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This section expresses the sense of Congress that Pacific Island countries, especially the Freely Associated States, are close United States partners in strategically critical waters and that strengthening relations with their governments and citizens serves United States national security interests.
This section defines the term "appropriate committees of Congress" as the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Armed Services, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Appropriations, Armed Services, and Energy and Commerce.
This section directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Coast Guard Commandant, Indo-Pacific Command, and Chief of Naval Operations, to submit a report to Congress within 120 days analyzing the feasibility of attaching consular officers to Coast Guard and Navy missions in Pacific Island countries. The report must assess current demand and access challenges for consular services, potential time and resource savings for citizens in countries without U.S. embassies, implementation costs and alternatives, deployment frequency and duration, and logistical issues including vessel space, IT connectivity, visa printing, security, and operational impacts.