S.Amdt. 688

SA 688. Mr. HAGERTY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:

Subtitle _--United States-Pacific Island Partnership Empowerment Act

SEC. _1. SHORT TITLE.

This subtitle may be cited as the ``United States-Pacific
Island Partnership Empowerment Act''.

SEC. _2. DEFINITIONS.

In this subtitle:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(2) Excess defense articles.--The term ``excess defense
articles'' has the meaning given that term in section 644 of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2403).
(3) Nonlethal excess defense article; united states-pacific
island partnership.--The terms ``nonlethal excess defense
article'' and ``United States-Pacific Island Partnership''
have the meanings given those terms in subparagraph (C) of
section 516(c)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2321j(c)(2)), as added by section 4(3).

SEC. _3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

The United States supports expanding and deepening
cooperation within the United States-Pacific Island
Partnership to maintain free, open, and peaceful waterways in
the Pacific in which the rights to the freedom of navigation
and overflight are recognized and respected, trade flows are
unimpeded, and geopolitical competition does not undermine
the sovereignty and security of the Pacific Islands.

SEC. _4. PRIORITY FOR THE TRANSFER OF EXCESS DEFENSE
ARTICLES.

Section 516(c)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2321j(c)(2)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``Notwithstanding'' and inserting the
following:
``(A) Lethal excess defense articles.--Notwithstanding'';
(2) in subparagraph (A), as designated by paragraph (1), by
striking ``the delivery of excess defense articles'' and
inserting ``the delivery of lethal excess defense articles'';
and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Nonlethal excess defense articles.--The delivery of
nonlethal excess defense articles, including vehicles,
supplies, and furniture, under this section to members of the
United States-Pacific Island Partnership shall be given
priority to the maximum extent feasible over the delivery of
such excess defense articles to other countries.
``(C) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) International traffic in arms regulations.--The term
`International Traffic in Arms Regulations' means subchapter
M of chapter I of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations (or
successor regulations).
``(ii) Lethal excess defense article.--The term `lethal
excess defense article' means an excess defense article that
is regulated under--

``(I) the International Traffic in Arms Regulations; or
``(II) the United States Munitions List.

``(iii) Nonlethal excess defense article.--The term
`nonlethal excess defense article' means an excess defense
article that is not regulated under--

``(I) the International Traffic in Arms Regulations; or
``(II) the United States Munitions List.

``(iv) United states munitions list.--The term `United
States Munitions List' means the list set forth in part 121
of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor
regulations).
``(v) United states-pacific island partnership.--The term
`United States-Pacific Island Partnership' means the
partnership between the United States and the Cook Islands,
the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia,
Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic
of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga,
Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and such other states in the Pacific Islands
as the President may identify.''.

SEC. _5. ANNUAL REPORT ON TRANSFER OF EXCESS DEFENSE ARTICLES
TO MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES-PACIFIC ISLAND
PARTNERSHIP.

(a) Annual Report Requirement.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter for a period of 5 years, the President shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
on the transfer of excess defense articles to members of the
United States-Pacific Island Partnership.
(b) Contents of Report.--Each report required by subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) An overview of the transfer of excess defense articles
to members of the United States-Pacific Island Partnership
during the period covered by the report, including the
quantity and types of articles transferred.
(2) A description of the prioritization process used by the
Department of Defense to determine the allocation of
nonlethal excess defense articles to members of the United
States-Pacific Island Partnership under subparagraph (B) of
section 516(c)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 232j(c)(2)), as added by section 4(3).
(3) A description of--
(A) any challenges or constraints encountered in the
process for transferring excess defense articles to members
of the United States-Pacific Island Partnership; and
(B) efforts undertaken to address those challenges or
constraints.
(4) An assessment of the impact of excess defense articles
transferred to members of the United States-Pacific Island
Partnership on the capacity-building efforts, security
cooperation, and interoperability of those members.
(5) A review of the effectiveness of the transfer of excess
defense articles to members of the United States-Pacific
Island Partnership in promoting regional stability, maritime
security, and the sovereignty and security of the Pacific
Islands.
(c) Coordination and Consultation.--In preparing each
report required by subsection (a), the President--
(1) shall coordinate with--
(A) the Secretary of State;
(B) the Secretary of Defense; and
(C) such other heads of Federal agencies as the President
considers relevant; and
(2) may consult with representatives of members of the
United States-Pacific Island Partnership.
(d) Formats; Public Availability.--Each report required by
subsection (a) shall be submitted in both electronic and hard
copy formats and made available to the public, consistent
with applicable law.
(e) Updates.--The President shall provide updates to the
appropriate congressional committees if significant
developments or changes occur in the transfer of excess
defense articles to members of the United States-Pacific
Island Partnership that warrant congressional attention or
amendment of this Act.
(f) Funding.--The President shall allocate resources
necessary to fulfill the report requirement under this
section using amounts appropriated before the date of the
enactment of this Act, and no additional amounts may be
authorized to be appropriated or appropriated solely for such
purpose.
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