[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 841 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 49
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 841
To authorize the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, to enhance the
United States-Caribbean security partnership, to prioritize natural
disaster resilience, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 16, 2023
Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Cardin) 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 authorize the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, to enhance the
United States-Caribbean security partnership, to prioritize natural
disaster resilience, 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 ``Caribbean Basin Security
Initiative Authorization Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Beneficiary countries.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) In general.--The term ``beneficiary
countries'' means--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) Antigua and Barbuda;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) the Bahamas;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) Barbados;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iv) Dominica;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (v) the Dominican
Republic;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (vi) Grenada;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (vii) Guyana;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (viii) Jamaica;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ix) Saint Lucia;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (x) Saint Kitts and
Nevis,;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (xi) Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (xii) Suriname; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (xiii) Trinidad and Tobago;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Updates.--The President or the
Secretary of State may add or remove one or more
countries from the list under subparagraph (A) upon
written notification to the appropriate congressional
committees.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CARIBBEAN BASIN SECURITY
INITIATIVE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Authorization for the Caribbean Basin Security
Initiative.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development may carry out an
initiative, to be known as the ``Caribbean Basin Security Initiative'',
in beneficiary countries to achieve the purposes described in
subsection (b).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Purposes.--The purposes described in this subsection
are the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) To promote citizen safety, security, and the
rule of law in the Caribbean through increased strategic
engagement with--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the governments of beneficiary
countries; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) elements of local civil society,
including the private sector, in such
countries.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) To counter transnational criminal
organizations and local gangs in beneficiary countries,
including through--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) maritime and aerial security
cooperation, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) assistance to strengthen
capabilities of maritime and aerial
interdiction operations in the Caribbean;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) the provision of support
systems and equipment, training, and
maintenance;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) cooperation on border and port
security, including support to strengthen capacity for
screening and intercepting narcotics, weapons, bulk
cash, and other contraband at airports and seaports;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) capacity building and the provision of
equipment and support for operations targeting--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) the finances and illegal
activities of such organizations and gangs;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) the recruitment by such
organizations and gangs of at-risk
youth.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) To advance law enforcement and justice sector
capacity building and rule of law initiatives in beneficiary
countries, including by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) strengthening special prosecutorial
offices and providing technical assistance--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) to combat corruption, money
laundering, human, firearms, and wildlife
trafficking, financial crimes, extortion, and
human rights crimes; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) to conduct asset forfeitures
and criminal analysis;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) supporting training for civilian
police and appropriate security services in criminal
investigations, best practices for citizen security,
and the protection of human rights;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) supporting capacity building for law
enforcement and military units, including
professionalization, anti-corruption and human rights
training, vetting, and community-based
policing;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) supporting justice sector reform and
strengthening of the rule of law, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) capacity building for
prosecutors, judges, and other justice
officials; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) support to increase the
efficacy of criminal courts; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) strengthening cybersecurity and
cybercrime cooperation, including capacity building and
support for cybersecurity systems.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) To promote crime prevention efforts in
beneficiary countries, particularly among at-risk-youth and
other vulnerable populations, including through--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) improving community and law
enforcement cooperation to improve the effectiveness
and professionalism of police and increase mutual
trust;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) increasing economic opportunities for
at-risk youth and vulnerable populations, including
through workforce development training and remedial
education programs for at-risk youth;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) improving juvenile justice sectors
through regulatory reforms, separating youth from
traditional prison systems, and improving support and
services in juvenile detention centers; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) the provision of assistance to
populations vulnerable to being victims of extortion
and crime by criminal networks.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) To strengthen the ability of the security
sector in beneficiary countries to respond to and become more
resilient in the face of natural disasters, including by--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) carrying out training exercises to
ensure critical infrastructure and ports are able to
come back online rapidly following natural disasters;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) providing preparedness training to
police and first responders.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) To prioritize efforts to combat corruption and
include anti-corruption components in programs in beneficiary
countries, including by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) building the capacity of national
justice systems and attorneys general to prosecute and
try acts of corruption;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) provide technical and financial
assistance to independent media and investigative
reporting;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) increasing the capacity of national
law enforcement services to carry out anti-corruption
investigations; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) encouraging cooperative agreements
