I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6018 
To establish an interagency program to assist countries in the Sahel, 
Maghreb, and adjacent regions of Africa to improve immediate and 
long-term capabilities to counter terrorist threats, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 6, 2018 
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 
the Sahel, Maghreb, and adjacent regions of Africa to 
improve immediate and long-term capabilities to counter 
terrorist threats, 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 ‘‘Trans-Sahara Counter-
terrorism Partnership Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. TRANS-SAHARA COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNER-
SHIP. 
(a) TRANS-SAHARA COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNER-
SHIP.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of State, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and 
the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, shall establish a partner-
ship, to be known as the ‘‘Trans-Sahara Counterter-
rorism Partnership’’ (TSCTP), to coordinate all 
United States programs, projects, and activities in 
the Sahel, Maghreb, and adjacent regions of Africa 
that are conducted for any of the following purposes: 
(A) To build the capacity of foreign mili-
tary and law enforcement entities in such re-
gions to conduct counterterrorism operations. 
(B) To improve the ability of foreign mili-
tary and law enforcement entities in such re-
gions to cooperate on counterterrorism efforts. 
(C) To enhance the border security capac-
ity of partner countries in such regions, includ-
ing the ability to monitor, restrain, and inter-
dict terrorist movements. 
(D) To strengthen the rule of law in such 
countries, including access to justice, and the 
ability of the law enforcement entities of such 
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partner countries to detect, disrupt, respond to, 
investigate, and prosecute terrorist activity. 
(E) To monitor and counter the financing 
of terrorism. 
(F) To further reduce any opportunities 
among communities in such regions for recruit-
ment or incitement for terrorist activities 
through public diplomacy efforts, such as sup-
porting youth employment, promoting meaning-
ful participation of women, strengthening local 
governance and civil society capacity, and im-
proving access to education. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—In coordinating programs 
through the TSCTP, the Secretary of State may 
also consult, as appropriate, with the Director of 
National Intelligence, the Secretary of the Treasury, 
the Attorney General, and the heads of other rel-
evant Federal departments and agencies. 
(3) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—Not later 
than 15 days before obligating amounts for an activ-
ity coordinated by the TSCTP pursuant to para-
graph (1), the Secretaries of State shall submit a 
notification, in accordance with the requirements of 
section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 2394–1), that includes the following: 
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(A) The foreign country and entity, as ap-
plicable, whose capabilities are to be enhanced 
in accordance with the purposes specified in 
paragraph (1). 
(B) The amount, type, and purpose of sup-
port to be provided. 
(C) An assessment of the capacity of the 
foreign country or entity to absorb the training 
or equipment to be provided. 
(D) The estimated cost, implementation 
timeline, and delivery schedule for assistance. 
(E) A description of the arrangements to 
sustain any equipment provided by the activity 
beyond the completion date of such activity, if 
applicable, and the estimated cost and source of 
funds to support such sustainment. 
(F) The amount, type, statutory authoriza-
tion, and purpose of any United States assist-
ance provided to such foreign country during 
the three preceding fiscal years. 
(b) COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR COUNTERTER-
RORISM EFFORTS.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 
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Defense and the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development, shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a com-
prehensive, interagency strategy that— 
(A) highlights the desired end states, stra-
tegic objectives, and sub-objectives for the 
United States counterterrorism effort in the 
Sahel, Maghreb, and adjacent regions of Africa 
with respect to the use of all forms of United 
States assistance to counter violent extremism; 
and 
(B) includes a plan by the Secretary of 
State for the manner in which programs shall 
be coordinated by the TSCTP pursuant to sub-
section (a)(1). 
(2) SUPPORTING MATERIAL IN ANNUAL BUDG-
ET REQUEST.—The Secretary of State shall include, 
in the budget materials submitted in support of the 
budget of the President (submitted to Congress pur-
suant to section 1105 of title 31, United States 
Code) for each fiscal year beginning after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, a description of the re-
quirements, activities, and planned allocation of 
amounts requested by the TSCTP. 
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(3) FORM.—The report required by paragraph 
(1) and each description required under paragraph 
(2) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 
include a classified annex. 
(c) ASSESSMENT, MONITORING, AND EVALUATION 
OF PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) MONITORING AND EVALUATION.—The Sec-
retary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Defense and the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development, shall conduct 
rigorously assess, monitor, and evaluate programs 
coordinated by the TSCTP pursuant to subsection 
(a)(1) including by the following: 
(A) Initial assessments of partner capa-
bility requirements, potential programmatic 
risks, baseline information, and indicators of ef-
ficacy for purposes of planning, monitoring, and 
evaluation of the programs and activities co-
ordinated by the TSCTP. 
(B) Evaluations of the efficiency and effec-
tiveness of such programs and activities. 
(C) Monitoring implementation of such 
programs and activities with respect to the stat-
ed objectives outlined in the strategy required 
under subsection (b)(1). 
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(D) Identification of lessons learned in car-
rying out such programs and activities to de-
velop recommendations for improving such 
strategy and future security cooperation pro-
grams and activities of the TSCTP. 
(2) BEST PRACTICES REQUIREMENTS.—The on-
going assessment required under paragraph (1) shall 
be conducted in accordance with the best practices 
described in section 383(b)(2) of title 10, United 
States Code. 
(3) REPORTS.— 
(A) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—For the 5- 
year period beginning on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees an annual report on the findings of the 
ongoing assessment required by paragraph (1) 
during the previous fiscal year. Each report 
shall include, with respect to such previous 
year, the following: 
(i) A description of all activities co-
ordinated by the TSCTP pursuant to sub-
section (a)(1). 
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(ii) An evaluation of the lessons 
learned and best practices identified in ac-
cordance with paragraph (2). 
(iii) An analysis of major actions 
taken by the government of each foreign 
country receiving assistance coordinated by 
the TSCTP to combat corruption, improve 
transparency and accountability, and pro-
mote other forms of good governance such 
as those described in section 133 of the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2152c) (relating to programs to encourage 
good governance). 
(B) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF EFFICIENCY 
EVALUATION.—The Secretaries of State and 
Defense shall jointly make publicly available a 
summary of each evaluation conducted pursu-
ant to paragraph (1), from which the Secre-
taries may redact or omit any information that 
the Secretaries determine should not be dis-
closed to the public in order to protect the in-
terests of the United States or of any relevant 
foreign country. 
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(C) FORM.—The report required by sub-
paragraph (A) shall be submitted in unclassi-
fied form but may include a classified annex. 
(d) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con-
gressional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
(2) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intel-
ligence of the Senate. 
Æ 
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