[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1325 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 51
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1325
To establish a partnership with nations in the Western Hemisphere to
promote economic competitiveness, democratic governance, and security,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 26, 2023
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. Rubio) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations
May 4, 2023
Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a partnership with nations in the Western Hemisphere to
promote economic competitiveness, democratic governance, and security,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Western Hemisphere
Partnership Act of 2023''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. UNITED STATES POLICY IN THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> It is the policy of the United States to promote economic
competitiveness, democratic governance, and security in the Western
Hemisphere by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) encouraging stronger economic relations,
respect for property rights, the rule of law, and enforceable
investment rules and labor and environmental
standards;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) advancing the principles and practices
expressed in the Charter of the Organization of American
States, the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of
Man, and the Inter-American Democratic Charter; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) enhancing the capacity and technical
capabilities of democratic partner nation government
institutions, including civilian law enforcement, the
judiciary, attorneys general, and security forces.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. PROMOTING SECURITY AND THE RULE OF LAW IN THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the United States should strengthen security cooperation with
democratic partner nations in the Western Hemisphere to promote a
secure hemisphere and to address the negative impacts of transnational
criminal organizations and malign external state actors.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Collaborative Efforts.--The Secretary of State, in
coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, should
support the improvement of security conditions and the rule of law in
the Western Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with democratic
partners that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) enhance the institutional capacity and
technical capabilities of defense and security institutions in
democratic partner nations to conduct national or regional
security missions, including through regular bilateral and
multilateral engagements, foreign military sales and financing,
international military education, and training programs, and
other means;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) provide technical assistance and material
support (including, as appropriate, radars, vessels, and
communications equipment) to relevant security forces to
disrupt, degrade, and dismantle organizations involved in
illicit narcotics trafficking, transnational criminal
activities, illicit mining, and illegal, unreported, and
unregulated fishing, and other illicit activities;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) enhance the institutional capacity and
technical capabilities of relevant civilian law enforcement,
attorneys general, and judicial institutions to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) strengthen the rule of law and
transparent governance; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) improve regional cooperation to
disrupt, degrade, and dismantle transnational organized
criminal networks and terrorist organizations,
including through training, anticorruption initiatives,
anti-money laundering programs, and strengthening cyber
capabilities and resources;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) enhance port management and maritime security
partnerships and airport management and aviation security
partnerships to disrupt, degrade, and dismantle transnational
criminal networks and facilitate the legitimate flow of people,
goods, and services;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) strengthen cooperation to improve border
security across the Western Hemisphere, dismantle human
smuggling and trafficking networks, and increase cooperation to
demonstrably strengthen migration management systems;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) counter the malign influence of state and non-
state actors and misinformation and disinformation
campaigns;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) disrupt illicit domestic and transnational
financial networks;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) foster mechanisms for cooperation on emergency
preparedness and rapid recovery from natural disasters,
including by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) supporting regional preparedness,
recovery, and emergency management centers to
facilitate rapid response to survey and help maintain
planning on regional disaster anticipated needs and
possible resources; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) training disaster recovery officials
on latest techniques and lessons learned from United
States experiences; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) foster regional mechanisms for early warning
and response to pandemics in the Western Hemisphere, including
through--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) improved cooperation with and research
by the United States Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention through regional pandemic response
centers;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) personnel exchanges for technology
transfer and skills development; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) surveying and mapping of health
networks to build local health capacity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Limitations on Use of Technologies.--Operational
technologies transferred pursuant to subsection (b) to partner
governments for intelligence, defense, or law enforcement purposes
shall be used solely for the purposes for which the technology was
intended. The United States shall take all necessary steps to ensure
that the use of such operational technologies is consistent with United
States law, including protections of freedom of expression, freedom of
movement, and freedom of association.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. PROMOTING DIGITALIZATION AND CYBERSECURITY IN THE
WESTERN HEMISPHERE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the United States should support digitalization and expand
cybersecurity cooperation in the Western Hemisphere to promote regional
economic prosperity and security.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Promotion of Digitalization and Cybersecurity.--The
Secretary of State, in coordination with the heads of other relevant
Federal agencies, should promote digitalization and cybersecurity in
the Western Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with democratic
partners that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) promote digital connectivity and facilitate e-
commerce by expanding access to information and communications
technology (ICT) supply chains that adhere to high-quality
security and reliability standards, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) to open market access on a national
treatment, nondiscriminatory basis; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) to strengthen the cybersecurity and
cyber resilience of partner countries;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) advance the provision of digital government
services (e-government) that, to the greatest extent possible,
promote transparency, lower business costs, and expand
citizens' access to public services and public information;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) develop robust cybersecurity partnerships to--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) promote the inclusion of components
and architectures in information and communications
technology (ICT) supply chains from participants in
initiatives that adhere to high-quality security and
reliability standards;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) share best practices to mitigate cyber
