HR 3332119th CongressIn Committee

Pacific Partnership Act

Introduced: May 13, 2025

Defense & National SecurityEconomy & TaxesEnvironment & Climate

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Pacific Partnership Act is a proposed U.S. law aimed at strengthening and systematizing United States engagement with the Pacific Islands region. It establishes a formal policy framework and planning process to guide diplomacy, defense posture, and economic engagement in Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The bill requires the President to develop a strategic plan (the Strategy for Pacific Partnership) by 2026 and 2030, identifies threats to address (such as natural disasters, illegal fishing, external military presence, development challenges, and economic coercion), and lays out mechanisms for cooperation with Pacific Island governments, regional organizations, civil society, and U.S. subnational actors. It also expands diplomatic immunities for the Pacific Islands Forum and creates a formal consultative process with regional allies and partners to coordinate assistance. In addition, the bill requests annual reporting updates on related security, governance, and crime issues and amends a 2023 NDAA provision to align with this strategy. Overall, the measure seeks to elevate U.S. strategic, economic, and humanitarian engagement in the Pacific.

Key Points

1Strategy for Pacific Partnership: Requires the President, with the Secretary of State, to develop and submit a comprehensive Strategy for Pacific Partnership by January 1, 2026 and again by January 1, 2030. The Strategy must outline goals for diplomatic posts, defense, economic engagement, threat assessments (e.g., natural disasters, illegal fishing, non-U.S. military activity, development challenges, economic coercion), resource needs, and coordination mechanisms among governments, regional partners, civil society, and U.S. subnational entities.
2Diplomatic immunities extension: Extends the International Organizations Immunities Act to the Pacific Islands Forum, giving the forum comparable immunities and privileges as other international organizations in which the U.S. participates.
3Allies and partners coordination: Creates a formal consultative process with regional allies and partners (e.g., Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan) and regional institutions (e.g., Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Community, Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme) to coordinate and deconflict programs, ensure absorptive capacity, maximize benefits, and align with regional development goals.
4Reporting requirements: Requires the Secretary of State to annually update certain reports to include a regional discussion of transnational crime in the Pacific Islands. It also amends the 2023 NDAA reporting framework to better reflect guidance and strategy toward the Pacific Islands region.
5Scope and consultations: Defines “Pacific Islands” and “Pacific Islands region” to cover Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia; mandates consultation with U.S. government agencies, regional organizations, Pacific Island governments, civil society, allies/partners, and U.S. territories and states in developing the Strategy and implementing programs.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Pacific Islands nations and territories: This bill targets enhanced diplomatic, security, economic, and disaster-response cooperation; aims to improve governance and regional resilience, and to align aid and development with regional goals.- United States government operations in the region: Creates a formal planning, coordination, and reporting framework that will shape diplomacy, defense posture, and economic engagement; may influence budgeting and staffing needs.Secondary group/area affected- Civil society and regional organizations: The strategy emphasizes engagement with civil society and regional bodies, potentially increasing partnerships and project implementation through these actors.- U.S. allies and partners: Establishes a formal consultative process with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and regional institutions, potentially improving coordination and reducing programming overlap or conflict.Additional impacts- Legal/administrative: Extending IOIA immunities to the Pacific Islands Forum could affect legal arrangements and operations involving the forum in U.S. contexts.- National security and policy planning: The mandatory strategy updates create a structured, long-term planning cadence (2026 and 2030) that could shape budgetary priorities, defense deployments, and diplomatic initiatives in the region.- Reporting and governance: Expanded reporting on transnational crime and updated guidance linking to the strategy may influence interagency coordination and policy emphasis on narcotics, fisheries, and trafficking issues in the Pacific.Strategy for Pacific Partnership: A formal, government-wide plan outlining goals, threat assessments, resource needs, and coordination mechanisms for U.S. engagement in the Pacific Islands.International Organizations Immunities Act: A U.S. law granting certain immunities and privileges to international organizations; extending it to the Pacific Islands Forum would recognize the forum in U.S. legal terms similarly to other international bodies.Transnational crime reports: Reports that cover issues like narcotics, illegal fishing, trafficking, and related crimes; the bill asks these to include regional Pacific Islands context.

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