Title: Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2020
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Act
This bill provides statutory authority for the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, an interagency program launched in 2005 to partner with countries in the Sahel and Maghreb regions of Africa to counter terrorism and violent extremism.
The Department of State, in consultation with the Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development, shall establish the partnership, which must coordinate all U.S. programs in North and West Africa related to various counterterrorism activities, such as building foreign-military capacity, enhancing border security, promoting youth employment, and supporting independent media to counter terrorist propaganda.
The State Department shall notify Congress before obligating funds for such programs, and must submit annual reports about program activities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 192 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






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 
               terrorist 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 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''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, launched 
        in 2005, is an interagency program 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 populations, 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' capacity 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, economic, and 
        humanitarian challenges in these regions of Africa, a 
        coordinated, interagency approach is needed to appropriately 
        allocate resources, share responsibility, de-conflict programs, 
        and maximize the effectiveness of United States defense, 
        diplomatic, and development capabilities.

SEC. 3. 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 North and 
        West 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 
                with the United States and other partner countries on 
                counterterrorism efforts.
                    (C) To enhance the border security capacity of 
                partner countries in such regions, including the 
                ability to monitor, restrain, and interdict 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 supporting youth employment, 
                promoting meaningful participation of women, 
                strengthening local governance and civil society 
                capacity, and improving access to economic 
                opportunities and education.
                    (G) To support independent, local-language media, 
                particularly in rural areas, to counter media 
                operations and recruitment propaganda by terrorist 
                organizations.
            (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 
        (formerly known as the Broadcasting Board of Governors), 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 Secretary 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 assistance to be 
                provided.
                    (D) The estimated cost and anticipated 
                implementation timeline for assistance.
                    (E) As applicable, 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 security assistance 
                provided to such foreign country during 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 Counterterrorism Efforts.--
            (1) Development.--Not later than 180 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) 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 subsection (a)(1), including 
                which agency or bureau 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 indicators that will be 
                used to measure performance and progress under the 
                strategy.
            (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.
    (c) 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 monitor and evaluate the programs 
        coordinated by the TSCTP pursuant to subsection (a)(1) in 
        accordance with the plan outlined pursuant to subsection 
        (b)(1)(C).
            (2) Report.--For the 5-year period beginning 180 days after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
        shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an 
        annual report on monitoring and evaluation efforts pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) that describes--
                    (A) the progress made in meeting the objectives 
                listed in the strategy required by subsection (b)(1), 
                including any lessons learned in carrying out TSCTP 
                programs and activities and any recommendations for 
                improving such programs and activities;
                    (B) the efforts taken to coordinate, de-conflict, 
                and streamline TSCTP programs to maximize resource 
                effectiveness;
                    (C) the extent to which each partner country has 
                demonstrated the ability to absorb the equipment or 
                training provided in the year previous under TSCTP 
                programs, and where applicable, the ability to maintain 
                and appropriately utilize such equipment provided;
                    (D) the extent to which each partner country is 
                investing its own resources to advance the goals 
                described in subsection (a)(1) or demonstrated a 
                commitment and willingness to cooperate with the United 
                States to advance such goals; and
                    (E) the actions taken by the government of each 
                partner country receiving assistance through programs 
                coordinated by the TSCTP to combat corruption, improve 
                transparency and accountability, and promote other 
                forms of good governance.
    (d) Form.--The strategy required by subsection (b)(1) and the 
report required by subsection (c)(2) shall be submitted in unclassified 
form but may include a classified annex.
    (e) 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.
                                 <all>