,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dfej  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bh1     
#bjbb,mr4 ,kennedy 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,schatz7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations   
,a ,,bill  ,to establish the position of
 ,special ,envoy to the ,pacific        
,islands ,forum4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,u4,s4 and    
,pacific ,islands ,forum ,partnership   
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3 7#a7 ,the ,pacific ,islands 
,forum 7referred to in this ,act as     
,,pif7 was established in #aiga4  7#b7  
,,pif is committed to accelerating      
economic growth1 social progress1       
cultural development1 and regional peace
 and stability4  7#c7 ,the ,united      
,states is committed to a free and open 
,indo-,pacific and to peace1 security1  
and prosperity in the region4  7#d7 ,the
 ,united ,states seeks to maintain and  
further develop a constructive and      

cordial relationship with ,,pif and its 
member nations1 including the ,freely   
,associated ,states 7the ,marshall      
,islands1 ,micronesia1 and ,palau71     
which have special economic and security
 ties with the ,united ,states4  7#e7   
,the ,united ,states seeks to contribute
 to regional stability in the ,pacific  
region through assistance efforts to    
combat illegal fishing1 enhance maritime
 security1 build resilient              
infrastructure1 and promote sound1 just1
 and responsive governance within the   
,pacific region to empower citizens1    
help combat corruption1 and strengthen  
nations' autonomy4  7#f7 ,the ,smaller  
,island ,states of the ,pacific ,islands
 ,forum represent the most vulnerable of
 ,forum ,island ,countries4  7#g7       
,increased ,united ,states diplomatic   
engagement and developmental assistance 
can help alleviate the vulnerabilities  
linked to the small size of the ,smaller
 ,island ,states1 their lack of natural 
resources1 remoteness1 and the range of 

development challenges that limit their 
capacity to ensure democratic1 economic1
 and environmental resilience and       
long-term sustainable development4  7#h7
 ,it is in the long-term interest of the
 ,united ,states to maintain and expand 
a relationship with ,,pif and its member
 nations4  7#i7 ,the ,united ,states    
does not have an ,ambassador or ,special
 ,envoy to ,,pif1 which limits the      
ability of the ,united ,states and ,,pif
 to respond quickly and appropriately to
 events of mutual interest4  #c4 ,sense 
of ,congress ,it is the sense of        
,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,united       
,states must increase its diplomatic    
activity and presence in the ,pacific1  
particularly among ,pacific ,island     
nations2 and  7#b7 the ,special ,envoy  
to the ,pacific ,islands ,forum-- 7,a7  
should be used to coordinate policies   
across the ,pacific region with         
like-minded democracies2 and  7,b7      
should have a direct line to the        
,president and the ,secretary of ,state 

to communicate regarding the unique and 
particular needs of ,pacific partner    
nations4  #d4 ,special ,envoy to the    
,pacific ,islands ,forum ,section #a of 
the ,state ,department ,basic           
,authorities ,act of #aief 7#bb         
,u4,s4,c4 #bfea;a7 is amended-- 7#a7 by 
redesignating subsection 7h7 7as added  
by section #cfa7;a77#a7 of division ,,ff
 of ,public ,law #aaf-bfj7 as subsection
 7k72 and  7#b7 by adding at the end the
 following3  7l7 ,special ,envoy to the 
,pacific ,islands ,forum  7#a7          
,appointment ,the ,president shall      
appoint1 by and with the advice and     
consent of the ,senate1 either the      
,united ,states ,ambassador to a country
 that is a member of the ,pacific       
,islands ,forum or another qualified    
individual to serve as ,special ,envoy  
to the ,pacific ,islands ,forum         
7referred to in this section as the     
,special ,envoy74 ,if an ,ambassador is 
appointed to serve as the ,special      
,envoy pursuant this paragraph1 he or   

she may not begin such service until    
after ,senate confirmation to such      
position and shall serve concurrently as
 an ,ambassador and as the ,special     
,envoy without receiving additional     
compensation4  7#b7 ,duties ,the        
,special ,envoy shall-- 7,a7 represent  
the ,united ,states in its role as      
dialogue partner to the ,pacific        
,islands ,forum2 and  7,b7 carry out    
such other duties as the ,president or  
the ,secretary of ,state may prescribe4 
4