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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5037 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5037
To strengthen the role of the United States with respect to the Indian
Ocean region, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 12, 2024
Mr. Scott of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Rubio, and Mr.
Coons) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To strengthen the role of the United States with respect to the Indian
Ocean region, 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 ``Indian Ocean Region Strategic Review
Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives.
(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,
including the East Coast of Africa.
(3) Indian ocean region country.--The term ``Indian Ocean
region country'' means any country located within or
surrounding the Indian Ocean region.
SEC. 3. 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 those 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 the region, to
bolster regional governance, to increase sustainable economic
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
political, security, economic, and environmental issues faced
by the governments of Indian Ocean region countries.
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States with respect to the Indian
Ocean region, as part of the broader strategy of the United States for
Indo-Pacific engagement, to strengthen engagement with Indian Ocean
region countries (including with the governments, civil society,
academia, and private sectors of those countries) and to enhance
meaningful diplomatic, security, and economic relations with allies and
partners of the United States in the Indian Ocean region by--
(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 those allies and partners;
(2) continuing to strengthen bilateral security
relationships between the United States and partners in the
Indian Ocean region, including 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) maintaining the freedom of navigation of the
international waters within the Indian Ocean region 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 allies of the United States
in the Indo-Pacific region (including Japan and Australia),
major defense partners of the United States (including India),
and North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies (including the
United Kingdom and France) to support a rules-based order in
the region; and
(10) understanding resources and costs required for the
United States to effectively engage diplomatically and
economically in the Indian Ocean region.
SEC. 5. STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN RELATING TO INDIAN OCEAN
REGION.
(a) In General.--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) Elements of Strategy.--The strategy required by 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 those goals align
with the goals of the United States.
(3) A list that--
(A) details the political, economic, and security
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 Indian Ocean region country; and
(B) includes an assessment of any efforts of the
People's Republic of China to expand its military
presence in the Indian Ocean region, including through
efforts to secure agreements to host People's
Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) bases and acquire
commercial port facilities.
(4) A description and analysis of challenges, including
countries and specific projects, to engagement by the United
States 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, the
Department of Defense, and the United States Agency for
International Development.
(5) A list that details efforts to improve cooperation
between the United States and other members of the
Quadrilateral Dialogue (commonly referred to as the ``Quad''),
namely, Australia, India, and Japan, through coordination among
those countries 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--
(A) 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 and 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; and
(B) that shall include a description of any
resources or policy tools required to enhance the
ability of the United States to support high-quality
infrastructure resiliency projects in those countries.
(7) A description of how the United States may engage with
regional intergovernmental organizations and multilateral
organizations, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association, 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 those 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 the following:
(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 to improve cooperation
by the United States with the Maldives, Seychelles, and
Comoros.
(C) An assessment of the sufficiency of United
States diplomatic personnel and facilities available in
the Indian Ocean region to carry out the policy
described in section 4.
(D) A description of any resources required to fill
identified gaps with respect to such diplomatic
posture.
(E) A description of the bilateral and multilateral
diplomatic goals of the Department of State that the
Secretary of State considers necessary to carry out the
policy described in section 4.
(F) A description of the diplomatic strategy to
deter the efforts described in paragraph (3)(B).
(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 naval and coast guard
cooperation between the United States and India and other
Indian Ocean region countries through the negotiation of
additional agreements.
(11) A strategy for strengthening security cooperation
between the United States and partners in the Indian Ocean
region, including through the provision of security assistance,
which shall include the following:
(A) A summary of the security priorities,
objectives, and actions of each prospective recipient
country.
(B) A description of the means by which the United
States may support those security priorities,
objectives, and actions while promoting the political,
economic, and security goals of the United States in
the Indian Ocean region.
(C) An assessment of the capabilities, training,
and resources needed for Indian Ocean region countries
to address shared challenges in the region.
(c) Inclusion in Another Strategy.--The strategy required by
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 1 year after the
date on which the Secretary of State submits the strategy required by
subsection (a), and 1 year thereafter, the Secretary of State shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on progress
made toward implementing the strategy.
SEC. 6. REPORTS BY 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, including
the East Coast of Africa.''.
(b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to each report under section 1238(c) of the Floyd D.
Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (22
U.S.C. 7002(c)) required to be submitted on or after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
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