H. R. 244—541 
(B) Funds appropriated by this Act that are made 
available for trilateral programs conducted with the PRC 
shall be subject to the regular notification procedures of 
the Committees on Appropriations. 
(f) PHILIPPINES.—Prior to the initial obligation of funds appro-
priated by this Act for assistance for the Philippines, but not later 
than 180 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations, which 
shall include the information required under this section in the 
explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter pre-
ceding division A of this Consolidated Act). 
(g) TIBET.— 
(1) FINANCING OF PROJECTS IN TIBET.—The Secretary of 
the Treasury should instruct the United States executive 
director of each international financial institution to use the 
voice and vote of the United States to support financing of 
projects in Tibet if such projects do not provide incentives 
for the migration and settlement of non-Tibetans into Tibet 
or facilitate the transfer of ownership of Tibetan land and 
natural resources to non-Tibetans, are based on a thorough 
needs-assessment, foster self-sufficiency of the Tibetan people 
and respect Tibetan culture and traditions, and are subject 
to effective monitoring. 
(2) PROGRAMS FOR TIBETAN COMMUNITIES.— 
(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds 
appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic 
Support Fund’’ shall be made available to nongovernmental 
organizations to support activities which preserve cultural 
traditions and promote sustainable development, education, 
and environmental conservation in Tibetan communities 
in the Tibetan Autonomous Region and in other Tibetan 
communities in China. 
(B) Funds appropriated by this Act under the heading 
‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ shall be made available for pro-
grams to promote and preserve Tibetan culture, develop-
ment, and the resilience of Tibetan communities in India 
and Nepal, and to assist in the education and development 
of the next generation of Tibetan leaders from such commu-
nities: Provided, That such funds are in addition to 
amounts made available in subparagraph (A) for programs 
inside Tibet. 
(h) VIETNAM.— 
(1) DIOXIN
REMEDIATION.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, of the funds appropriated by this Act under 
the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than 
$20,000,000 shall be made available for activities related to 
the remediation of dioxin contaminated sites in Vietnam and 
may be made available for assistance for the Government of 
Vietnam, including the military, for such purposes. 
(2) HEALTH
AND
DISABILITY
PROGRAMS.—Of the funds 
appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Development 
Assistance’’, not less than $10,000,000 shall be made available 
for health and disability programs in areas sprayed with Agent 
Orange and otherwise contaminated with dioxin, to assist 
individuals with severe upper or lower body mobility impair-
ment and/or cognitive or developmental disabilities.
H. R. 244—542 
SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA 
SEC. 7044. (a) AFGHANISTAN.— 
(1) STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL.— 
(A) STRATEGY.—Not later than 90 days after enactment 
of this Act and prior to the initial obligation of funds 
made available for assistance for Afghanistan by this Act 
under the headings ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ and ‘‘Inter-
national Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement’’, the Sec-
retary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Defense, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a revised strategy for United States engage-
ment in Afghanistan: Provided, That such strategy shall 
include detailed information on the roles and responsibil-
ities of the Department of State, the United States Agency 
for International Development, and other non-defense 
United States Government agencies in Afghanistan, 
including the anticipated number of government and con-
tractor personnel to be assigned in Afghanistan in fiscal 
years 2018 and 2019: Provided further, That such strategy 
shall also include detailed information on development pro-
grams to be supported by funds made available by this 
Act and prior Acts making appropriations for the Depart-
ment of State, foreign operations, and related programs, 
including a description of specific safeguards to ensure 
that any such funds supporting projects in areas under 
the control of the Taliban or other extremist organizations 
do not further the legitimacy of such organizations: Pro-
vided further, That such strategy shall also include detailed 
information, in classified form if necessary, on specific steps 
to be taken to encourage a negotiated political resolution 
of the conflict in Afghanistan. 
(B) PERSONNEL REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after 
enactment of this Act and every 120 days thereafter until 
September 30, 2018, the Secretary of State shall submit 
a report, in classified form if necessary, to the appropriate 
congressional committees detailing by agency the number 
of personnel present in Afghanistan under Chief of Mission 
authority per section 3927 of title 22, United States Code, 
at the end of the 120 day period preceding the submission 
of such report: Provided, That such report shall also include 
the number of locally employed staff and contractors sup-
porting United States Embassy operations in Afghanistan 
during the reporting period. 
(2) ASSISTANCE AND CONDITIONS.— 
(A) FUNDING AND LIMITATIONS.—Funds appropriated 
by this Act under the headings ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ 
and ‘‘International Narcotics Control and Law Enforce-
ment’’ may be made available for assistance for Afghani-
stan: Provided, That such funds may not be obligated for 
any project or activity that— 
(i) includes the participation of any Afghan indi-
vidual or organization, including government entity, 
that the Secretary of State determines to be involved 
in corrupt practices, illicit narcotics production or traf-
ficking, or a violation of human rights;
H. R. 244—543 
(ii) cannot be sustained, as appropriate, by the 
Government of Afghanistan or another Afghan entity; 
(iii) is not regularly accessible for the purposes 
of conducting effective oversight in accordance with 
applicable Federal statutes and regulations; 
(iv) initiates any new, major infrastructure 
development; or 
(v) legitimizes the Taliban or other extremist 
organizations in areas not under the control of the 
Government of Afghanistan. 
