BLUE Pacific Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7797 To establish a comprehensive, long-term United States strategy and policy for the Pacific Islands, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 27, 2020 Mr. CASE (for himself, Mr. YOHO, Mr. BERA, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. YOUNG, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. SAN NICOLAS, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. BACON, and Mr. SABLAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Natural Resources, for a pe- riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con- sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com- mittee concerned A BILL To establish a comprehensive, long-term United States strat- egy and policy for the Pacific Islands, 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 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Boosting Long-term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific 5 Act’’ or ‘‘BLUE Pacific Act’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7797 IH (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 1 this Act is as follows: 2 Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. Sec. 3. Statement of policy. Sec. 4. Definitions. Sec. 5. Authority to consolidate reports; form of reports. TITLE I—DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE AND SECURITY COOPERATION Sec. 101. Diplomatic presence in the Pacific Islands. Sec. 102. Maritime security in the Pacific Islands. Sec. 103. International Law Enforcement Academy for the Pacific Islands. Sec. 104. Security assistance for the Pacific Islands. Sec. 105. Transnational crime in the Pacific Islands. TITLE II—DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES Sec. 201. USAID presence in the Pacific Islands. Sec. 202. Trade development with the Pacific Islands. Sec. 203. Trade capacity building initiative for the Pacific Islands. Sec. 204. Education and training program for natural disaster preparedness and emergency management professionals in the Pacific Is- lands. Sec. 205. Peace Corps in the Pacific Islands. Sec. 206. Public health in the Pacific Islands. Sec. 207. Education cooperation between the United States and the Pacific Is- lands. Sec. 208. Climate change in the Pacific Islands. Sec. 209. Climate resilient infrastructure and energy security in the Pacific Is- lands. Sec. 210. Coordination with other Federal agencies and cooperation and partici- pation of nongovernmental United States entities. TITLE III—PROMOTION OF SHARED VALUES Sec. 301. Freedom of the press in the Pacific Islands. Sec. 302. U.S. Agency for Global Media. Sec. 303. Gender equality. Sec. 304. Pacific Islands Leadership Development Initiative. Sec. 305. Civil society engagement and development. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 3 Congress finds the following: 4 (1) The Pacific Islands— 5 (A) are spread over a broad expanse of the 6 Pacific Ocean, including the three sub-regions 7 of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia; 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7797 IH (B) are home to some 2.3 million residents 1 constituting diverse and dynamic cultures and 2 people; and 3 (C) face shared challenges and opportuni- 4 ties in development, including climate change, 5 geographic distances from major markets and 6 vulnerability to external shocks such as natural 7 disasters. 8 (2) The United States is a Pacific country with 9 longstanding ties and shared values and interests 10 with the Pacific Islands, including through the Com- 11 pacts of Free Association with the Freely Associated 12 States, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 13 Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of 14 Palau. 15 (3) The United States has vital national secu- 16 rity interests in the Pacific Islands, including— 17 (A) protecting regional peace and security, 18 including through a regional order that fully re- 19 spects the sovereignty of all nations; 20 (B) advancing economic prosperity through 21 trade and development free from coercion; and 22 (C) supporting good governance, the rule 23 of law, and human rights and fundamental free- 24 doms. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 7797 IH (4) The United States National Security Strat- 1 egy released in December 2017 outlines a United 2 States foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region based 3 on strengthening alliances and partnerships old and 4 new, promoting regional development including 5 through fair and reciprocal trade, and maintaining a 6 strong defense to protect regional peace and secu- 7 rity. The National Security Strategy includes a com- 8 mitment to ‘‘shore up fragile partner states in the 9 Pacific Islands region to reduce their vulnerability to 10 economic fluctuations and natural disasters’’. 11 (5) At the 30th Forum Partners Dialogue of 12 the Pacific Islands Forum held in Nauru in Sep- 13 tember 2018, then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan 14 Zinke stated: ‘‘The United States is deeply com- 15 mitted to the security and prosperity of our friends 16 and neighbors in the Pacific . . . We see all of the 17 Pacific Islands as an essential part of our free and 18 open Indo-Pacific policy . . . When the United States 19 invests in the Pacific Islands, we do so as a partner 20 committed to a shared future that advances national 21 sovereignty, regional cooperation, and trust.’’. 22 (6) The Department of Defense’s June 2019 23 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report identified the Pacific 24 Islands as ‘‘critical to U.S. strategy because of our 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 7797 IH shared values, interests, and commitments’’ and 1 committed the United States to ‘‘building capacity 2 and resilience to address maritime security; Illegal, 3 Unreported, and Unregulated fishing; drug traf- 4 ficking; and resilience to address climate change and 5 disaster response’’. 6 (7) The United States has deepened its diplo- 7 matic engagement with the Pacific Islands through 8 several recent meetings, including— 9 (A) a historic White House meeting be- 10 tween President Trump and the three Presi- 11 dents of the Freely Associated States on May 12 21, 2019; 13 (B) attendance at the 2018 and 2019 Pa- 14 cific Islands Forum Partners Dialogue by the 15 Secretary of the Interior; 16 (C) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert 17 Wilkie’s attendance at the inauguration of 18 President David Panuelo of the Federated 19 States of Micronesia in July 2019; and 20 (D) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit 21 to the Federated States of Micronesia in Au- 22 gust 2019. 23 (8) The Boe Declaration on Regional Security, 24 signed by leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 7797 IH 2018, affirmed that climate change ‘‘remains the 1 single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security, and 2 wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific’’ and asserted 3 ‘‘the sovereign right of every Member to conduct its 4 national affairs free of external interference and co- 5 ercion’’. 