threats to critical infrastructure from ICT
architectures by technology providers with close ties
to, or that are susceptible to pressure from,
governments or security services without reliable legal
checks on governmental powers;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) effectively respond to cybersecurity
threats, including state-sponsored threats;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) to strengthen resilience against
cyberattacks and cybercrime.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. PROMOTING ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS IN THE
WESTERN HEMISPHERE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the United States should enhance economic and commercial ties with
democratic partners to promote prosperity in the Western Hemisphere by
modernizing and strengthening trade capacity-building and trade
facilitation initiatives, encouraging market-based economic reforms,
strengthening labor and environmental standards, and encouraging
transparency and adherence to the rule of law in investment
dealings.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination
with the United States Trade Representative, the Chief Executive
Officer of the Development Finance Corporation, and the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies, should support the improvement of economic
conditions in the Western Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with
democratic partners that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) facilitate a more open, transparent, and
competitive environment for United States businesses and
promote robust and comprehensive trade capacity-building and
trade facilitation by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) reducing trade and nontariff barriers
between the countries in the region, establishing a
mechanism for pursuing Mutual Recognition Agreements
and Formalized Regulatory Cooperation Agreements in
priority sectors of the economy;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) establishing a forum for discussing
and evaluating technical and other assistance needs to
help establish streamlined ``single window'' processes
to facilitate movement of goods and common customs
arrangements and procedures to lower costs of goods in
transit and speed to destination;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) building relationships and exchanges
between relevant regulatory bodies in the United States
and democratic partners in the Western Hemisphere to
promote best practices and transparency in rulemaking,
implementation, and enforcement, and provide training
and assistance to help improve supply chain management
in the Western Hemisphere;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) establishing regional fora for
identifying, raising, and addressing supply chain
management issues, including infrastructure needs and
strengthening of investment rules and regulatory
frameworks;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) establishing a dedicated program of
trade missions and reverse trade missions to increase
commercial contacts and ties between the United States
and Western Hemisphere partner countries; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (F) strengthening labor and environmental
standards in the region;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) establish frameworks or mechanisms to review
and address the long-term financial sustainability and national
security implications of foreign investments in strategic
sectors or services;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) establish competitive and transparent
infrastructure project selection and procurement processes that
promote transparency, open competition, financial
sustainability, and robust adherence to global standards and
norms; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) advance robust and comprehensive energy
production and integration, including through a more open,
transparent, and competitive environment for United States
companies competing in the Western Hemisphere, including by--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) facilitating further development of
integrated regional energy markets;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) improving management of grids,
including technical capability to ensure the
functionality, safe and responsible management, and
quality of service of electricity providers, carriers,
and management and distribution systems;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) facilitating private sector-led
development of reliable and affordable power generation
capacity;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) establishing a process for surveying
grid capacity and management focused on identifying
electricity service efficiencies and establishing
cooperative mechanisms for providing technical
assistance for--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) grid management, power
pricing, and tariff issues;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) establishing and maintaining
appropriate regulatory best practices;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) proposals to establish
regional power grids for the purpose of
promoting the sale of excess supply to
consumers across borders;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) assessing the viability and
effectiveness of decentralizing power production and
transmission and building micro-grid power networks to
improve, when feasible, access to electricity,
particularly in rural and underserved communities where
centralized power grid connections may not be feasible
in the short to medium term; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (F) exploring opportunities to partner
with the private sector and multilateral institutions,
such as the World Bank and the Inter-American
Development Bank, to promote universal access to
reliable and affordable electricity in the Western
Hemisphere.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 6. PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN
THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the United States should support efforts to strengthen the capacity of
democratic institutions and processes in the Western Hemisphere to
promote a more transparent, democratic, and prosperous
region.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination
with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development and heads of other relevant Federal agencies, should
support transparent, accountable, and democratic governance in the
Western Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with democratic
partners that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) strengthen the capacity of national electoral
institutions to ensure free, fair, and transparent electoral
processes, including through pre-election assessment missions,
technical assistance, and independent local and international
election monitoring and observation missions;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) enhance the capabilities of democratically
elected national legislatures, parliamentary bodies, and
autonomous regulatory institutions to conduct
oversight;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) strengthen the capacity of subnational
government institutions to govern in a transparent,
accountable, and democratic manner, including through training
and technical assistance;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) combat corruption at local and national
levels, including through trainings, cooperation agreements,
and bilateral or multilateral anticorruption mechanisms that
strengthen attorneys general and prosecutors' offices;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) strengthen the capacity of civil society to
conduct oversight of government institutions, build the
capacity of independent professional journalism, facilitate
substantive dialogue with government and the private sector to
generate issue-based policies, and mobilize local resources to
carry out such activities.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 7. WESTERN HEMISPHERE DEFINED.</DELETED>
<DELETED> In this Act, the term ``Western Hemisphere'' does not
include Cuba, Nicaragua, or Venezuela, except for purposes of section
6.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Western Hemisphere Partnership Act
of 2023''.
