HR1512-119

What This Bill Does

This bill strengthens congressional oversight of how the State Department manages U.S. relations with Taiwan. It requires the Secretary of State to review internal Taiwan policy guidelines at least every five years and report the results to Congress. The bill aims to ensure Taiwan policy remains aligned with congressional priorities and to identify opportunities to deepen U.S.-Taiwan engagement.

Who Benefits and How

Congressional foreign affairs committees benefit by receiving regular updates (every five years) on State Department Taiwan policy, giving them better visibility into executive branch decision-making on this sensitive foreign policy issue. Taiwan advocacy groups and organizations supporting stronger U.S.-Taiwan ties benefit from increased transparency and the requirement that State Department reports identify opportunities to lift self-imposed restrictions on Taiwan relations. This creates a formal mechanism for highlighting and potentially removing bureaucratic barriers to closer engagement.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Department of State bears the primary administrative burden. State Department officials must conduct comprehensive reviews of Taiwan guidance documents at least every five years, coordinate with other executive branch agencies to reissue updated guidance, and submit detailed reports to Congress within 90 days of completing each review. These reporting requirements add to the Department's workload and procedural obligations, though the impact is relatively modest given the five-year review cycle.

Key Provisions

• Mandates five-year reviews: The Secretary of State must review Taiwan policy guidelines at least once every five years and reissue updated guidance to all executive branch agencies.

• Congressional reporting requirement: Within 90 days of completing each review, the State Department must submit a comprehensive report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.

• Identification of restrictions: Reports must identify opportunities and plans to lift self-imposed restrictions on U.S.-Taiwan relations, creating a formal mechanism for policy liberalization.

• Successor documents: The bill explicitly covers not just the current "Guidelines on Relations with Taiwan" memorandum but also any successor or related documents that govern Taiwan policy.

• No new appropriations: The bill creates procedural requirements but does not authorize or appropriate any new federal spending.