Pacific Partnership Act

This bill aims to strengthen U.S. ties with Pacific Island countries. It tells the President and State Department to create a clear plan for the region, including goals for diplomacy, defense, and economic projects. The plan must look at big risks—like natural disasters, illegal fishing, and corruption—and explain how the U.S. will respond and fund its work there . The U.S. is encouraged to work closely with regional groups, local governments, and allies (such as Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan) so programs fit local needs and don’t overlap or overwhelm small communities .

The bill also allows the U.S. to extend standard legal protections given to international organizations to the Pacific Islands Forum, helping it operate smoothly in the U.S. . It requires yearly updates to existing U.S. reports on drugs, fishing, and human trafficking to include Pacific-wide crime trends, so problems like illegal fishing and trafficking are tracked and addressed across the region .

• Who is affected | What changes | When
• Pacific Island governments and communities; U.S. agencies; regional partners | A U.S. strategy for the Pacific with goals, threat assessments, resources, and coordination steps; closer work with allies and regional groups; updated crime and trafficking reporting; legal protections extended to the Pacific Islands Forum | Strategy due by Jan 1, 2026, and again by Jan 1, 2030; reporting updates occur annually

In everyday terms, this could mean more coordinated disaster help, better protection of fisheries, stronger action against trafficking, and development projects that match local priorities across the Pacific Islands .