment The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall establish a program, to be known as the Pacific Islands Training and Resources for Advancement in Development, Education, and Skills Program or the Pacific Islands TRADES Program , to, through scholarships, training from such agency, and grants to partner organizations, assist with workforce development in the Pacific Islands to— (1) increase the capacity of the local workforce through medium- and long-term training and technical assistance in sectors of critical importance to the Pacific Islands, such as construction, tourism, boat maintenance, and fisheries; (2) balance maximizing workforce retention in the Pacific Islands with any necessary training outside of the Pacific Islands, with a focus on avoiding exacerbating outward labor flows; (3) keep Pacific priorities in mind by coordinating with like-minded allies and partners and working with local organizations and governments; and (4) provide resources for technical and management skills development to adequately prepare the workforce of the Pacific Islands for any potential incoming investment. (b) Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the Pacific Islands TRADES Program, including the following: (1) A comprehensive overview of such program. (2) An identification of the office overseeing such program. (3) A list of any partner organizations involved in such program. (4) A description of the training and workforce development planned as part of such program. (5) An assessment of the impact of such program. (6) Any additional resources needed to implement such program. (c) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out this section. 7. American Spaces in the Pacific Islands Not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the state of and plans for American Spaces in the Pacific Islands, including— (1) an overview of American Spaces in the Pacific Islands (including American Corners and American Centers), including an assessment of the current and historical programming and resources of American Spaces; (2) a plan for future American Spaces in Pacific Island countries, including any new development or expansion of existing American Spaces, and a description of any additional resources needed for such expansion; and (3) an assessment of the impact of American Spaces on American foreign policy and national security interests, including in comparison to the similar initiatives of other actors. 8. Definitions In this Act: (1) American spaces The term American Spaces means public diplomacy facilities operated or supported by the Department of State that provide digitally enhanced physical platforms for effective engagement with foreign audiences in support of the foreign policy objectives of the United States. (2) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. (3) Civil society organization The term civil society organization means a non-governmental community organization, including any faith-based organization, media organization, environmental organization, and educational organization. (3) Pacific Islands The term Pacific Islands means the following: (A) Niue. (B) The Cook Islands. (C) The Federated States of Micronesia. (D) The Independent State of Papua New Guinea. (E) The Independent State of Samoa. (F) The Kingdom of Tonga. (G) The Republic of Fiji. (H) The Republic of Kiribati. (I) The Republic of the Marshall Islands. (J) The Republic of Nauru. (K) The Republic of Palau. (L) The Republic of Vanuatu. (M) The Solomon Islands. (N) Tuvalu.