SEC. 2. UNITED STATES POLICY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
It is the policy of the United States to promote economic
competitiveness, democratic governance, and security in the Western
Hemisphere by--
(1) encouraging stronger economic relations, respect for
property rights, the rule of law, and enforceable investment
rules and labor and environmental standards;
(2) advancing the principles and practices expressed in the
Charter of the Organization of American States, the American
Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, and the Inter-
American Democratic Charter; and
(3) enhancing the capacity and technical capabilities of
democratic partner nation government institutions, including
civilian law enforcement, the judiciary, attorneys general, and
security forces.
SEC. 3. PROMOTING SECURITY AND THE RULE OF LAW IN THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
States should strengthen security cooperation with democratic partner
nations in the Western Hemisphere to promote a secure hemisphere and to
address the negative impacts of transnational criminal organizations
and malign external state actors.
(b) Collaborative Efforts.--The Secretary of State, in coordination
with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, should support the
improvement of security conditions and the rule of law in the Western
Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with democratic partners
that--
(1) enhance the institutional capacity and technical
capabilities of defense and security institutions in democratic
partner nations to conduct national or regional security
missions, including through regular bilateral and multilateral
engagements, foreign military sales and financing,
international military education and training programs,
expanding the National Guard State Partnership Programs, and
other means;
(2) provide technical assistance and material support
(including, as appropriate, radars, vessels, and communications
equipment) to relevant security forces to disrupt, degrade, and
dismantle organizations involved in the illicit trafficking of
narcotics and precursor chemicals, transnational criminal
activities, illicit mining, and illegal, unreported, and
unregulated fishing, and other illicit activities;
(3) enhance the institutional capacity, legitimacy, and
technical capabilities of relevant civilian law enforcement,
attorneys general, and judicial institutions to--
(A) strengthen the rule of law and transparent
governance;
(B) combat corruption and kleptocracy in the
region; and
(C) improve regional cooperation to disrupt,
degrade, and dismantle transnational organized criminal
networks and terrorist organizations, including through
training, anticorruption initiatives, anti-money
laundering programs, and strengthening cyber
capabilities and resources;
(4) enhance port management and maritime security
partnerships and airport management and aviation security
partnerships to disrupt, degrade, and dismantle transnational
criminal networks and facilitate the legitimate flow of people,
goods, and services;
(5) strengthen cooperation to improve border security
across the Western Hemisphere, dismantle human smuggling and
trafficking networks, and increase cooperation to demonstrably
strengthen migration management systems;
(6) counter the malign influence of state and non-state
actors and disinformation campaigns;
(7) disrupt illicit domestic and transnational financial
networks;
(8) foster mechanisms for cooperation on emergency
preparedness and rapid recovery from natural disasters,
including by--
(A) supporting regional preparedness, recovery, and
emergency management centers to facilitate rapid
response to survey and help maintain planning on
regional disaster anticipated needs and possible
resources;
(B) training disaster recovery officials on latest
techniques and lessons learned from United States
experiences;
(C) making available, preparing, and transferring
on-hand nonlethal supplies, and providing training on
the use of such supplies, for humanitarian or health
purposes to respond to unforeseen emergencies; and
(D) conducting medical support operations and
medical humanitarian missions, such as hospital ship
deployments and base-operating services, to the extent
required by the operation;
(9) foster regional mechanisms for early warning and
response to pandemics in the Western Hemisphere, including
through--
(A) improved cooperation with and research by the
United States Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention through regional pandemic response centers;
(B) personnel exchanges for technology transfer and
skills development; and
(C) surveying and mapping of health networks to
build local health capacity;
(10) promote the meaningful participation of women across
all political processes, including conflict prevention and
conflict resolution and post-conflict relief and recovery
efforts; and
(11) hold accountable actors that violate political and
civil rights.
(c) Limitations on Use of Technologies.--Operational technologies
transferred pursuant to subsection (b) to partner governments for
intelligence, defense, or law enforcement purposes shall be used solely
for the purposes for which the technology was intended. The United
States shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the use of such
operational technologies is consistent with United States law,
including protections of freedom of expression, freedom of movement,
and freedom of association.
(d) Strategy.--
(1) In general.--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 relevant Federal agencies,
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives a 5-year strategy to promote security and the
rule of law in the Western Hemisphere in accordance to this
Section.
(2) Elements.--The strategy required under paragraph (1)
shall include the following elements:
(A) A detailed assessment of the resources required
to carry out such collaborative efforts.
(B) Annual benchmarks to track progress and
obstacles in undertaking such collaborative efforts.
(C) A public diplomacy component to engage the
people of the Western Hemisphere with the purpose of
demonstrating that the security of their countries is
enhanced to a greater extent through alignment with the
United States and democratic values rather than with
authoritarian countries such as the People's Republic
of China, the Russian Federation, and the Islamic
Republic of Iran.
(3) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after submission of
the strategy required under paragraph (1), and annually
thereafter, the Secretary of State shall provide to the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a briefing
on the implementation of the strategy.
SEC. 4. PROMOTING DIGITALIZATION AND CYBERSECURITY IN THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
States should support digitalization and expand cybersecurity
cooperation in the Western Hemisphere to promote regional economic
prosperity and security.
(b) Promotion of Digitalization and Cybersecurity.--The Secretary
of State, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal
agencies, should promote digitalization and cybersecurity in the
Western Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with democratic
partners that--
(1) promote digital connectivity and facilitate e-commerce
by expanding access to information and communications
technology (ICT) supply chains that adhere to high-quality
security and reliability standards, including--
(A) to open market access on a national treatment,
nondiscriminatory basis; and
(B) to strengthen the cybersecurity and cyber
resilience of partner countries;
(2) advance the provision of digital government services
(e-government) that, to the greatest extent possible, promote
transparency, lower business costs, and expand citizens' access
to public services and public information; and
(3) develop robust cybersecurity partnerships to--
(A) promote the inclusion of components and
architectures in information and communications
technology (ICT) supply chains from participants in
initiatives that adhere to high-quality security and
reliability standards;
(B) share best practices to mitigate cyber threats
to critical infrastructure from ICT architectures by
technology providers that supply equipment and services
covered under section 2 of the Secure and Trusted
Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601);
(C) effectively respond to cybersecurity threats,
including state-sponsored threats; and
(D) to strengthen resilience against cyberattacks
and cybercrime.
SEC. 5. PROMOTING ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS IN THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
States should enhance economic and commercial ties with democratic
partners to promote prosperity in the Western Hemisphere by modernizing
and strengthening trade capacity-building and trade facilitation
initiatives, encouraging market-based economic reforms that enable
inclusive economic growth, strengthening labor and environmental
standards, addressing economic disparities of women, and encouraging
transparency and adherence to the rule of law in investment dealings.
