I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9499 
To require the United States Agency for Global Media to verify the authen-
ticity of foreign academic credentials purported to be held by prospective 
and existing employees of the Agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 
Mr. BURCHETT (for himself and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the United States Agency for Global Media to 
verify the authenticity of foreign academic credentials 
purported to be held by prospective and existing employ-
ees of the Agency, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing the Integrity 
of Ethics in Government Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:13 Sep 12, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9499.IH
H9499
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(1) ADVISORY
BOARD.—The term ‘‘Advisory 
Board’’ means the International Broadcasting Advi-
sory Board as described in section 306 of the United 
States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 
U.S.C. 6205). 
(2) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Agency’’ means the 
United States Agency for Global Media. 
(3) CREDENTIAL EVALUATION SERVICE.—The 
term ‘‘credential evaluation service’’ means an orga-
nization that is— 
(A) a member organization of— 
(i) the National Association of Cre-
dential Evaluation Services; or 
(ii) the Association of International 
Credentials Evaluators; and 
(B) has as its primary purpose the evalua-
tion and validation of academic credentials. 
(4) FOREIGN
ACADEMIC
CREDENTIAL.—The 
term ‘‘foreign academic credential’’ means a creden-
tial awarded for the completion of an undergraduate 
or a graduate-level course of study at a postsec-
ondary educational institution located outside the 
United States. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:13 Sep 12, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9499.IH
H9499
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 3. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the effective date of 
this Act, the Agency may not appoint an individual who 
purports to have a foreign academic credential (as de-
scribed in subsection (c)) to a position in the Agency high-
er than GS–11 (or the equivalent), including a position 
for which such credential is not required, unless, prior to 
such appointment, the Agency obtains— 
(1)(A) a written evaluation from a credential 
evaluation service that includes— 
(i) verification that the foreign aca-
demic credential was earned by the indi-
vidual at a postsecondary educational insti-
tution outside the United States; 
(ii) the name of the institution that 
awarded the credential; 
(iii) the type of credential earned by 
the individual; 
(iv) the academic subject matter to 
which the credential pertains; 
(v) an analysis indicating whether the 
foreign academic credential is comparable 
to a type of academic credential awarded 
by postsecondary educational institutions 
in the United States and, if so, which type 
of domestically awarded credential is most 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:13 Sep 12, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9499.IH
H9499
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
completed all requirements necessary to obtain the 
foreign academic credential, which shall— 
(i) be provided directly to the Agency by 
the postsecondary educational institution that 
issued the credential; and 
(ii) be certified as authentic by an official 
of the institution authorized to issue such docu-
mentation; or 
(2) alternative documentation, obtained directly 
from the Government of the foreign country with ju-
risdiction over the institution that awarded the cre-
dential, demonstrating the validity of the credential. 
(b) VERIFICATION OF FOREIGN ACADEMIC CREDEN-
TIALS FOR EXISTING EMPLOYEES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the effective date of this Act, the Agency shall 
obtain the documentation described in subsection 
(a)(1) or the alternative documentation described in 
subsection (a)(2) with respect to each foreign aca-
demic credential purported to be held (as described 
in subsection (c)) by an individual in a position in 
the Agency that is higher than GS–11. 
(2) PENALTY.—The Agency shall take appro-
priate disciplinary action with respect to an indi-
vidual described in paragraph (1) in the event the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:13 Sep 12, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9499.IH
H9499
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
Agency is unable to obtain the documentation re-
quired under such paragraph for a foreign academic 
credential purported to be held by such individual. 
(c) RULE
OF APPLICABILITY.—The requirements 
under subsections (a) and (b) shall apply with respect to 
foreign academic credentials that are— 
(1) disclosed in the application or other mate-
rials received by the Agency in connection with the 
hiring of an individual; or 
(2) otherwise noted in the employment record of 
an individual. 
(d) 
ALTERNATIVE
DOCUMENTATION
PROCE-
DURES.—The Agency shall seek to establish procedures, 
in consultation with appropriate officials of foreign Gov-
ernments, through which the Agency may obtain the alter-
native documentation described in subsection (a)(2)(A). 
SEC. 4. OVERTIME PAYMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Agency shall— 
(1) record all overtime pay paid to— 
(A) employees of the Agency; and 
(B) contractors of the Agency; and 
(2) establish a system to track such overtime 
pay as a result of expiring compensatory time off. 
(b) NOTICE AND APPROVAL.—The supervisor of an 
employee claiming overtime work in excess of the guide-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:13 Sep 12, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9499.IH
H9499
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
lines of the Agency or overtime pay with respect to expir-
ing compensatory time off may not approve such overtime 
work or overtime pay unless such supervisor submits a re-
quest for approval to, and such request is approved by, 
the Chief Management Officer of the Agency or such other 
officer designated by the Agency. 
SEC. 5. REVIEW OF UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL 
BROADCASTING. 
Section 306(d) of the United States International 
Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6205(d)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (6)(B), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) convene biannually to conduct a review of 
United States Agency for Global Media affiliate and 
grantee broadcasting activities and, when not less 
than three Advisory Board members find a violation 
of the broadcasting standards and principles listed 
under section 303 pursuant to such a review, submit 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:13 Sep 12, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9499.IH
H9499
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
Relations of the Senate a report describing each 
such violation.’’. 
SEC. 6. SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR CERTAIN MATTERS 
RELATING TO THE AGENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
effective date of this Act, the Chair of the Advisory Board 
shall appoint a Special Investigator to submit the report 
required by subsection (a). The individual appointed as 
Special Investigator shall have expertise in human re-
sources, labor management, credentials screening, and 
oversight and accountability. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the effec-
tive date of this Act, the Special Investigator shall submit 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate a report on— 
(1) the adequacy of the Agency’s hiring and 
employee vetting processes; 
(2) the efficacy and feasibility of establishing an 
Office of Inspector General at the Agency; 
(3) its recommendations with respect to the 
findings under paragraphs (1) and (2); 
(4) a fiscal and administrative cost-benefit anal-
ysis of establishing an independent Office of Inspec-
tor General within the Agency; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:13 Sep 12, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9499.IH
H9499
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(5) an evaluation of the adequacy of the De-
partment of State’s Office of Inspector General for 
oversight and accountability purposes at the Agency, 
with particular attention to investigation of matters 
potentially criminal in nature; 
(6) a review of all incidents pertaining to, inter 
alia, fraud, misconduct, malfeasance, misstatements, 
misrepresentations, and security breaches at the 
Agency since January 1, 2019, and any disciplinary 
actions taken with respect to them; 
(7) an overview of the Department of State and 
the Agency’s responsibilities regarding personnel and 
whistleblower complaints, with particular focus on 
areas for improvement; 
(8) a determination as to whether the Agency 
has adequately coordinated with the Department of 
State regarding personnel misconduct and whistle-
blower complaints; 
(9) the circumstances under which the Depart-
ment of State refers whistleblower complaints to the 
Agency; 
(10) any circumstances under which the De-
partment of State is involved in Agency hiring deci-
sions, including the Department’s Bureau of Diplo-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:13 Sep 12, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9499.IH
H9499
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB