Sister City Transparency Act
Bill: S.710 | Sponsor: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha (R-TN)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Sister City Transparency Act
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study the activities of sister city partnerships involving foreign communities in countries that received a score of 45 or less on Transparency International's 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index. A sister city partnership is a formal agreement between a U.S. community and a foreign community that is recognized by Sister Cities International and that is operating within the United States.
Among other elements, the required study must (1) identify oversight practices that U.S communities implement to mitigate the risks of foreign espionage and economic coercion within sister city partnerships, (2) assess the extent to which U.S. communities ensure transparency regarding sister city partnership contracts and activities, and (3) review the range of activities conducted within sister city partnerships.

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
study to evaluate the activities of sister city partnerships operating 
           within the United States, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sister City Transparency Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (E) the Committee on Education and Labor of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (F) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Foreign community.--The term ``foreign community'' 
        means any subnational unit of government outside of the United 
        States.
            (3) Sister city partnership.--The term ``sister city 
        partnership'' means a formal agreement between a United States 
        community and a foreign community that--
                    (A) is recognized by Sister Cities International; 
                and
                    (B) is operating within the United States.
            (4) United states community.--The term ``United States 
        community'' means a State, county, city, or other unit of local 
        government in the United States.

SEC. 3. STUDY OF SISTER CITY PARTNERSHIPS OPERATING WITHIN THE UNITED 
              STATES INVOLVING FOREIGN COMMUNITIES IN COUNTRIES WITH 
              SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SECTOR CORRUPTION.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study of the activities of sister city partnerships involving 
foreign communities in countries receiving a score of 45 or less on 
Transparency International's 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index.
    (b) Elements of the Study.--The study conducted under subsection 
(a) shall--
            (1) identify--
                    (A) the criteria by which foreign communities 
                identify United States communities as candidates for 
                sister city partnerships, including themes with respect 
                to the prominent economic activities and demographics 
                of such United States communities;
                    (B) the activities conducted within sister city 
                partnerships;
                    (C) the economic and educational outcomes of such 
                activities;
                    (D) the types of information that sister city 
                partnerships make publicly available, including 
                information relating to contracts and activities;
                    (E) the means by which United States communities 
                safeguard freedom of expression within sister city 
                partnerships; and
                    (F) the oversight practices that United States 
                communities implement to mitigate the risks of foreign 
                espionage and economic coercion within sister city 
                partnerships;
            (2) assess--
                    (A) the extent to which United States communities 
                ensure transparency regarding sister city partnership 
                contracts and activities;
                    (B) the extent to which sister city partnerships 
                involve economic arrangements that make United States 
                communities vulnerable to malign market practices;
                    (C) the extent to which sister city partnerships 
                involve educational arrangements that diminish the 
                freedom of expression;
                    (D) the extent to which sister city partnerships 
                allow foreign nationals to access local commercial, 
                educational, and political institutions;
                    (E) the extent to which foreign communities could 
                use sister city partnerships to realize strategic 
                objectives that do not conduce to the economic and 
                national security interests of the United States;
                    (F) the extent to which sister city partnerships 
                could enable or otherwise contribute to foreign 
                communities' malign activities globally, including 
                activities relating to human rights abuses and academic 
                and industrial espionage; and
                    (G) the extent to which United States communities 
                seek to mitigate foreign nationals' potentially 
                inappropriate use of visa programs to participate in 
                activities relating to sister city partnerships; and
            (3) review--
                    (A) the range of activities conducted within sister 
                city partnerships, including activities relating to 
                cultural exchange and economic development;
                    (B) how such activities differ between sister city 
                partnerships; and
                    (C) best practices to ensure transparency regarding 
                sister city partnerships' agreements, activities, and 
                employees.
    (c) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after initiating 
        the study required under subsection (a), the Comptroller 
        General shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional 
        committees that contains the results of such study, including 
        the findings, conclusions, and recommendations (if any) of the 
        study.
            (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) may 
        include a classified annex, if necessary.
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