,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dbji  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ab1      
#bjbb,ms4 ,hirono 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,cotton1 ,mr4 ,markey1 and ,mr4         
,hagerty7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations   
,a ,,bill  ,to require a feasibility    
study regarding establishing new        
diplomatic posts in the ,pacific        
,islands4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,expanding          
,america's ,pacific ,diplomatic         
,presence ,act of #bjbb4  #b4           
,feasibility study regarding            
establishing new diplomatic posts in the
 ,pacific ,islands  7a7 ,study required 
,the ,comptroller ,general of the       
,united ,states shall conduct a study   
assessing the feasibility of            
establishing new diplomatic posts in    
,pacific ,islands countries and         
territories that currently do not have a
 ,united ,states embassy or other       

,united ,states diplomatic post4  7b7   
,briefing and report ,the ,comptroller  
,general of the ,united ,states shall-- 
7#a7 not later than one year after the  
date of the enactment of this ,act1     
brief the appropriate congressional     
committees on preliminary observations  
relating to the study conducted under   
subsection 7a72 and  7#b7 not later than
 #ah months after the date of the       
enactment of this ,act1 submit to the   
appropriate congressional committees a  
report on the results of the study4  7c7
 ,elements ,the report required under   
subsection 7b7 shall include the        
following elements3 7#a7 ,an explanation
 of the methodologies and processes the 
,department of ,state uses when         
determining whether and where to        
establish new diplomatic posts abroad   
and the scale and size of such posts4   
7#b7 ,a description of the existing     
diplomatic posts the ,department of     
,state has in the ,pacific ,islands     
region and an analysis of how they      

advance ,united ,states national        
security priorities4  7#c7 ,an          
assessment of what is known about the   
impact the opening of new diplomatic    
posts in the ,pacific ,islands region   
will have on-- 7,a7 ,united ,states     
relations with host nations2  7,b7      
,united ,states relations with other    
allies and partners in the              
,indo-,pacific region2 and  7,c7 the    
advancement of ,united ,states national 
security priorities4  7#d7 ,an          
assessment of what is known about the   
feasibility of establishing new         
diplomatic posts in the ,pacific        
,islands region4  7#e7 ,an assessment of
 proposed locations for new diplomatic  
posts in the ,pacific ,islands region to
 expand the ,united ,states diplomatic  
presence in the region4  7#f7 ,an       
assessment of alternatives to           
establishing new diplomatic posts that  
would expand the ,united ,states        
diplomatic presence in the ,pacific     
,islands region4  7#g7 ,a determination 

of the costs to the ,department of      
constructing or acquiring new diplomatic
 posts in the ,pacific ,islands region1 
and an explanation and analysis of such 
costs4  7#h7 ,a determination of the    
costs to the ,department of expanding   
existing diplomatic posts in the        
,pacific ,islands region as an          
alternative to constructing or acquiring
 new facilities1 and an explanation and 
analysis of such costs4  7#i7 ,a        
determination of the costs to the       
,department of staffing new diplomatic  
posts in the ,pacific ,islands region1  
including with regard to allowances1    
differentials1 and other benefits to    
which ,foreign ,service officers        
assigned to such posts may be entitled  
and the salaries and benefits afforded  
to locally employed staff4  7#aj7 ,an   
assessment of personnel from agencies   
other than the ,department of ,state1   
including the ,department of ,defense1  
who will be needed at new diplomatic    
posts in the ,pacific ,islands region4  

7d7 ,definitions ,in this section-- 7#a7
 ,appropriate congressional committees  
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee  
on ,foreign ,relations and the          
,committee on ,armed ,services of the   
,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on    
,foreign ,affairs and the ,committee on 
,armed ,services of the ,house of       
,representatives4  7#b7 ,diplomatic post
 ,the term diplomatic post means an     
embassy1 consulate general1 consulate1  
consular agency1 or other overseas post 
of a ,united ,states mission4  7#c7     
,pacific ,islands countries and         
territories that currently do not have a
 ,united ,states embassy or other       
,united ,states diplomatic post ,the    
term ,pacific ,islands countries and    
territories that currently do not have a
 ,united ,states embassy or other       
,united ,states diplomatic post means   
,tonga1 ,kiribati1 ,nauru1 ,tuvalu1     
,vanuatu1 the ,solomon ,islands1 the    
,cook ,islands1 ,niue1 ,french          

,polynesia1 and ,new ,caledonia4