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 ter-
rorist 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 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’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
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(1) the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Part-
nership, launched in 2005, is an interagency pro-
gram to assist partner countries in the Sahel and 
Maghreb regions of Africa on their immediate and 
long-term capabilities to address terrorist threats 
and prevent the spread of violent extremism; 
(2) armed groups and violent Islamist terrorist 
organizations, such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic 
Maghreb, Boko Haram, the Islamic State of West 
Africa, and other affiliated groups, have killed tens 
of thousands of innocent civilians, displaced popu-
lations, destabilized local and national governments, 
and caused mass human suffering in the affected 
communities; 
(3) it is in the national security interest of the 
United States to combat the spread of radical 
Islamist extremism and build partner countries’ ca-
pacity to combat these threats in Africa; 
(4) extremist movements exploit vulnerable and 
marginalized communities suffering from poverty, 
lack of economic opportunity (particularly among 
youth populations), and weak governance; and 
(5) to address critical security, political, eco-
nomic, and humanitarian challenges in these regions 
of Africa, a coordinated, interagency approach is 
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needed to appropriately allocate resources, share re-
sponsibility, de-conflict programs, and maximize the 
effectiveness of United States defense, diplomatic, 
and development capabilities. 
SEC. 3. 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 
North and West 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 with the United States and 
other partner countries on counterterrorism ef-
forts. 
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(C) To enhance the border security capac-
ity of partner countries in such regions, includ-
ing the ability to monitor, restrain, and inter-
dict terrorists. 
(D) To strengthen the rule of law in such 
countries, including access to justice, and the 
ability of the law enforcement entities of such 
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 vulnerabilities 
among affected populations in such regions to 
recruitment or incitement of 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 economic opportunities and 
education. 
(G) To support independent, local-lan-
guage media, particularly in rural areas, to 
counter media operations and recruitment prop-
aganda by terrorist organizations. 
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(2) CONSULTATION.—In coordinating programs 
through the TSCTP, the Secretary of State shall 
also consult, as appropriate, with the Director of 
National Intelligence, the Secretary of the Treasury, 
the Attorney General, the Chief Executive Officer of 
the United States Agency for Global Media (for-
merly known as the Broadcasting Board of Gov-
ernors), and the heads of other relevant Federal de-
partments 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 Secretary of State shall submit a no-
tification, 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: 
(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 assist-
ance to be provided. 
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(D) The estimated cost and anticipated im-
plementation timeline for assistance. 
(E) As applicable, a description of the ar-
rangements 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 security 
assistance provided to such foreign country dur-
ing the three preceding fiscal years pursuant to 
authorities under title 10, United States Code, 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2151 et seq.), or any other ‘‘train and equip’’ 
authorities of the Department of Defense. 
(b) COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR COUNTERTER-
RORISM EFFORTS.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of 
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— 
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(A) states the objectives of the United 
States counterterrorism effort in North and 
West Africa with respect to the use of all forms 
of United States assistance to counter violent 
extremism; 
(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), including which agency or bu-
reau of the Department of State, as applicable, 
will be responsible for leading and coordinating 
each such program; and 
(C) outlines a plan to monitor and evaluate 
TSCTP programs and identifies the key indica-
tors that will be used to measure performance 
and progress under the strategy. 
(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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