A bill to support stabilization and lasting peace in northern Uganda and areas affected by the Lord's Resistance Army through development of a regional strategy to support multilateral efforts to successfully protect civilians and eliminate the threat posed by the Lord's Resistance Army and to authorize funds for humanitarian relief and reconstruction, reconciliation, and transitional justice, and for other purposes.

Summary: Lord's Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act of 2009 - (Sec. 4) Directs the President to submit to Congress a regional strategy to guide U.S. support for multilateral efforts to eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability posed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Requires the strategy to include: (1) a plan to help strengthen efforts by the United Nations (U.N.) and regional governments to protect civilians from attacks by the LRA; (2) an assessment of viable options through which the United States could help develop and support multilateral efforts to eliminate the threat posed by the LRA; (3) an interagency framework to plan, coordinate, and review diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military elements of U.S. policy across the region regarding the LRA; (4) a description of the type and form of diplomatic engagement across the region undertaken to coordinate and implement U.S. policy regarding the LRA and to work multilaterally with regional mechanisms, including the Tripartite Plus Commission and the Great Lakes Pact; and (5) a description of how this engagement will fit within the context of broader efforts and policy objectives in the Great Lakes Region.

(Sec. 5) Authorizes the President to provide additional assistance to respond to the humanitarian needs of populations the Democratic Republic of Congo, southern Sudan, and Central African Republic affected by LRA activity.

(Sec. 6) Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should support efforts by the people of northern Uganda and the government of Uganda to: (1) assist internally displaced people in transition and returnees by spurring economic revitalization and advancing access to basic services at return sites; (2) enhance the accountability and administrative competency of local governance institutions and public agencies in northern Uganda; (3) strengthen the operational capacity of the civilian police and the justice system in northern Uganda; (4) establish mechanisms for the disarmament and reintegration of former combatants and those abducted by the LRA; and (5) promote programs to address psychosocial trauma.

Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) should work with Congress to increase future assistance to Uganda if the government of Uganda demonstrates a commitment to reconstruction in war-affected areas of northern Uganda; and (2) the Secretary should withhold non-humanitarian assistance to Uganda if the government of Uganda is not committed to reconstruction and reconciliation in the war-affected areas of northern Uganda and is not taking steps to ensure this process moves forward in a transparent and accountable manner.

(Sec. 7) Expresses the sense of Congress that a continued failure to take meaningful steps toward national reconciliation and accountability risks perpetuating political grievances and fueling new conflicts.

Authorizes the President to support efforts by the people of northern Uganda and the government of Uganda to promote transitional justice and reconciliation on both local and national levels, including to encourage implementation of the mechanisms in the Annexure to the Agreement on Accountability and Reconciliation between the government of Uganda and the LRA.

(Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on implementation of the strategy and evaluation of the assistance under this Act.

(Sec. 9) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) of the total amounts to be appropriated for FY2011 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up to $10 million should be used to carry out activities under section 5; and (2) of the total amounts to be appropriated for FY2011-FY2013 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up to $10 million in each such fiscal year should be used to carry out activities under section 7.

(Sec. 10) Defines: (1) "Great Lakes Region" as the region comprising Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, southern Sudan, and Uganda; and (2) "LRA-affected areas" as those portions of northern Uganda, southern Sudan, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and southeastern Central African Republic affected by the LRA.

