I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 192 

To establish an interagency program to assist countries in North and West 

Africa to improve immediate and long-term capabilities to counter terrorist threats, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2019 

Mr. MCCAUL (for himself and Mr. KEATING) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish an interagency program to assist countries in 

North and West Africa to improve immediate and longterm capabilities to counter terrorist threats, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Trans-Sahara Counter5 terrorism Partnership Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that— 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 192 IH

1 (1) the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Part2 nership, launched in 2005, is an interagency pro3 gram to assist partner countries in the Sahel and 

4 Maghreb regions of Africa on their immediate and 

5 long-term capabilities to address terrorist threats 

6 and prevent the spread of violent extremism; 

7 (2) armed groups and violent Islamist terrorist 

8 organizations, such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic 

9 Maghreb, Boko Haram, the Islamic State of West 

10 Africa, and other affiliated groups, have killed tens 

11 of thousands of innocent civilians, displaced popu12 lations, destabilized local and national governments, 

13 and caused mass human suffering in the affected 

14 communities; 

15 (3) it is in the national security interest of the 

16 United States to combat the spread of radical 

17 Islamist extremism and build partner countries’ ca18 pacity to combat these threats in Africa; 

19 (4) extremist movements exploit vulnerable and 

20 marginalized communities suffering from poverty, 

21 lack of economic opportunity (particularly among 

22 youth populations), and weak governance; and 

23 (5) to address critical security, political, eco24 nomic, and humanitarian challenges in these regions 

25 of Africa, a coordinated, interagency approach is 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 192 IH

1 needed to appropriately allocate resources, share re2 sponsibility, de-conflict programs, and maximize the 

3 effectiveness of United States defense, diplomatic, 

4 and development capabilities. 

5 SEC. 3. TRANS-SAHARA COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNER6 SHIP. 

7 (a) TRANS-SAHARA COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNER8 SHIP.— 

9 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of State, 

10 in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and 

11 the Administrator of the United States Agency for 

12 International Development, shall establish a partner13 ship, to be known as the ‘‘Trans-Sahara Counterter14 rorism Partnership’’ (TSCTP), to coordinate all 

15 United States programs, projects, and activities in 

16 North and West Africa that are conducted for any 

17 of the following purposes: 

18 (A) To build the capacity of foreign mili19 tary and law enforcement entities in such re20 gions to conduct counterterrorism operations. 

21 (B) To improve the ability of foreign mili22 tary and law enforcement entities in such re23 gions to cooperate with the United States and 

24 other partner countries on counterterrorism ef25 forts. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 192 IH

1 (C) To enhance the border security capac2 ity of partner countries in such regions, includ3 ing the ability to monitor, restrain, and inter4 dict terrorists. 

5 (D) To strengthen the rule of law in such 

6 countries, including access to justice, and the 

7 ability of the law enforcement entities of such 

8 partner countries to detect, disrupt, respond to, 

9 investigate, and prosecute terrorist activity. 

10 (E) To monitor and counter the financing 

11 of terrorism. 

12 (F) To further reduce any vulnerabilities 

13 among affected populations in such regions to 

14 recruitment or incitement of terrorist activities 

15 through public diplomacy efforts, such as sup16 porting youth employment, promoting meaning17 ful participation of women, strengthening local 

18 governance and civil society capacity, and im19 proving access to economic opportunities and 

20 education. 

21 (G) To support independent, local-lan22 guage media, particularly in rural areas, to 

23 counter media operations and recruitment prop24 aganda by terrorist organizations. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 192 IH

1 (2) CONSULTATION.—In coordinating programs 

2 through the TSCTP, the Secretary of State shall 

3 also consult, as appropriate, with the Director of 

4 National Intelligence, the Secretary of the Treasury, 

5 the Attorney General, the Chief Executive Officer of 

6 the United States Agency for Global Media (for7 merly known as the Broadcasting Board of Gov8 ernors), and the heads of other relevant Federal de9 partments and agencies. 

10 (3) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—Not later 

11 than 15 days before obligating amounts for an activ12 ity coordinated by the TSCTP pursuant to para13 graph (1), the Secretary of State shall submit a no14 tification, in accordance with the requirements of 

15 section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 

16 (22 U.S.C. 2394–1), that includes the following: 

17 (A) The foreign country and entity, as ap18 plicable, whose capabilities are to be enhanced 

19 in accordance with the purposes specified in 

20 paragraph (1). 

