PAPER Act

House Bill

H.R. 4538

119th Congress

PAPER Act

In Committee

Introduced:Jul 17, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Ed Case

Representative

Democratic

HI-1

Cosponsors

14

Quick Stats

Policy Area

International Affairs

Summary

This bill aims to boost U.S. engagement and support in the Pacific Islands region. It authorizes various activities to improve public health, promote education and professional development, build capacity for local institutions, expand trade, enhance disaster preparedness, and improve telecommunications and cybersecurity in Pacific Island countries.

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

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Vote Prediction

PAPER Act

This bill aims to boost U.S. engagement and support in the Pacific Islands region. It authorizes various activities to improve public health, promote education and professional development, build capacity for local institutions, expand trade, enhance disaster

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill aims to boost U.S. engagement and support in the Pacific Islands region. It authorizes various activities to improve public health, promote education and professional development, build capacity for local institutions, expand trade, enhance disaster preparedness, and improve telecommunications and cybersecurity in Pacific Island countries.

Bill Number: 4538
Sponsor: Ed Case (D-HI)
Introduced: 7/17/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Policy Area: International Affairs

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: PAPER Act
Bill Number: 4538
Sponsor: Ed Case (D-HI)
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced: 7/17/2025
Summary: This bill aims to boost U.S. engagement and support in the Pacific Islands region. It authorizes various activities to improve public health, promote education and professional development, build capacity for local institutions, expand trade, enhance disaster preparedness, and improve telecommunicat

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill aims to boost U.S. engagement and support in the Pacific Islands region. It authorizes various activities to improve public health, promote education and professional development, build capacity for local institutions, expand trade, enhance disaster preparedness, and improve telecommunications and cybersecurity in Pacific Island countries.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Boosting Long-term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific Act or the BLUE Pacific Act This bill requires and authorizes activities related to U.S. foreign policy in the Pacific Islands, which includes the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. The bill authorizes various activities in the Pacific Islands, including to <ul> <li>assist the Pacific Islands to improve public health outcomes and build public health capacity;</li> <li>assist efforts to promote the dissemination of free and accurate information; </li> <li>promote educational and professional development for young adult leaders and professionals;</li> <li>provide assistance to promote sustainable and quality basic education in the Pacific Islands;</li> <li>build the capacity of local civilian and national security institutions;</li> <li>expand trade capacity and promote regional development;</li> <li>help enhance preparedness for and resilience to natural disasters and other emergencies, including by improving critical infrastructure;</li> <li>support sustainable fisheries policies and marine biodiversity conservation;</li> <li>support efforts to expand access to broadband and improve telecommunications infrastructure; and</li> <li>help improve cybersecurity, including by providing assistance to develop and implement incident response plans and risk management frameworks. </li> </ul> The bill also requires (1) the Department of State to help Pacific Island countries access development support from international organizations, (2) the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to seek to enter into investment incentive agreements with Pacific Islands countries, and (3) the Department of Commerce to expand the presence of the U.S. Commercial Service and increase the number foreign commercial officers in the Pacific Islands.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Authorizes U.S. assistance to improve public health, education, and disaster preparedness in Pacific Island countries
Aims to expand trade and develop regional economies in the Pacific Islands
Calls for increased U.S. government presence and investment in the Pacific Islands region

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If passed, this bill would likely increase U.S. engagement and support for Pacific Island nations, potentially benefiting their citizens through improved public services, economic development, and disaster resilience. It could also strengthen U.S. influence and partnerships in a strategically important region.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

International Affairs

Related Subjects

Computer security and identity theft

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Economic development

Emergency planning and evacuation

Fiji

Foreign aid and international relief

Infrastructure development

International organizations and cooperation

Internet, web applications, social media

Marshall Islands

+6 more

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

4538, 119th Congress (2025). "PAPER Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-4538

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