(b) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination with the
United States Trade Representative, the Chief Executive Officer of the
Development Finance Corporation, and the heads of other relevant
Federal agencies, should support the improvement of economic conditions
in the Western Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with democratic
partners that--
(1) facilitate a more open, transparent, and competitive
environment for United States businesses and promote robust and
comprehensive trade capacity-building and trade facilitation
by--
(A) reducing trade and nontariff barriers between
the countries in the region, establishing a mechanism
for pursuing Mutual Recognition Agreements and
Formalized Regulatory Cooperation Agreements in
priority sectors of the economy;
(B) establishing a forum for discussing and
evaluating technical and other assistance needs to help
establish streamlined ``single window'' processes to
facilitate movement of goods and common customs
arrangements and procedures to lower costs of goods in
transit and speed to destination;
(C) building relationships and exchanges between
relevant regulatory bodies in the United States and
democratic partners in the Western Hemisphere to
promote best practices and transparency in rulemaking,
implementation, and enforcement, and provide training
and assistance to help improve supply chain management
in the Western Hemisphere;
(D) establishing regional fora for identifying,
raising, and addressing supply chain management issues,
including infrastructure needs and strengthening of
investment rules and regulatory frameworks;
(E) establishing a dedicated program of trade
missions and reverse trade missions to increase
commercial contacts and ties between the United States
and Western Hemisphere partner countries; and
(F) strengthening labor and environmental standards
in the region;
(2) establish frameworks or mechanisms to review and
address the long-term financial sustainability and national
security implications of foreign investments in strategic
sectors or services;
(3) establish competitive and transparent infrastructure
project selection and procurement processes that promote
transparency, open competition, financial sustainability, and
robust adherence to global standards and norms; and
(4) advance robust and comprehensive energy production and
integration, including through a more open, transparent, and
competitive environment for United States companies competing
in the Western Hemisphere, including by--
(A) facilitating further development of integrated
regional energy markets;
(B) improving management of grids, including
technical capability to ensure the functionality, safe
and responsible management, and quality of service of
electricity providers, carriers, and management and
distribution systems;
(C) facilitating private sector-led development of
reliable and affordable power generation capacity;
(D) establishing a process for surveying grid
capacity and management focused on identifying
electricity service efficiencies and establishing
cooperative mechanisms for providing technical
assistance for--
(i) grid management, power pricing, and
tariff issues;
(ii) establishing and maintaining
appropriate regulatory best practices; and
(iii) proposals to establish regional power
grids for the purpose of promoting the sale of
excess supply to consumers across borders;
(E) assessing the viability and effectiveness of
decentralizing power production and transmission and
building micro-grid power networks to improve, when
feasible, access to electricity, particularly in rural
and underserved communities where centralized power
grid connections may not be feasible in the short to
medium term; and
(F) exploring opportunities to partner with the
private sector and multilateral institutions, such as
the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank,
to promote universal access to reliable and affordable
electricity in the Western Hemisphere.
SEC. 6. PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
States should support efforts to strengthen the capacity and legitimacy
of democratic institutions and inclusive processes in the Western
Hemisphere to promote a more transparent, democratic, and prosperous
region.
(b) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination with the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development
and heads of other relevant Federal agencies, should support
transparent, accountable, and democratic governance in the Western
Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with democratic partners
that--
(1) strengthen the capacity of national electoral
institutions to ensure free, fair, and transparent electoral
processes, including through pre-election assessment missions,
technical assistance, and independent local and international
election monitoring and observation missions;
(2) enhance the capabilities of democratically elected
national legislatures, parliamentary bodies, and autonomous
regulatory institutions to conduct oversight;
(3) strengthen the capacity of subnational government
institutions to govern in a transparent, accountable, and
democratic manner, including through training and technical
assistance;
(4) combat corruption at local and national levels,
including through trainings, cooperation agreements,
initiatives aimed at dismantling corrupt networks, and
political support for bilateral or multilateral anticorruption
mechanisms that strengthen attorneys general and prosecutors'
offices;
(5) strengthen the capacity of civil society to conduct
oversight of government institutions, build the capacity of
independent professional journalism, facilitate substantive
dialogue with government and the private sector to generate
issue-based policies, and mobilize local resources to carry out
such activities;
(6) promote the meaningful and significant participation of
women in democratic processes, including in national and
subnational government and civil society; and
(7) support the creation of procedures for the Organization
of American States (OAS) to create an annual forum for
democratically elected national legislatures from OAS member
States to discuss issues of hemispheric importance, as
expressed in section 4 of the Organization of American States
Legislative Engagement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-343).
SEC. 7. INVESTMENT, TRADE, AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA
AND THE CARIBBEAN.
(a) Strategy Required.--
(1) In general.--The President shall establish a
comprehensive United States strategy for public and private
investment, trade, and development in Africa and Latin America
and the Caribbean.
(2) Focus of strategy.--The strategy required by paragraph
(1) shall focus on increasing exports of United States goods
and services to Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean by
200 percent in real dollar value by the date that is 10 years
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(3) Consultations.--In developing the strategy required by
paragraph (1), the President shall consult with--
(A) Congress;
(B) each agency that is a member of the Trade
Promotion Coordinating Committee;
(C) the relevant multilateral development banks, in
coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and the
respective United States Executive Directors of such
banks;
(D) each agency that participates in the Trade
Policy Staff Committee established;
(E) the President's Export Council;
(F) each of the development agencies;
(G) any other Federal agencies with responsibility
for export promotion or financing and development; and
(H) the private sector, including businesses,
nongovernmental organizations, and African and Latin
American and Caribbean diaspora groups.
