HR 4490

Summary

Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations Act or the PARTNER Act This bill authorizes the President to extend diplomatic immunities and privileges provided by the International Organizations Immunities Act, including immunity from certain lawsuits and exemption from property taxes, to specified international regional and research organizations.  Specifically, the bill authorizes the President to extend these immunities and privileges to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a regional organization with 10 members including Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam; the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional organization with 18 members including Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea; the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional organization with 15 members and 6 associate members including Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia; and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), an international research organization focused on particle physics. The bill also authorizes the President to extend to the permanent observer mission of the African Union to the United Nations the privileges and immunities provided to permanent missions to the United Nations of member states.

Bill status

Status

Passed House

Sponsor

Rep. Joaquin Castro [D-TX-20]

Cosponsors

8

Policy area

International Affairs

Introduced

2025-07-17

Latest action

2025-09-03: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Committee referrals

• Foreign Relations Committee: Senate · Referred To · 2025-09-03
• Foreign Affairs Committee: House · Markup By · 2025-07-22
• Foreign Affairs Committee: House · Referred To · 2025-07-17

Recent actions

• 2025-09-03: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
• 2025-09-02: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
• 2025-09-02: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
• 2025-09-02: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3734)
• 2025-09-02: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.