HR7641-119

What This Bill Does

The Transparency in Foreign Assistance Act requires a one-year pilot program for expanded congressional notifications on certain foreign assistance programs. The Secretary of State must direct the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs and the Coordinator for Counterterrorism to submit additional information to congressional committees for new and existing programs under their authorities that require funds beyond amounts already available under existing law.

For each covered program, the notification must include the working name, country or countries, funding mechanism such as contract or grant, total new funding, whether the program is new or a continuation or expansion, total life-of-program funding needs, expected and past periods of performance, implementing entity information, objectives, key activities, chief-of-mission consultations, underspend or overspend status, and any performance improvement plan or additional oversight. The congressional committees include House Foreign Affairs, House Appropriations, Senate Foreign Relations, and Senate Appropriations.

Who Benefits and How

House Foreign Affairs Committee staff benefit from more detailed information before additional foreign assistance funds are used. House Appropriations Committee staff benefit from clearer funding, implementation, and spend-rate information. Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff and Senate Appropriations Committee staff benefit from the same expanded notifications. Chiefs of mission benefit because consultations must be described in the notification. Taxpayers benefit if Congress receives better information about program objectives, implementing entities, overspending, underspending, and oversight before additional funds are used.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Assistant Secretary for African Affairs must collect and submit expanded notification information for covered programs. The Coordinator for Counterterrorism must do the same for counterterrorism assistance programs. State Department foreign assistance program managers must track mechanisms, funding needs, periods of performance, objectives, activities, implementing entities, and spend rates. Implementing entities may need to provide identifying information and performance details. Department of State congressional affairs staff must manage the pilot notifications. Programs with underspending, overspending, or performance improvement plans face greater congressional scrutiny.

Key Provisions

• Establishes a one-year pilot program for expanded congressional notification on certain foreign assistance programs.
• Applies to Bureau of African Affairs and counterterrorism programs that need additional funds beyond existing law.
• Requires program name, country, mechanism, new funding, lifecycle funding, period of performance, and implementing entity information.
• Requires objectives, key activities, chief-of-mission consultation details, spend-rate status, and oversight-plan information.
• Defines covered congressional committees as foreign affairs, foreign relations, and appropriations committees in both chambers.