(4) Submission to congress.--
(A) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall
submit to Congress the strategy required by subsection
(a).
(B) Progress report.--Not later than 3 years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the President
shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation
of the strategy required by paragraph (1).
(b) Special Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean Export
Strategy Coordinators.--The President shall designate an individual to
serve as Special Africa Export Strategy Coordinator and an individual
to serve as Special Latin America and the Caribbean Export Strategy
Coordinator--
(1) to oversee the development and implementation of the
strategy required by subsection (a); and
(2) to coordinate developing and implementing the strategy
with--
(A) the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee;
(B) the Assistant United States Trade
Representative for African Affairs or the Assistant
United States Trade Representative for the Western
Hemisphere, as appropriate;
(C) the Assistant Secretary of State for African
Affairs or the Assistant Secretary of State for Western
Hemisphere Affairs, as appropriate;
(D) the Export-Import Bank of the United States;
(E) the United States International Development
Finance Corporation; and
(F) the development agencies.
(c) Trade Missions to Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.--
It is the sense of Congress that, not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce and other
high-level officials of the United States Government with
responsibility for export promotion, financing, and development should
conduct joint trade missions to Africa and to Latin America and the
Caribbean.
(d) Training.--The President shall develop a plan--
(1) to standardize the training received by United States
and Foreign Commercial Service officers, economic officers of
the Department of State, and economic officers of the United
States Agency for International Development with respect to the
programs and procedures of the Export-Import Bank of the United
States, the United States International Development Finance
Corporation, the Small Business Administration, and the United
States Trade and Development Agency; and
(2) to ensure that, not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act--
(A) all United States and Foreign Commercial
Service officers that are stationed overseas receive
the training described in paragraph (1); and
(B) in the case of a country to which no United
States and Foreign Commercial Service officer is
assigned, any economic officer of the Department of
State stationed in that country receives that training.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Development agencies.--The term ``development
agencies'' means the United States Department of State, the
United States Agency for International Development, the
Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States
International Development Finance Corporation, the United
States Trade and Development Agency, the United States
Department of Agriculture, and relevant multilateral
development banks.
(2) Multilateral development banks.--The term
``multilateral development banks'' has the meaning given that
term in section 1701(c)(4) of the International Financial
Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(4)) and includes the
African Development Foundation.
(3) Trade policy staff committee.--The term ``Trade Policy
Staff Committee'' means the Trade Policy Staff Committee
established pursuant to section 2002.2 of title 15, Code of
Federal Regulations.
(4) Trade promotion coordinating committee.--The term
``Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee'' means the Trade
Promotion Coordinating Committee established under section 2312
of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727).
(5) United states and foreign commercial service.--The term
``United States and Foreign Commercial Service'' means the
United States and Foreign Commercial Service established by
section 2301 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C.
4721).
SEC. 8. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PRIORITIZING NOMINATION AND CONFIRMATION
OF QUALIFIED AMBASSADORS.
It is the sense of Congress that it is critically important that
both the President and the Senate play their respective roles to
nominate and confirm qualified ambassadors as quickly as possible,
especially for countries in the Western Hemisphere.
SEC. 9. WESTERN HEMISPHERE DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ``Western Hemisphere'' does not include Cuba,
Nicaragua, or Venezuela.
SEC. 10. REPORT ON EFFORTS TO CAPTURE AND DETAIN UNITED STATES CITIZENS
AS HOSTAGES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on efforts by
the Maduro regime of Venezuela to detain United States citizens and
lawful permanent residents.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include,
regarding the arrest, capture, detainment, and imprisonment of United
States citizens and lawful permanent residents--
(1) the names, positions, and institutional affiliation of
Venezuelan individuals, or those acting on their behalf, who
have engaged in such activities;
(2) a description of any role played by transnational
criminal organizations, and an identification of such
organizations; and
(3) where relevant, an assessment of whether and how United
States citizens and lawful permanent residents have been lured
to Venezuela.
(c) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but shall include a classified annex,
which shall include a list of the total number of United States
citizens and lawful permanent residents detained or imprisoned in
Venezuela as of the date on which the report is submitted.
Calendar No. 51
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1325
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a partnership with nations in the Western Hemisphere to
promote economic competitiveness, democratic governance, and security,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
May 4, 2023
Reported with an amendment