6 (9) The Asian Development Bank has estimated 7 that the Pacific Islands region needs upwards of 8 $2.8 billion a year in investment needs through 9 2030, in addition to $300 million a year for climate 10 mitigation and adaptation over the same period. 11 (10) The Pacific Islands swiftly enacted effec- 12 tive policies to prevent and contain the spread of the 13 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (commonly referred to as 14 ‘‘COVID–19’’) pandemic to their populations. To as- 15 sist the Pacific Islands in their response, the United 16 States has provided over $32,000,000 in funding 17 and coordinated its efforts with the Pacific Joint In- 18 cident Management Team. However, priorities must 19 be met to ensure continued success in preventing the 20 spread of the COVID–19 pandemic and long-term 21 economic recovery in the Pacific Islands, including— 22 (A) expanding testing capacity and acquisi- 23 tion of needed medical supplies through a reli- 24 able supply chain; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 7797 IH (B) planning for lifting of lockdowns and 1 reopening of economic and social activities; and 2 (C) mitigating the impacts of lost tourism 3 revenue and other economic damages caused by 4 the pandemic. 5 (11) Since 1966, thousands of Peace Corps vol- 6 unteers have proudly served in the Pacific Islands, 7 building strong people-to-people relationships and 8 demonstrating the United States commitment to 9 peace and development in the region. Prior to the 10 COVID–19 pandemic, the Peace Corps maintained 11 presence in four Pacific Island countries. Peace 12 Corps volunteers continue to be in high demand in 13 the Pacific Islands and have been requested across 14 the region. 15 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 16 It is the policy of the United States— 17 (1) to develop and commit to a comprehensive, 18 multifaceted, and principled United States policy for 19 the Pacific Islands that— 20 (A) promotes peace and security for all 21 countries through a rules-based regional order 22 that respects the sovereignty and political inde- 23 pendence of all nations; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 7797 IH (B) preserves the Pacific Ocean as an open 1 and vibrant corridor for international maritime 2 trade and promotes trade and sustainable devel- 3 opment that supports inclusive economic growth 4 and autonomy for all nations; 5 (C) improves civil society, strengthens 6 democratic governance and the rule of law, and 7 promotes human rights; 8 (D) assists the Pacific Islands in pre- 9 venting and containing the spread of the 10 COVID–19 pandemic and in pursuing long- 11 term economic recovery; and 12 (E) supports existing regional architecture 13 and international norms; 14 (2) to support the vision, values, and objectives 15 of the Pacific Islands Forum and other existing re- 16 gional institutions and frameworks, including— 17 (A) the 2014 Framework for Pacific Re- 18 gionalism; 19 (B) the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional 20 Security; and 21 (C) the Boe Declaration Action Plan; 22 (3) to extend and renew the provisions of the 23 Compacts of Free Association and related United 24 States law that will expire in 2023 for the Republic 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 7797 IH of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of 1 Micronesia and in 2024 for the Republic of Palau 2 unless they are extended and renewed; and 3 (4) to work closely with United States allies 4 and partners with existing relationships and inter- 5 ests in the Pacific Islands in advancing common 6 goals. 7 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 8 In this Act: 9 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT- 10 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com- 11 mittees’’ means— 12 (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 13 Committee on Armed Services, and the Com- 14 mittee on Financial Services of the House of 15 Representatives; and 16 (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 17 the Committee on Armed Services, and the 18 Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 19 Affairs of the Senate. 20 (2) PACIFIC ISLANDS.—The terms ‘‘Pacific Is- 21 lands’’ means the Cook Islands, the Republic of Fiji, 22 the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Mar- 23 shall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, 24 the Republic of Nauru, Niue, the Republic of Palau, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 7797 IH the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the 1 Independent State of Samoa, the Solomon Islands, 2 the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Republic of 3 Vanuatu. 4 SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO CONSOLIDATE REPORTS; FORM OF 5 REPORTS. 6 (a) AUTHORITY TO CONSOLIDATE REPORTS.—Any 7 reports required to be submitted to the appropriate con- 8 gressional committees under this Act that are subject to 9 deadlines for submission consisting of the same units of 10 time may be consolidated into a single report that is sub- 11 mitted to appropriate congressional committees pursuant 12 to such deadlines and that contains all information re- 13 quired under such reports. 14 (b) FORM OF REPORTS.—Each report required by 15 this Act shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 16 contain a classified annex. 17 TITLE I—DIPLOMATIC PRES- 18 ENCE AND SECURITY CO- 19 OPERATION 20 SEC. 101. DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE IN THE PACIFIC IS- 21 LANDS. 22 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con- 23 gress that the Secretary of State should implement a 24 strategy to expand the diplomatic presence of the United 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7797.IH H7797 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 7797 IH States in the Pacific Islands, including by increasing the 1 number of missions and diplomats in the region and by 2 expanding and elevating United States participation in re- 3 gional forums. 4 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 5 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 6 submit to the appropriate congressional committees a re- 7 port on the diplomatic presence of the United States in 8 the Pacific Islands, including— 9 (1) a description of gaps in diplomatic presence; 10 (2) a description of limitations of such gaps on 11 United States strategic objectives; 12 (3) a description of the extent of United States 13 membership and participation in regional forums 14 and organizations; and 15 (4) a strategy to expand and elevate diplomatic 16 presence to fill such gaps, including by establishing 17 new missions, expanding participation in regional fo- 18 rums, and elevating United States representation in 19 regional forums. 20 SEC. 102. MARITIME SECURITY IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. 21 (a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Co [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]