The Compact of Free Association between the Federated States of Micronesia and the United States provide for U.S. economic assistance (including eligibility for certain U.S. federal programs), defense of the FSM, and other benefits in exchange for U.S. defense and certain other operating rights in the FSM, denial of access to FSM territory by other nations, and other agreements.
Negotiations for a Compact with the United States began in 1969 with the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) that were comprised of the districts of Kusaie (Kosrae), Ponape (Pohnpei), Truk (Chuuk), and Yap, as well as the districts of the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau. The latter three entities eventually formulated their own governments as the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau, respectively.
The Compact of Free Association between the Federated States of Micronesia and the United States was initialed by negotiators in 1980 and signed in 1982. The Compact was approved by the citizens of the FSM in a plebiscite held in 1983. Legislation on the Compact was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1986 (see above for citations) and signed into law on November 13, 1986.
Renegotiations of certain terms of the Compact is mandated by the provisions of the Compact. In 2003 certain provisions, most notably the economic provisions, of the Compact were amended. Amendments were made by U.S. Pub. Law 180-188 which was signed into law on Dec. 17, 2003. The FSM Congress approved the amendments on May 26, 2004 following earlier ratification by the four FSM states. On June 25, 2004, the FSM and U.S. governments signed documents to officially implement the Compact, as amended. To reference amended Compact provisions see the documents page on the website of the FSM Joint Committee on Compact Economic Negotiations (JCN).