,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fhb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #g1 #bjbc,mr4
 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,risch1   
,ms4 ,duckworth1 and ,mr4 ,romney7      
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,foreign ,relations  ,a   
,,bill  ,to provide for the treatment of
 the ,association of ,southeast ,asian  
,nations 7,,asean7 as an international  
organization for purposes of the        
,international ,organizations           
,immunities ,act1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,providing          
,appropriate ,recognition and ,treatment
 ,needed to ,enhance ,relations with    
,,asean ,act or the ,,partner with      
,,asean ,act4  #b4 ,statement of policy 
on deepening cooperation with ,,asean   
,it is the policy of the ,united        
,states-- 7#a7 to reaffirm the ,united  
,states-,,asean ,comprehensive          
,strategic ,partnership1 established in 

#bjbb following #de years of ,dialogue  
,partnership2  7#b7 to enhance ,united  
,states-,,asean cooperation in support  
of an open1 transparent1 resilient1     
inclusive and rules-based regional      
architecture in the ,indo-,pacific2     
7#c7 to support regular1 high-level     
,united ,states official engagement with
 ,,asean1 including the participation in
 the annual ,,asean ,summit held each   
year2  7#d7 to enhance cooperation with 
,,asean member states as well as with   
the institution of ,,asean and the      
,,asean ,secretariat1 including through 
the ,united ,states ,mission to ,,asean1
 led by the ,united ,states ,ambassador 
to ,,asean2 and  7#e7 to welcome the    
decision in-principle by ,,asean to     
admit ,timor-,leste to be ,,asean's     
#aath member state and to encourage     
,united ,states support to ,timor-,leste
 in its capacity as an official ,,asean 
observer4  #c4 ,sense of ,congress on   
the establishment of an ,,asean         
delegation to the ,united ,states ,it is

 the sense of ,congress that it is in   
the ,united ,states interest to         
encourage the establishment1 at the     
earliest opportunity1 of an ,,asean     
delegation to the ,united ,states1 to   
enhance cooperation between ,,asean and 
the ,united ,states at all levels4  #d4 
,extension of diplomatic immunities to  
the ,association of ,southeast ,asian   
,nations ,the provisions of the         
,international ,organizations           
,immunities ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bhh et 
seq47 may be extended to the            
,association of ,southeast ,asian       
,nations in the same manner1 to the same
 extent1 and subject to the same        
conditions as such provisions may be    
extended to a public international      
organization in which the ,united       
,states participates pursuant to any    
treaty or under the authority of any    
,act of ,congress authorizing such      
participation or making an appropriation
 for such participation4