Sec. 301. Investing in talent in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands
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In this section: The term appropriate congressional committees means— the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. The term Pacific Islands means the nations of Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The term Southeast Asia means the nations of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste.
The Secretary, in coordination with the heads of relevant Federal departments and agencies, is authorized to enter into public-private partnerships and establish a center of excellence located in a Southeast Asian country to build and enhance the technical capacity of officials, emerging leaders, and other qualified persons from countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The center of excellence established under subsection
(b)will provide technical assistance and capacity building in the following areas: Revenue, customs, and income. Regulatory management. Procurement processes, including tendering, bidding, and contract negotiation. Budget management and oversight. Management of key economic sectors, including energy, digital economy, and infrastructure. The program authorized under this section shall— leverage existing United States foreign assistance programs and activities in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, which may include assistance provided under— future leaders initiatives, such as the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative and the Young Pacific Leaders Program; the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2174 ); the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 ( 22 U.S.C. 7701 ); U.S.-Support for Economic Growth in Asia (US-SEGA); and other relevant education or scholarship programs; be supported by instructors that— currently serve in relevant areas of the United States Government with a rank of not less than 12 on the GS scale; or possess at least ten years of experience relevant to the areas of instruction identified in subsection (c); meet high professional standards within their fields; and are contracted by the center of excellence established under subsection
(b)or are deployed or detailed directly from a Federal Government agency; seek to attract participants who— are currently senior or mid-career officials in key technical ministries of participating countries in Southeast Asia or the Pacific Islands; have demonstrated leadership potential and direct responsibility for crafting or implementing policies relevant to the areas of instruction identified in subsection (c); and commit to return to government service for a period of not less than five years after completing the program outlined in this section; or are currently employed in utilities, publicly or privately owned companies, or other non-government entities with direct responsibility for crafting or implementing policies relevant to the areas of instruction identified in subsection (c); and require financial or in-kind contributions from participating governments, commensurate with the gross domestic product of the countries. To fulfill the terms and conditions specified by subsection (d), the Secretary of State is authorized to enter into memoranda of understanding with participating governments to determine what financial or in-kind contributions will be made by the United States and what financial or in-kind contributions will be made by the participating government. The value of financial or in-kind contributions by the United States and a particular participating government shall be determined and audited by an independent entity chosen by mutual agreement of the United States and such government. The Secretary shall consult with the appropriate congressional committees prior to the obligation of funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act. The Secretary shall consult with the appropriate congressional committees prior to expanding the availability of this program to nations outside of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an annual report on the activities of the program authorized under this subsection through fiscal year 2026. The report shall include— a description of all major activities in the previous year; a description of the financial and other contributions of the United States Government; a description of the contributions made by governments in Southeast Asia or the Pacific Islands; an assessment of the program’s successes; and an assessment of any required authorities, funding, or other alterations to improve the program’s effectiveness. There is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section.
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