16, 110th Congress, agreed 
    to in the Senate March 1, 2007, and House Concurrent Resolution 80, 
    110th Congress, agreed to in the House of Representatives June 18, 
    2007.
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT OF A STRATEGY TO SUPPORT THE DISARMAMENT OF THE 
LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.
    (a) Requirement for Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall develop and 
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a strategy to guide 
future United States support across the region for viable multilateral 
efforts to mitigate and eliminate the threat to civilians and regional 
stability posed by the Lord's Resistance Army.
    (b) Content of Strategy.--The strategy shall include the following:
        (1) A plan to help strengthen efforts by the United Nations and 
    regional governments to protect civilians from attacks by the 
    Lord's Resistance Army while supporting the development of 
    institutions in affected areas that can help to maintain the rule 
    of law and prevent conflict in the long term.
        (2) An assessment of viable options through which the United 
    States, working with regional governments, could help develop and 
    support multilateral efforts to eliminate the threat posed by the 
    Lord's Resistance Army.
        (3) An interagency framework to plan, coordinate, and review 
    diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military elements of United 
    States policy across the region regarding the Lord's Resistance 
    Army.
        (4) A description of the type and form of diplomatic engagement 
    across the region undertaken to coordinate and implement United 
    States policy regarding the Lord's Resistance Army and to work 
    multilaterally with regional mechanisms, including the Tripartite 
    Plus Commission and the Great Lakes Pact.
        (5) A description of how this engagement will fit within the 
    context of broader efforts and policy objectives in the Great Lakes 
    Region.
    (c) Form.--The strategy under this section shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
SEC. 5. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR AREAS OUTSIDE UGANDA AFFECTED BY 
THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY.
    In accordance with section 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292) and section 2 of the Migration and Refugee 
Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601), the President is authorized to 
provide additional assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo, 
southern Sudan, and Central African Republic to respond to the 
humanitarian needs of populations directly affected by the activity of 
the Lord's Resistance Army.
SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE FOR RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION IN NORTHERN UGANDA.
    (a) Authority.--It is the sense of Congress that the President 
should support efforts by the people of northern Uganda and the 
Government of Uganda--
        (1) to assist internally displaced people in transition and 
    returnees to secure durable solutions by spurring economic 
    revitalization, supporting livelihoods, helping to alleviate 
    poverty, and advancing access to basic services at return sites, 
    specifically clean water, health care, and schools;
        (2) to enhance the accountability and administrative competency 
    of local governance institutions and public agencies in northern 
    Uganda with regard to budget management, provision of public goods 
    and services, and related oversight functions;
        (3) to strengthen the operational capacity of the civilian 
    police in northern Uganda to enhance public safety, prevent crime, 
    and deal sensitively with gender-based violence, while 
    strengthening accountability measures to prevent corruption and 
    abuses;
        (4) to rebuild and improve the capacity of the justice system 
    in northern Uganda, including the courts and penal systems, with 
    particular sensitivity to the needs and rights of women and 
    children;
        (5) to establish mechanisms for the disarmament, 
    demobilization, and reintegration of former combatants and those 
    abducted by the LRA, including vocational education and employment 
    opportunities, with attention given to the roles and needs of men, 
    women and children; and
        (6) to promote programs to address psychosocial trauma, 
    particularly post-traumatic stress disorder.
    (b) Future Year Funding.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of State and Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development should work with the appropriate committees 
of Congress to increase assistance in future fiscal years to support 
activities described in this section if the Government of Uganda 
demonstrates a commitment to transparent and accountable reconstruction 
in war-affected areas of northern Uganda, specifically by--
        (1) finalizing the establishment of mechanisms within the 
    Office of the Prime Minister to sufficiently manage and coordinate 
    the programs under the framework of the Peace Recovery and 
    Development Plan for Northern Uganda (PRDP);
        (2) increasing oversight activities and reporting, at the local 
    and national level in Uganda, to ensure funds under the Peace 
    Recovery and Development Plan for Northern Uganda framework are 
    used efficiently and with minimal waste; and
        (3) committing substantial funds of its own, above and beyond 
    standard budget allocations to local governments, to the task of 
    implementing the Peace Recovery and Development Plan for Northern 
