PARTNER with ASEAN Act

II Calendar No. 48 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 682 To provide for the treatment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an international organization for purposes of the Inter- national Organizations Immunities Act, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 7, 2023 Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RISCH, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Mr. ROM- NEY) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations MAY 4, 2023 Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] A BILL To provide for the treatment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an international organization for purposes of the International Organizations Immuni- ties Act, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:40 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S682.RS S682 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •S 682 RS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Appropriate 2 Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations 3 with ASEAN Act’’ or the ‘‘PARTNER with ASEAN Act’’. 4 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON DEEPENING COOPERA- 5 TION WITH ASEAN. 6 It is the policy of the United States— 7 (1) to reaffirm the United States-ASEAN Com- 8 prehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 9 2022 following 45 years of Dialogue Partnership; 10 (2) to enhance United States-ASEAN coopera- 11 tion in support of an open, transparent, resilient, in- 12 clusive and rules-based regional architecture in the 13 Indo-Pacific; 14 (3) to support regular, high-level United States 15 official engagement with ASEAN, including the par- 16 ticipation in the annual ASEAN Summit held each 17 year; 18 (4) to enhance cooperation with ASEAN mem- 19 ber states as well as with the institution of ASEAN 20 and the ASEAN Secretariat, including through the 21 United States Mission to ASEAN, led by the United 22 States Ambassador to ASEAN; and 23 (5) to welcome the decision in-principle by 24 ASEAN to admit Timor-Leste to be ASEAN’s 11th 25 member state and to encourage United States sup- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:40 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S682.RS S682 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •S 682 RS port to Timor-Leste in its capacity as an official 1 ASEAN observer. 2 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 3 AN ASEAN DELEGATION TO THE UNITED 4 STATES. 5 It is the sense of Congress that it is in the United 6 States interest to encourage the establishment, at the ear- 7 liest opportunity, of an ASEAN delegation to the United 8 States, to enhance cooperation between ASEAN and the 9 United States at all levels. 10 SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITIES TO THE 11 ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NA- 12 TIONS. 13 The provisions of the International Organizations Im- 14 munities Act (22 U.S.C. 288 et seq.) may be extended to 15 the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the same 16 manner, to the same extent, and subject to the same con- 17 ditions as such provisions may be extended to a public 18 international organization in which the United States par- 19 ticipates pursuant to any treaty or under the authority 20 of any Act of Congress authorizing such participation or 21 making an appropriation for such participation. 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:40 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\BILLS\S682.RS S682 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •S 682 RS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Appropriate 2 Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations 3 with ASEAN Act’’ or the ‘‘PARTNER with ASEAN Act’’. 4 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON DEEPENING COOPERA- 5 TION WITH ASEAN. 6 It is the policy of the United States— 7 (1) to reaffirm the United States-ASEAN Com- 8 prehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2022 9 following 45 years of Dialogue Partnership; 10 (2) to enhance United States-ASEAN coopera- 11 tion in support of an open, transparent, resilient, in- 12 clusive and rules-based regional architecture in the 13 Indo-Pacific; 14 (3) to support regular, high-level United States 15 official engagement with ASEAN, including the par- 16 ticipation in the annual ASEAN Summit held each 17 year; 18 (4) to enhance cooperation with ASEAN member 19 states, as appropriate, as well as with the institution 20 of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat, including 21 through the United States Mission to ASEAN, led by 22 the United States Ambassador to ASEAN; and 23 (5) to welcome the decision in-principle by 24 ASEAN to admit Timor-Leste to be ASEAN’s 11th 25 member state and to encourage United States support 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:40 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S682.RS S682 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •S 682 RS to Timor-Leste in its capacity as an official ASEAN 1 observer. 2 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 3 AN ASEAN DELEGATION TO THE UNITED 4 STATES. 5 It is the sense of Congress that— 6 (1) it is in the United States interest to encour- 7 age the establishment, at the earliest opportunity, of 8 an ASEAN delegation to the United States, to en- 9 hance cooperation between ASEAN and the United 10 States at all levels; and 11 (2) the establishment of an ASEAN center in the 12 United States would support United States economic 13 and cultural engagement with Southeast Asia. 14 SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITIES TO THE 15 ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NA- 16 TIONS. 17 The provisions of the International Organizations Im- 18 munities Act (22 U.S.C. 288 et seq.) may be extended to 19 the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the same 20 manner, to the same extent, and subject to the same condi- 21 tions as such provisions may be extended to a public inter- 22 national organization in which the United States partici- 23 pates pursuant to any treaty or under the authority of any 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:40 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S682.RS S682 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •S 682 RS Act of Congress authorizing such participation or making 1 an appropriation for such participation. 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:40 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S682.RS S682 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:40 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\S682.RS S682 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB Calendar No. 48 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 682 A BILL To provide for the treatment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an inter- national organization for purposes of the Inter- national Organizations Immunities Act, and for other purposes. MAY 4, 2023 Reported with an amendment VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:40 May 04, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\S682.RS S682 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB