[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8378 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8378
To strengthen the role of the United States with respect to the Indian
Ocean region, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 14, 2024
Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself and Mr. Issa) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
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. 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 such 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 such region, to
bolster regional governance, to increase sustainable economic
connectivity and 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
environmental, economic, security, and political issues faced
by the Governments of Indian Ocean region countries.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States with respect to the Indian
Ocean region, as part of the broader Indo-Pacific engagement strategy
of the United States, to strengthen engagement with Indian Ocean region
countries (including with the governments, civil society, academia, and
private sectors of such countries) and to enhance meaningful
diplomatic, security, and economic relations with allies and partners
of the United States in the Indian Ocean region, by the following:
(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 such allies and partners.
(2) Continuing to build the bilateral security relationship
between the United States and 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) Ensuring the freedom of navigation by protecting trade
routes and shipping lanes within the Indian Ocean region for
all countries to enjoy unimpeded access 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 United States allies in the
Indo-Pacific region (including Japan and Australia), major
defense partners (including India), and NATO allies (including
the United Kingdom and France), to support a rules-based order
in such region.
(10) Understanding resources and costs required for the
United States to effectively engage diplomatically and
economically in the Indian Ocean region.
SEC. 4. STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN RELATING TO INDIAN OCEAN
REGION.
(a) Strategy.--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) Matters.--The strategy under 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 such interests align
with the goals of the United States.
(3) A list that details the economic and political 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 country located within
the Indian Ocean region.
(4) A description and analysis of challenges, including
countries and specific projects, to the engagement 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,
Department of Defense, and United States Agency for
International Development.
(5) A list that details efforts to improve cooperation
between the United States and Australia, India, and Japan
(commonly referred to as the ``Quadrilateral Dialogue'' or
``Quad'' and referred to as such in this section), through
coordination between members of the Quad 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 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, 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.
(7) A description of how the United States may engage with
regional intergovernmental organizations and multilateral
organizations, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association and
the United Nations, 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 such 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--
(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 by which to improve
cooperation by the United States with the Maldives, the
Seychelles, and Comoros;
(C) an assessment of the sufficiency of United
States diplomatic personnel and facilities available in
the Indian Ocean region to achieve the policy referred
to in section 3;
(D) a description of any fiscal or personnel
resources required to fill identified gaps with respect
to such diplomatic posture; and
(E) a description of the bilateral and multilateral
diplomatic goals of the Department of State that the
Secretary of State deems necessary to achieve the
policy referred to in section 3.
(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 the naval and coast guard
cooperation of the United States with India and other Indian
Ocean region countries through the negotiation of additional
agreements.
(11) A strategy for the provision of United States security
assistance to the governments of Indian Ocean region countries,
including a summary of the security priorities, objectives, and
actions of the prospective recipient country and a description
of the means by which the United States may support such
security priorities, objectives, and actions while promoting
the political, economic, and security goals of the United
States in the Indian Ocean region.
(12) A security assistance assessment of the capabilities,
training, and funding needed for countries in the region to
push back against shared challenges in the region.
(13) A plan to expand the foreign assistance presence of
the United States with respect to the governments of island
countries located within the Indian Ocean region, including a
description of any resources or policy tools required to expand
the ability of the United States to offer high-quality
infrastructure resiliency projects to such countries.
(c) Inclusion.--The strategy under 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 one year after the
date on which the Secretary of State submits the strategy under
subsection (a), and one year thereafter, the Secretary of State shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on progress
made toward implementing the strategy.
SEC. 5. MODIFICATION TO 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.''.
(b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to each report under section 1238 of the Floyd D.
Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 required
to be submitted on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
(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.
(3) Indian ocean region country.--The term ``Indian Ocean
region country'' means any country located within or
surrounding the Indian Ocean region.
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