MARITIME Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3748 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3748

To require the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on the 
 promotion of certain policies regarding the effects of sea level rise 
    on the statehood and maritime zones of countries, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 5, 2025

 Mr. Bera (for himself, Mr. Moylan, Mr. Case, Mrs. Radewagen, and Mr. 
 Krishnamoorthi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a report on the 
 promotion of certain policies regarding the effects of sea level rise 
    on the statehood and maritime zones of countries, 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 ``Maintaining Area Rights and 
Integrity Through International Maritime Enforcement Act'' or the 
``MARITIME Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Increasing sea levels pose an existential threat to 
        low-lying island States in the Pacific Ocean.
            (2) Maritime zones are critical for the economies of the 
        Pacific Islands, which depend on exclusive rights to resources.
            (3) New trends are developing in the practices and views of 
        States on the need for stable maritime zones in the face of sea 
        level rise, as reflected in the approach taken by the members 
        of the Pacific Islands Forum and the Alliance of Small Island 
        States.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States that--
            (1) sea level rise driven by climate change should not 
        cause any country to lose its statehood or its membership in 
        the United Nations, its specialized agencies, or other 
        international organizations;
            (2) the United States is committed to working with other 
        countries on issues relating to sea level rise and statehood to 
        advance these objectives;
            (3) sea level rise driven by climate change should not 
        diminish the maritime zones on which island States and other 
        coastal States rely, including for food and livelihoods;
            (4) the United States is committed to preserving the 
        legitimacy of maritime zones, and associated rights and 
        entitlements, that have been established consistent with 
        international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention 
        on the Law of the Sea and that are not subsequently updated 
        despite sea level rise caused by climate change;
            (5) countries should support the initiative of the Pacific 
        Islands Forum and the Alliance of Small Island States to take 
        steps now to determine, memorialize, and publish their coastal 
        baselines in accordance with the international law of the sea 
        as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the 
        Sea; and
            (6) the United States will encourage countries to adopt 
        similar policies on the issue of statehood and the preservation 
        of maritime zones.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on the efforts of the 
United States to promote the adoption, by foreign countries and 
international organizations, of policies that are complementary to 
United States policies regarding the effects of sea level rise on the 
statehood and maritime zones of countries.
    (b) Report Contents.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) A comprehensive review of the initiatives of the 
        Department of State and other relevant departments and agencies 
        to promote the adoption of policies described in subsection (a) 
        by foreign countries and international organizations.
            (2) An assessment of how the Department of State and other 
        relevant departments and agencies are establishing or expanding 
        bilateral and multilateral efforts to encourage the adoption of 
        policies described in subsection (a) in international fora.
            (3) An assessment of any legal, policy, logistical, 
        financial, or administrative barrier to promoting the adoption 
        of policies described in subsection (a).
            (4) A list of countries and international organizations 
        that have adopted policies described in subsection (a).
    (c) Form of Report.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--In this section, the 
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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