This bill establishes a Special Advisor for Insular Areas position in every federal executive department except the Interior Department, to be appointed within six months of the law's enactment. These advisors would serve as principal advisors to their department heads on matters affecting U.S. territories and freely associated states, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau. The advisors would assess how departmental programs impact these island communities, provide guidance on relevant initiatives, represent island stakeholders, and coordinate with an interagency group on insular affairs. The bill requires the special advisors to meet at least quarterly with the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs to discuss major policy matters affecting these areas, with the Department of the Interior maintaining records of all meetings. The legislation does not specify funding amounts but does establish a timeline requiring vacant positions to be filled within three months of a departure.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.