[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2789 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2789
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 8, 2024
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy on efforts to
strengthen subnational cooperation between the United States and
Mexico, 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 ``American Cooperation with Our
Neighbors Act''.
SEC. 2. SUBNATIONAL COOPERATION STRATEGY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate a strategy on efforts to strengthen subnational cooperation
between the United States and Mexico for the purposes of--
(1) enhancing law enforcement cooperation and local, State,
and Federal security forces cooperation at a subnational level
for the purpose of curbing fentanyl trafficking and other
synthetic opioids, including activities such as--
(A) bolstering technical assistance and
coordination for law enforcement agencies and local,
State, and Federal security forces;
(B) carrying out exchange programs for the purposes
of professional development; and
(C) enhancing data sharing, as appropriate;
(2) bolstering subnational dialogue and capacity building
between Federal and local governments, civil society, faith-
based organizations, and business community leaders and
integrating issues faced by local communities, including with
respect to trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids;
and
(3) strengthening capacity building and provide resources
for border towns and organizations within those towns that
attempt to meet the needs of communities.
(b) Update.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
submission of the strategy under subsection (a), the President shall
submit to the congressional committees specified in subsection (a) an
update containing an assessment of the implementation and effectiveness
of the strategy, lessons learned from the past year with respect to the
strategy, and planned changes to the strategy.
(c) Form.--The strategy under subsection (a), and the update under
subsection (b), shall be submitted in unclassified form.
(d) Limitation on Data Sharing.--
(1) Limitation.--The Secretary of State may not carry out
any project, program, or activity that implements the strategy
under subsection (a) for the purpose specified in paragraph
(1)(C) of such subsection until the Secretary submits to the
appropriate congressional committees a notification regarding
the data intended to be shared with foreign countries pursuant
to such strategy.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee
on Homeland Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of
the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the
Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Select
Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW OF ACCESS TO FINANCE IN CARICOM
MEMBER STATES.
(a) Review.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with the
Secretary of Treasury, shall conduct a review to determine any steps,
balancing costs and benefits, that the Secretaries could take to expand
financial access to the member states of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM), including through a review of--
(1) sanctions enforcement laws and compliance standards;
(2) reporting requirements pertaining to narcotics
trafficking and illicit finance thereof;
(3) possible expansion of embassies and consulates in the
region; and
(4) programming or lack thereof pertaining to access to
capital in the region.
(b) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the findings of the Secretary
pertaining to the review under subsection (a).
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
Passed the House of Representatives June 25, 2024.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.