    Uganda such that communities affected by the war can recover.
    (c) Coordination With Other Donor Nations.--The United States 
should work with other donor nations to increase contributions for 
recovery efforts in northern Uganda and better leverage those 
contributions to enhance the capacity and encourage the leadership of 
the Government of Uganda in promoting transparent and accountable 
reconstruction in northern Uganda.
    (d) Termination of Assistance.--It is the sense of Congress that 
the Secretary of State should withhold non-humanitarian bilateral 
assistance to the Republic of Uganda if the Secretary determines that 
the Government of Uganda is not committed to reconstruction and 
reconciliation in the war-affected areas of northern Uganda and is not 
taking proactive steps to ensure this process moves forward in a 
transparent and accountable manner.
SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE FOR RECONCILIATION AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE IN 
NORTHERN UGANDA.
    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that, despite 
reconstruction and development efforts, a continued failure to take 
meaningful steps toward national reconciliation and accountability 
risks perpetuating longstanding political grievances and fueling new 
conflicts.
    (b) Authority.--In accordance with section 531 of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346), the President is authorized to 
support efforts by the people of northern Uganda and the Government of 
Uganda to advance efforts to promote transitional justice and 
reconciliation on both local and national levels, including to 
encourage implementation of the mechanisms outlined in the Annexure to 
the Agreement on Accountability and Reconciliation between the 
Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army/Movement, signed at 
Juba February 19, 2008, namely--
        (1) a body to investigate the history of the conflict, inquire 
    into human rights violations committed during the conflict by all 
    sides, promote truth-telling in communities, and encourage the 
    preservation of the memory of events and victims of the conflict 
    through memorials, archives, commemorations, and other forms of 
    preservation;
        (2) a special division of the High Court of Uganda to try 
    individuals alleged to have committed serious crimes during the 
    conflict, and a special unit to carry out investigations and 
    prosecutions in support of trials;
        (3) a system for making reparations to victims of the conflict; 
    and
        (4) a review and strategy for supporting transitional justice 
    mechanisms in affected areas to promote reconciliation and 
    encourage individuals to take personal responsibility for their 
    conduct during the war.
SEC. 8. REPORT.
    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the submission of 
the strategy required under section 4, the Secretary of State shall 
prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 
on the progress made toward the implementation of the strategy required 
under section 4 and a description and evaluation of the assistance 
provided under this Act toward the policy objectives described in 
section 3.
    (b) Contents.--The report required under section (a) shall 
include--
        (1) a description and evaluation of actions taken toward the 
    implementation of the strategy required under section 4;
        (2) a description of assistance provided under sections 5, 6, 
    and 7;
        (3) an evaluation of bilateral assistance provided to the 
    Republic of Uganda and associated programs in light of stated 
    policy objectives;
        (4) a description of the status of the Peace Recovery and 
    Development Plan for Northern Uganda and the progress of the 
    Government of Uganda in fulfilling the steps outlined in section 
    6(b); and
        (5) a description of amounts of assistance committed, and 
    amounts provided, to northern Uganda during the reporting period by 
    the Government of Uganda and each donor country.
    (c) Form.--The report under this section shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FUNDING.
    It is the sense of Congress that--
        (1) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year 
    2011 for the Department of State and foreign operations, up to 
    $10,000,000 should be used to carry out activities under section 5; 
    and
        (2) of the total amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year 
    2011 through 2013 for the Department of State and foreign 
    operations, up to $10,000,000 in each such fiscal year should be 
    used to carry out activities under section 7.
  SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
    In this Act:
        (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term ``appropriate 
    committees of Congress'' means the Committee on Appropriations and 
    the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee 
    on Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
    of Representatives.
        (2) Great lakes region.--The term ``Great Lakes Region'' means 
    the region comprising Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, 
    Rwanda, southern Sudan, and Uganda.
        (3) LRA-affected areas.--The term ``LRA-affected areas'' means 
    those portions of northern Uganda, southern Sudan, northeastern 
    Democratic Republic of Congo, and southeastern Central African 
    Republic determined by the Secretary of State to be affected by the 
    Lord's Resistance Army as of the date of the enactment of this Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.