Sec. 3218. Enhancement of diplomatic support and economic engagement with Pacific island countries
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/bill/117/s/1260/es/section-3218·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce are authorized to hire Locally Employed Staff in Pacific island countries for the purpose of providing increased diplomatic support and promoting increased economic and commercial engagement between the United States and Pacific Island countries. Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of State and the Department of Commerce for fiscal year 2022, not more than $10,000,000, respectively, shall be available to carry out the purposes of this section. The availability of funds in paragraph
(1)shall expire on October 1, 2026. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce shall provide to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the activities of the Department of State and Department of Commerce Locally Employed Staff in Pacific island countries, which shall include— a detailed description of the additional diplomatic, economic, and commercial engagement and activities in the Pacific island countries provided by Locally Employed Staff; and an assessment of the impact of the activities with respect to the diplomatic, economic, and security interests of the United States. The Secretary of State may, as appropriate, treat the territory of American Samoa as a foreign country for purposes of carrying out this section. In this section, the term appropriate committees of Congress means— the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.