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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10206 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10206
To support the strengthening of civil society organizations in the
Pacific Islands, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Engage the Pacific Act''.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
SEC. 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.
<all>
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1182-1183)
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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