Title: Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Act of 2018
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Act of 2018
This bill directs the Department of State to: (1) establish and monitor the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership to coordinate U.S. counterterrorism, military, and law enforcement programs and activities in the Sahel, Maghreb, and adjacent regions of Africa; (2) submit a related counterterrorism strategy to Congress.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6018 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism 
Partnership Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. TRANS-SAHARA COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNERSHIP.

    (a) Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership.--
            (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 partnership, to be known as the ``Trans-Sahara 
        Counterterrorism 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 military and 
                law enforcement entities in such regions to conduct 
                counterterrorism operations.
                    (B) To improve the ability of foreign military and 
                law enforcement entities in such regions to cooperate 
                on counterterrorism efforts.
                    (C) To enhance the border security capacity of 
                partner countries in such regions, including the 
                ability to monitor, restrain, and interdict 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 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 recruitment or 
                incitement for terrorist activities through public 
                diplomacy efforts, such as supporting youth employment, 
                promoting meaningful participation of women, 
                strengthening local governance and civil society 
                capacity, and improving 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 
        relevant Federal departments and agencies.
            (3) Congressional notification.--Not later than 15 days 
        before obligating amounts for an activity coordinated by the 
        TSCTP pursuant to paragraph (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:
                    (A) The foreign country and entity, as applicable, 
                whose capabilities are to be enhanced in accordance 
                with the purposes specified in paragraph (1).
                    (B) The amount, type, and purpose of support 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 authorization, and 
                purpose of any United States assistance provided to 
                such foreign country during the three preceding fiscal 
                years.
    (b) Comprehensive Strategy for Counterterrorism Efforts.--
            (1) Development.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary 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 
        comprehensive, interagency strategy that--
                    (A) highlights the desired end states, strategic 
                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 subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Supporting material in annual budget request.--The 
        Secretary of State shall include, in the budget materials 
        submitted in support of the budget of the President (submitted 
        to Congress pursuant 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 requirements, 
        activities, and planned allocation of amounts requested by the 
        TSCTP.
            (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 Secretary 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 capability 
                requirements, potential programmatic risks, baseline 
                information, and indicators of efficacy for purposes of 
                planning, monitoring, and evaluation of the programs 
                and activities coordinated by the TSCTP.
                    (B) Evaluations of the efficiency and effectiveness 
                of such programs and activities.
                    (C) Monitoring implementation of such programs and 
                activities with respect to the stated objectives 
                outlined in the strategy required under subsection 
                (b)(1).
                    (D) Identification of lessons learned in carrying 
                out such programs and activities to develop 
                recommendations for improving such strategy and future 
                security cooperation programs and activities of the 
                TSCTP.
            (2) Best practices requirements.--The ongoing 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 enactment of this Act, the 
                Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
                congressional committees 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 
                        coordinated by the TSCTP pursuant to subsection 
                        (a)(1).
                            (ii) An evaluation of the lessons learned 
                        and best practices identified in accordance 
                        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 promote 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 pursuant to paragraph (1), from which the 
                Secretaries may redact or omit any information that the 
                Secretaries determine should not be disclosed to the 
                public in order to protect the interests of the United 
                States or of any relevant foreign country.
                    (C) Form.--The report required by subparagraph (A) 
                shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include 
                a classified annex.
    (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
        Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
        Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
        Foreign Relations, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
        Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
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