US-Japan-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Act
H.R. 3429, the US-Japan-ROK Trilateral Cooperation Act, would formalize and institutionalize a trilateral inter-parliamentary dialogue among the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK). The goal is to strengthen legislative cooperation on shared interests and values—particularly in areas like regional security, maritime stability, and safeguarding democratic systems. The bill envisions negotiating a written agreement within 180 days of enactment to establish the dialogue, and creating a United States Group (up to eight Members of Congress) to represent the U.S. in this forum. The U.S. group would meet at least annually with their counterparts in Japan and the ROK (and possibly other invited countries) to discuss a broad agenda, with leadership roles rotating between House and Senate and requiring appointments from both parties and chambers. The legislation also provides governance, ethics, and reporting provisions, and allows limited private gifts or donations to support the group, subject to ethics review and annual expenditure reporting. In short, the bill aims to institutionalize ongoing trilateral parliamentary engagement—building on the Camp David framework and prior high-level summits—so lawmakers can coordinate on regional challenges and shared values, while establishing clear rules for membership, leadership, meetings, and oversight.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of a US-Japan-ROK Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue to facilitate closer cooperation on shared interests and values, with a written agreement to be negotiated within 180 days of enactment.
- 2United States Group: up to 8 Members of Congress to represent the U.S., with specific appointment rules across both the House and Senate (including roles for the Speaker, House and Senate minority/majority leaders, and Foreign Affairs/Foreign Relations committees). Terms are two years.
- 3Meeting Cadence and Scope: the United States Group must meet not less than annually with the legislatures of Japan and the ROK, and may include other invited countries. Meetings can be held in the U.S., abroad when Congress is not in session, or virtually.
- 4Leadership Structure: chair and vice chair positions rotate between the House and Senate every two years, with designated roles for odd/even Congresses and for which chamber’s members will hold chair or vice chair positions.
- 5Accountability and Oversight: the Group may accept private gifts or donations (with ethics review), and must certify expenditures for auditing purposes. An annual report to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee is required detailing expenditures.