21 (B) The amount, type, and purpose of sup22 port to be provided. 

23 (C) An assessment of the capacity of the 

24 foreign country or entity to absorb the assist25 ance to be provided. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 192 IH

1 (D) The estimated cost and anticipated im2 plementation timeline for assistance. 

3 (E) As applicable, a description of the ar4 rangements to sustain any equipment provided 

5 by the activity beyond the completion date of 

6 such activity, if applicable, and the estimated 

7 cost and source of funds to support such 

8 sustainment. 

9 (F) The amount, type, statutory authoriza10 tion, and purpose of any United States security 

11 assistance provided to such foreign country dur12 ing the three preceding fiscal years pursuant to 

13 authorities under title 10, United States Code, 

14 the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

15 2151 et seq.), or any other ‘‘train and equip’’ 

16 authorities of the Department of Defense. 

17 (b) COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR COUNTERTER18 RORISM EFFORTS.— 

19 (1) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 180 days 

20 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec21 retary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 

22 Defense and the Administrator of the United States 

23 Agency for International Development, shall submit 

24 to the appropriate congressional committees a com25 prehensive, interagency strategy that— 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 192 IH

1 (A) states the objectives of the United 

2 States counterterrorism effort in North and 

3 West Africa with respect to the use of all forms 

4 of United States assistance to counter violent 

5 extremism; 

6 (B) includes a plan by the Secretary of 

7 State for the manner in which programs shall 

8 be coordinated by the TSCTP pursuant to sub9 section (a)(1), including which agency or bu10 reau of the Department of State, as applicable, 

11 will be responsible for leading and coordinating 

12 each such program; and 

13 (C) outlines a plan to monitor and evaluate 

14 TSCTP programs and identifies the key indica15 tors that will be used to measure performance 

16 and progress under the strategy. 

17 (2) SUPPORTING MATERIAL IN ANNUAL BUDG18 ET REQUEST.—The Secretary of State shall include, 

19 in the budget materials submitted in support of the 

20 budget of the President (submitted to Congress pur21 suant to section 1105 of title 31, United States 

22 Code) for each fiscal year beginning after the date 

23 of the enactment of this Act, a description of the re24 quirements, activities, and planned allocation of 

25 amounts requested by the TSCTP. 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 192 IH

1 (c) MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS

2 AND ACTIVITIES.— 

3 (1) MONITORING AND EVALUATION.—The Sec4 retary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 

5 Defense and the Administrator of the United States 

6 Agency for International Development, shall monitor 

7 and evaluate the programs coordinated by the 

8 TSCTP pursuant to subsection (a)(1) in accordance 

9 with the plan outlined pursuant to subsection 

10 (b)(1)(C). 

11 (2) REPORT.—For the 5-year period beginning 

12 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

13 the Secretary of State shall submit to the appro14 priate congressional committees an annual report on 

15 monitoring and evaluation efforts pursuant to para16 graph (1) that describes— 

17 (A) the progress made in meeting the ob18 jectives listed in the strategy required by sub19 section (b)(1), including any lessons learned in 

20 carrying out TSCTP programs and activities 

21 and any recommendations for improving such 

22 programs and activities; 

23 (B) the efforts taken to coordinate, de-con24 flict, and streamline TSCTP programs to maxi25 mize resource effectiveness; 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 192 IH

1 (C) the extent to which each partner coun2 try has demonstrated the ability to absorb the 

3 equipment or training provided in the year pre4 vious under TSCTP programs, and where appli5 cable, the ability to maintain and appropriately 

6 utilize such equipment provided; 

7 (D) the extent to which each partner coun8 try is investing its own resources to advance the 

9 goals described in subsection (a)(1) or dem10 onstrated a commitment and willingness to co11 operate with the United States to advance such 

12 goals; and 

13 (E) the actions taken by the government of 

14 each partner country receiving assistance 

15 through programs coordinated by the TSCTP 

16 to combat corruption, improve transparency 

17 and accountability, and promote other forms of 

18 good governance. 

19 (d) FORM.—The strategy required by subsection 

20 (b)(1) and the report required by subsection (c)(2) shall 

21 be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classi22 fied annex. 

23 (e) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE24 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres25 sional committees’’ means— 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
10 

•HR 192 IH

1 (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

2 Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 

3 Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Com4 mittee on Intelligence of the House of Representa5 tives; and 

6 (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

7 Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 

8 Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intel9 ligence of the Senate. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS