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Calendar No. 405

117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3861

To require the Secretary of State to submit annual reports to Congress on the assistance provided to Somaliland and to conduct a feasibility study, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, on establishing a security partnership with Somaliland, without recognizing Somaliland as an independent state.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 17, 2022
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Rounds, and Mr. Wicker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

June 14, 2022
Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

A BILL
To require the Secretary of State to submit annual reports to Congress on the assistance provided to Somaliland and to conduct a feasibility study, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, on establishing a security partnership with Somaliland, without recognizing Somaliland as an independent state.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Somaliland Partnership Act”.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1) a stronger relationship between the United States and Somaliland would provide numerous, mutually beneficial, strategic opportunities due to Somaliland’s—

(A) geographic location in the Horn of Africa and next to the Gulf of Aden;

(B) democratic credentials, including peaceful transfers of power following elections; and

(2) Somaliland’s security situation, level of development, and other challenges differ significantly from the situation in Mogadishu and other regions of Somalia, which necessitates—

(A) a different approach to engagement, assistance, and travel by personnel of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development; and

(B) the avoidance of a “one-size-fits-all” policy approach to Somalia; and

(3) the status of Somaliland should not serve as an obstacle for deeper and meaningful cooperation that will serve the mutual interests of our two governments.

SEC. 3. DEFINED TERM.

In this Act, the term “Somaliland” means the territory that—

(1) received its independence from the United Kingdom on June 26, 1960, before the creation of the Somali Republic;

(2) has been a self-declared independent and sovereign state since 1991 that is not internationally recognized; and

(3) exists as a semi-autonomous region of the Federal Republic of Somalia.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND OTHER ACTIVITIES IN SOMALILAND.

(a) Defined Term.—In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and

(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

(b) Report.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than September 30, 2022, and annually thereafter until the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that, with respect to the most recently concluded 12-month period—

(A) describes United States foreign assistance to Somaliland, including—

(i) the value of such assistance (in United States dollars);

(ii) the source from which such assistance was funded;

(iii) the names of the programs through which such assistance was administered;

(iv) the implementing partners through which such assistance was provided;

(v) the sponsoring bureau of the United States Government; and

(vi) if the assistance broadly targeted the Federal Republic of Somalia, the portion of such assistance that was—

(I) explicitly intended to support Somaliland; and

(II) ultimately employed in Somaliland;

(B) details the staffing and responsibilities of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development supporting foreign assistance, diplomatic relations, consular services, and security initiatives in Somaliland, including the location of such personnel (duty station) and their corresponding bureau;

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