Bill > S820

This bill aims to establish and authorize the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a comprehensive program designed to enhance security, promote development, and strengthen partnerships with 13 Caribbean nations. The initiative focuses on multiple key areas, including citizen safety, countering transnational criminal organizations, improving law enforcement and justice sector capabilities, preventing crime (especially among youth), and increasing resilience to natural disasters. The bill authorizes $88 million annually from 2025 to 2029 to support these efforts and requires the State Department and USAID to develop a detailed implementation plan with specific objectives, measurable benchmarks, and annual progress reports. Additionally, the bill emphasizes countering malign influences from authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, and Iran by monitoring their security assistance and investment projects in the region. The CBSI will work to build capacity in beneficiary countries through training, equipment provision, technical assistance, and programs targeting issues such as cybersecurity, border protection, and community-based policing. The legislation also prioritizes a public diplomacy strategy to communicate the benefits of U.S. security assistance to citizens in the participating countries, with a particular focus on transparency, anti-corruption efforts, and regional collaboration.

Government Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/820/all-info