among the Department of State, other relevant Federal
departments and agencies, and the attorneys general of
relevant countries.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) To promote the rule of law in beneficiary
countries and counter malign influence from authoritarian
regimes, including China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Nicaragua,
and Cuba, by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) monitoring security assistance from
such authoritarian regimes and taking steps necessary
to ensure that such assistance does not undermine or
jeopardize United States security assistance;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) evaluating and, as appropriate,
restricting the involvement of the United States in
investment and infrastructure projects financed by
authoritarian regimes that might obstruct or otherwise
impact United States security assistance to beneficiary
countries;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) monitoring and restricting equipment
and support from high-risk vendors of
telecommunications infrastructure in beneficiary
countries;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) countering disinformation by promoting
transparency and accountability from beneficiary
countries; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) eliminating corruption linked to
investment and infrastructure facilitated by
authoritarian regimes through support for investment
screening, competitive tendering and bidding processes,
the implementation of investment law, and contractual
transparency.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) To support the effective branding and
messaging of United States security assistance and cooperation
in beneficiary countries, including by developing and
implementing a public diplomacy strategy for informing citizens
of beneficiary countries about the benefits to their respective
countries of United States security assistance and cooperation
programs.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Department of State and the United States
Agency for International Development $74,800,000 for each of fiscal
years 2023 through 2027 to carry out the Caribbean Basin Security
Initiative to achieve the purposes described in subsection
(b).</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (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 Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees
an implementation plan that includes a timeline and stated objectives
for actions to be taken in beneficiary countries with respect to the
Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Elements.--The implementation plan required by
subsection (a) shall include the following elements:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) A multi-year strategy with a timeline,
overview of objectives, and anticipated outcomes for the region
and for each beneficiary country, with respect to each purpose
described in section 3.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Specific, measurable benchmarks to track the
progress of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative toward
accomplishing the outcomes included under paragraph
(1).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) A plan for the delineation of the roles to be
carried out by the Department of State, the United States
Agency for International Development, the Department of
Justice, the Department of Defense, and any other Federal
department or agency in carrying out the Caribbean Basin
Security Initiative, to prevent overlap and unintended
competition between activities and resources.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) A plan to coordinate and track all activities
carried out under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative among
all relevant Federal departments and agencies, in accordance
with the publication requirements described in section 4 of the
Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2016 (22
U.S.C. 2394c).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) A description of the process for co-locating
projects of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative funded by
the United States Agency for International Development and the
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
of the Department of State to ensure that crime prevention
funding and enforcement funding are used in the same localities
as necessary.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) An assessment of steps taken, as of the date
on which the plan is submitted, to increase regional
coordination and collaboration between the law enforcement
agencies of beneficiary countries and the Haitian National
Police, and a framework with benchmarks for increasing such
coordination and collaboration, in order to address the urgent
security crisis in Haiti.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Annual Progress Update.--Not later than 1 year after
the date on which the implementation plan required by subsection (a) is
submitted, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a written description of results achieved
through the Caribbean Basin Security Imitative, including with respect
to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) the implementation of the strategy and plans
described in paragraphs (1), (3), and (4) of subsection
(b);</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) compliance with, and progress related to,
meeting the benchmarks described in paragraph (2) of subsection
(b); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) funding statistics for the Caribbean Basin
Security Initiative for the preceding year, disaggregated by
country.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. PROGRAMS AND STRATEGY TO INCREASE NATURAL DISASTER
RESPONSE AND RESILIENCE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Programs.--During the 5-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, the President and Chief Executive Officer of
the Inter-American Foundation, and the Chief Executive Officer of the
United States International Development Finance Corporation, shall
promote natural disaster response and resilience in beneficiary
countries by carrying out programs for the following
purposes:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Encouraging coordination between beneficiary
countries and relevant Federal departments and agencies to
provide expertise and information sharing.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Supporting the sharing of best practices on
natural disaster resilience, including on constructing
resilient infrastructure and rebuilding after natural
disasters.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Improving rapid-response mechanisms and cross-
government organizational preparedness for natural
disasters.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Strategy.--Not later than 180 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 and in consultation with the President and Chief Economic
Officer of the Inter-American Foundation, the Chief Executive Officer
of the United States International Development Finance Corporation, and
nongovernmental organizations in beneficiary countries and in the
United States, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees
a strategy that incorporates specific, measurable benchmarks--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) to achieve the purposes described in
subsection (a); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) to inform citizens of beneficiary countries
about the extent and benefits of United States assistance to
such countries.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Annual Progress Update.--Not later than 1 year after
the date on which the strategy required by subsection (b) is submitted,
and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in coordination with
the Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
written description of the progress made as of the date of such
submission in meeting the benchmarks included in the
strategy.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Caribbean Basin Security Initiative
Authorization Act''.
