Indian Ocean Region Strategic Review Act of 2024

Bill: 118-hr-8378
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20]
Introduced: 2024-05-14
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-05-14
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8378 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Indian Ocean Region Strategic Review Act of 2024 . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The United States has vitally important political, economic, and security interests in the Indian Ocean region, and the United States is uniquely positioned to capitalize on opportunities that advance such interests. (2) The United States needs to engage and cooperate with partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including India, Japan, Australia, and island countries located within such region, to bolster regional governance, to increase sustainable economic connectivity and development, and to strengthen cooperation on security challenges such as threats to freedom of navigation and environmental disasters. (3) The United States must work to better understand the environmental, economic, security, and political issues faced by the Governments of Indian Ocean region countries. 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-Pacific engagement strategy of the United States, to strengthen engagement with Indian Ocean region countries (including with the governments, civil society, academia, and private sectors of such countries) and to enhance meaningful diplomatic, security, and economic relations with allies and partners of the United States in the Indian Ocean region, by the following: (1) Promoting cohesive political ties between the United States and Indian Ocean region countries through active participation in regional organizations and strengthening bilateral diplomatic relations with such allies and partners. (2) Continuing to build the bilateral security relationship 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 opportunities across the Indian Ocean region. (4) Enhancing economic connectivity and commercial exchange between the United States and Indian Ocean region countries. (5) Ensuring the freedom of navigation by protecting trade routes and shipping lanes within the Indian Ocean region for all countries to enjoy unimpeded access in a manner consistent with international law. (6) Cooperating with the governments of Indian Ocean region countries on security challenges, including issues relating to piracy and illegal fishing. (7) Supporting the ability of such governments, and of nongovernmental organizations within the Indian Ocean region, to respond to environmental disasters and work to mitigate potential future disasters 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 maritime 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 Kingdom and France), to support a rules-based order in such region. (10) Understanding resources and costs required for the United States to effectively engage diplomatically and economically in the Indian Ocean region. 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 Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a multi-year strategy and implementation 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 respect 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, including countries and specific projects, to the engagement with Indian Ocean region countries as a result of— (A) disparate policy goals across the departments and agencies of the United States Government; and (B) disparate definitions of the term Indian 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 cooperation 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 between members of the Quad with respect to diplomacy and development priorities, joint military exercises and operations, and other activities that promote and balance the political, economic, and security interests of the United States with respect to Indian Ocean region countries. (6) An overview of efforts to support the economic connectivity and development of island countries located within the Indian Ocean region, including through the United States-India-Japan Trilateral Infrastructure Working Group, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, and other efforts to expand and enhance connectivity across the Indo-Pacific region (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 organizations and multilateral organizations, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association and the United Nations, to promote the political, economic, and security 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 society, 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, including— (A) an assessment of the diplomatic engagement by the United States with Indian Ocean region countries without a permanent United States embassy or diplomatic mission; (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 facilities 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 multilateral diplomatic goals of the Department of State that the Secretary of State deems necessary to achieve the policy referred to in section 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 cooperation of the United States with India and other Indian Ocean region countries through the negotiation of additional agreements. (11) A strategy for the provision of United States security assistance to the governments of Indian 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 capabilities, 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 ability of the United States to offer high-quality infrastructure resiliency projects to such countries. (c) Inclusion The strategy under subsection (a) may be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees as a part of any other strategy relating to the Indo-Pacific region. (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 appropriate congressional committees a report on progress made toward implementing the strategy. 5. Modification to United States-China Economic 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 amended— (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 sentence: In this subparagraph, the term Indian Ocean region means the Indian Ocean, including the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and the littoral areas surrounding the Indian Ocean. . (b) Applicability The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to each report under section 1238 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 required to be submitted on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 6. Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees 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 littoral 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.