(B) CERTIFICATION AND REPORT.—Prior to the initial 
obligation of funds made available by this Act under the 
headings ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ and ‘‘International Nar-
cotics Control and Law Enforcement’’ for assistance for 
the central Government of Afghanistan, the Secretary of 
State shall certify and report to the Committees on Appro-
priations, after consultation with the Government of 
Afghanistan, that— 
(i) goals and benchmarks for the specific uses of 
such funds have been established by the Governments 
of the United States and Afghanistan; 
(ii) conditions are in place that increase the trans-
parency and accountability of the Government of 
Afghanistan for funds obligated under the New 
Development Partnership; 
(iii) the Government of Afghanistan is imple-
menting laws and policies to govern democratically 
and protect the rights of individuals, civil society, and 
the media; 
(iv) the Government of Afghanistan is taking con-
sistent steps to protect and advance the rights of 
women and girls in Afghanistan; 
(v) the Government of Afghanistan is effectively 
implementing a whole-of-government, anti-corruption 
strategy that has been endorsed by the High Council 
on Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, as agreed to 
at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan in October 
2016, and is prosecuting individuals alleged to be 
involved in corrupt or illegal activities in Afghanistan; 
(vi) monitoring and oversight frameworks for pro-
grams implemented with such funds are in accordance 
with all applicable audit policies of the Department 
of State and USAID, including in areas under the 
control of the Taliban or other extremist organizations; 
(vii) the necessary policies and procedures are in 
place to ensure Government of Afghanistan compliance 
with section 7013 of this Act, ‘‘Prohibition on Taxation 
of United States Assistance’’; and 
(viii) the Government of Afghanistan is publicly 
reporting its national budget, including revenues and 
expenditures. 
(C) WAIVER.—The Secretary of State may waive the 
certification requirement of subparagraph (B) if the Sec-
retary determines that to do so is important to the national 
security interest of the United States and the Secretary 
submits a report to the Committees on Appropriations, 
in classified form if necessary, on the justification for the
H. R. 244—544 
waiver and the reasons why any of the requirements of 
subparagraph (B) cannot be met. 
(D) PROGRAMS.—Funds appropriated by this Act that 
are made available for assistance for Afghanistan shall 
be made available in the following manner— 
(i) for programs that protect and strengthen the 
rights of women and girls and promote the political 
and economic empowerment of women, including their 
meaningful inclusion in political processes: Provided, 
That such assistance to promote economic empower-
ment of women shall be made available as grants 
to Afghan and international organizations, to the max-
imum extent practicable; 
(ii) for programs in South and Central Asia to 
expand linkages between Afghanistan and countries 
in the region, subject to the regular notification proce-
dures of the Committees on Appropriations; and 
(iii) to assist the Government of Afghanistan to 
increase revenue collection and expenditure. 
(E) TAXATION.—None of the funds appropriated by this 
Act for assistance for Afghanistan may be made available 
for direct government-to-government assistance unless the 
Secretary of State certifies and reports to the Committees 
on Appropriations that United States companies and 
organizations that are implementing United States foreign 
assistance programs in Afghanistan in a manner consistent 
with United States laws and regulations are not subjected 
by such government to taxes or other fees in contravention 
of diplomatic and other agreements between the Govern-
ments of the United States and Afghanistan, or to retalia-
tion for the nonpayment of taxes or fees imposed in the 
past: Provided, That not later than 90 days after enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committees on Appropriations an assessment of the dollar 
value of improper taxes or fees levied by such government 
against such companies and organizations in fiscal years 
2014, 2015, and 2016. 
(3) GOALS AND BENCHMARKS.—Not later than 90 days after 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a report describing 
the goals and benchmarks required in paragraph (2)(B)(i): Pro-
vided, That not later than 6 months after the submission of 
such report and every 6 months thereafter until September 
30, 2018, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to such 
committees on the status of achieving such goals and bench-
marks: Provided further, That the Secretary of State should 
suspend assistance for the Government of Afghanistan if any 
report required by this paragraph indicates that such govern-
ment is failing to make measurable progress in meeting such 
goals and benchmarks. 
(4) AUTHORITIES.— 
(A) Funds appropriated by this Act under title III 
through VI that are made available for assistance for 
Afghanistan may be made available— 
(i) notwithstanding section 7012 of this Act or 
any similar provision of law and section 660 of the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961;