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 Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Beneficiary countries.--
(A) In general.--The term ``beneficiary countries''
means--
(i) Antigua and Barbuda;
(ii) the Bahamas;
(iii) Barbados;
(iv) Dominica;
(v) the Dominican Republic;
(vi) Grenada;
(vii) Guyana;
(viii) Jamaica;
(ix) Saint Lucia;
(x) Saint Kitts and Nevis,;
(xi) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
(xii) Suriname; and
(xiii) Trinidad and Tobago.
(B) Updates.--The President or the Secretary of
State may add or remove one or more countries from the
list under subparagraph (A) upon written notification
to the appropriate congressional committees.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CARIBBEAN BASIN SECURITY INITIATIVE.
(a) Authorization for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.--The
Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency
for International Development may carry out an initiative, to be known
as the ``Caribbean Basin Security Initiative'', in beneficiary
countries to achieve the purposes described in subsection (b).
(b) Purposes.--The purposes described in this subsection are the
following:
(1) To promote citizen safety, security, and the rule of
law in the Caribbean through increased strategic engagement
with--
(A) the governments of beneficiary countries; and
(B) elements of local civil society, including the
private sector, in such countries.
(2) To counter transnational criminal organizations and
local gangs in beneficiary countries, including through--
(A) maritime and aerial security cooperation,
including--
(i) assistance to strengthen capabilities
of maritime and aerial interdiction operations
in the Caribbean; and
(ii) the provision of support systems and
equipment, training, and maintenance;
(B) cooperation on border and port security,
including support to strengthen capacity for screening
and intercepting narcotics, weapons, bulk cash, and
other contraband at airports and seaports; and
(C) capacity building and the provision of
equipment and support for operations targeting--
(i) the finances and illegal activities of
such organizations and gangs; and
(ii) the recruitment by such organizations
and gangs of at-risk youth.
(3) To advance law enforcement and justice sector capacity
building and rule of law initiatives in beneficiary countries,
including by--
(A) strengthening special prosecutorial offices and
providing technical assistance--
(i) to combat--
(I) corruption;
(II) money laundering;
(III) human, firearms, and wildlife
trafficking;
(IV) human smuggling;
(V) financial crimes; and
(VI) extortion; and
(ii) to conduct asset forfeitures and
criminal analysis;
(B) supporting training for civilian police and
appropriate security services in criminal
investigations, best practices for citizen security,
and the protection of human rights;
(C) supporting capacity building for law
enforcement and military units, including
professionalization, anti-corruption and human rights
training, vetting, and community-based policing;
(D) supporting justice sector reform and
strengthening of the rule of law, including--
(i) capacity building for prosecutors,
judges, and other justice officials; and
(ii) support to increase the efficacy of
criminal courts; and
(E) strengthening cybersecurity and cybercrime
cooperation, including capacity building and support
for cybersecurity systems.
(4) To promote crime prevention efforts in beneficiary
countries, particularly among at-risk-youth and other
vulnerable populations, including through--
(A) improving community and law enforcement
cooperation to improve the effectiveness and
professionalism of police and increase mutual trust;
(B) increasing economic opportunities for at-risk
youth and vulnerable populations, including through
workforce development training and remedial education
programs for at-risk youth;
(C) improving juvenile justice sectors through
regulatory reforms, separating youth from traditional
prison systems, and improving support and services in
juvenile detention centers; and
(D) the provision of assistance to populations
vulnerable to being victims of extortion and crime by
criminal networks.
(5) To strengthen the ability of the security sector in
beneficiary countries to respond to and become more resilient
in the face of natural disasters, including by--
(A) carrying out training exercises to ensure
critical infrastructure and ports are able to come back
online rapidly following natural disasters; and
(B) providing preparedness training to police and
first responders.
(6) To prioritize efforts to combat corruption and include
anti-corruption components in programs in beneficiary
countries, including by--
(A) building the capacity of national justice
systems and attorneys general to prosecute and try acts
of corruption;
(B) increasing the capacity of national law
enforcement services to carry out anti-corruption
investigations; and
(C) encouraging cooperative agreements among the
Department of State, other relevant Federal departments
and agencies, and the attorneys general of relevant
countries.
(7) To promote the rule of law in beneficiary countries and
counter malign influence from authoritarian regimes, including
China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, by--
(A) monitoring security assistance from such
authoritarian regimes and taking steps necessary to
ensure that such assistance does not undermine or
jeopardize United States security assistance;
(B) evaluating and, as appropriate, restricting the
involvement of the United States in investment and
infrastructure projects financed by authoritarian
regimes that might obstruct or otherwise impact United
States security assistance to beneficiary countries;
(C) monitoring and restricting equipment and
support from high-risk vendors of telecommunications
infrastructure in beneficiary countries;
(D) countering disinformation by promoting
transparency and accountability from beneficiary
countries; and
(E) eliminating corruption linked to investment and
infrastructure facilitated by authoritarian regimes
through support for investment screening, competitive
tendering and bidding processes, the implementation of
investment law, and contractual transparency.
(8) To support the effective branding and messaging of
United States security assistance and cooperation in
beneficiary countries, including by developing and implementing
a public diplomacy strategy for informing citizens of
beneficiary countries about the benefits to their respective
countries of United States security assistance and cooperation
programs.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Department of State and the United States Agency
for International Development $82,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023
through 2027 to carry out the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative to
achieve the purposes described in subsection (b).
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
(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
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees
an implementation plan that includes a timeline and stated objectives
for actions to be taken in beneficiary countries with respect to the
Caribbean Basin Security Initiative.
(b) Elements.--The implementation plan required by subsection (a)
shall include the following elements:
(1) A multi-year strategy with a timeline, overview of
objectives, and anticipated outcomes for the region and for
each beneficiary country, with respect to each purpose
described in section 3.
(2) Specific, measurable benchmarks to track the progress
of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative toward accomplishing
the outcomes included under paragraph (1).
(3) A plan for the delineation of the roles to be carried
out by the Department of State, the United States Agency for
International Development, the Department of Justice, the
Department of Defense, and any other Federal department or
agency in carrying out the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative,
to prevent overlap and unintended competition between
activities and resources.
(4) A plan to coordinate and track all activities carried
out under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative among all
relevant Federal departments and agencies, in accordance with
the publication requirements described in section 4 of the
Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2016 (22
U.S.C. 2394c).
(5) A description of the process for co-locating projects
of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative funded by the United
States Agency for International Development and the Bureau of
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the
Department of State to ensure that crime prevention funding and
enforcement funding are used in the same localities as
necessary.
(6) An assessment of steps taken, as of the date on which
the plan is submitted, to increase regional coordination and
collaboration between the law enforcement agencies of
beneficiary countries and the Haitian National Police, and a
framework with benchmarks for increasing such coordination and
collaboration, in order to address the urgent security crisis
in Haiti.
(c) Annual Progress Update.--Not later than 1 year after the date
on which the implementation plan required by subsection (a) is
submitted, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a written description of results achieved
through the Caribbean Basin Security Imitative, including with respect
to--
(1) the implementation of the strategy and plans described
in paragraphs (1), (3), and (4) of subsection (b);
(2) compliance with, and progress related to, meeting the
benchmarks described in paragraph (2) of subsection (b); and
(3) funding statistics for the Caribbean Basin Security
Initiative for the preceding year, disaggregated by country.
SEC. 5. PROGRAMS AND STRATEGY TO INCREASE NATURAL DISASTER RESPONSE AND
RESILIENCE.
(a) Programs.--During the 5-year period beginning on the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with
the Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development and the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Inter-
American Foundation, shall promote natural disaster response and
resilience in beneficiary countries by carrying out programs for the
following purposes:
(1) Encouraging coordination between beneficiary countries
and relevant Federal departments and agencies to provide
expertise and information sharing.
(2) Supporting the sharing of best practices on natural
disaster resilience, including on constructing resilient
infrastructure and rebuilding after natural disasters.
(3) Improving rapid-response mechanisms and cross-
government organizational preparedness for natural disasters.
(b) Strategy.--Not later than 180 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
and in consultation with the President and Chief Economic Officer of
the Inter-American Foundation and nongovernmental organizations in
beneficiary countries and in the United States, shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a strategy that incorporates
specific, measurable benchmarks--
(1) to achieve the purposes described in subsection (a);
and
(2) to inform citizens of beneficiary countries about the
extent and benefits of United States assistance to such
countries.
(c) Annual Progress Update.--Not later than 1 year after the date
on which the strategy required by subsection (b) is submitted, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
written description of the progress made as of the date of such
submission in meeting the benchmarks included in the strategy.
Calendar No. 49
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 841
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, to enhance the
United States-Caribbean security partnership, to prioritize natural
disaster resilience, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
May 4, 2023
Reported with an amendment