Securing the Integrity of Ethics in Government Act

Bill: 118-hr-9499
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2]
Introduced: 2024-09-09
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-09
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9499 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 9, 2024 Mr. Burchett (for himself and Mr. McCaul ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To require the United States Agency for Global Media to verify the authenticity of foreign academic credentials purported to be held by prospective and existing employees of the Agency, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing the Integrity of Ethics in Government Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Advisory Board The term Advisory Board means the International Broadcasting Advisory Board as described in section 306 of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 ( 22 U.S.C. 6205 ). (2) Agency The term Agency means the United States Agency for Global Media. (3) Credential evaluation service The term credential evaluation service means an organization that is— (A) a member organization of— (i) the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services; or (ii) the Association of International Credentials Evaluators; and (B) has as its primary purpose the evaluation and validation of academic credentials. (4) Foreign academic credential The term foreign academic credential means a credential awarded for the completion of an undergraduate or a graduate-level course of study at a postsecondary educational institution located outside the United States. 3. Documentation requirements (a) In general Beginning on the effective date of this Act, the Agency may not appoint an individual who purports to have a foreign academic credential (as described in subsection (c)) to a position in the Agency higher than GS–11 (or the equivalent), including a position for which such credential is not required, unless, prior to such appointment, the Agency obtains— (1) (A) a written evaluation from a credential evaluation service that includes— (i) verification that the foreign academic credential was earned by the individual at a postsecondary educational institution outside the United States; (ii) the name of the institution that awarded the credential; (iii) the type of credential earned by the individual; (iv) the academic subject matter to which the credential pertains; (v) an analysis indicating whether the foreign academic credential is comparable to a type of academic credential awarded by postsecondary educational institutions in the United States and, if so, which type of domestically awarded credential is most comparable to the foreign academic credential; (vi) an explanation of the processes and standards used by the credential evaluation service to determine the validity and comparability of the foreign academic credential under clauses (i) and (v), respectively; (vii) a statement confirming that the standards and processes used to evaluate the comparability of the foreign academic credential under clause (v) followed the relevant guidelines of the International Education Standards Council; and (viii) an assurance confirming that the credential evaluation service— (I) inspected all documentation submitted to the service in connection with the service’s evaluation of the foreign academic credential; and (II) did not find any evidence of fraud, forgery, or other material irregularities in such documentation; and (B) documentation, such as an academic transcript or diploma, demonstrating that the individual completed all requirements necessary to obtain the foreign academic credential, which shall— (i) be provided directly to the Agency by the postsecondary educational institution that issued the credential; and (ii) be certified as authentic by an official of the institution authorized to issue such documentation; or (2) alternative documentation, obtained directly from the Government of the foreign country with jurisdiction over the institution that awarded the credential, demonstrating the validity of the credential. (b) Verification of foreign academic credentials for existing employees (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the effective date of this Act, the Agency shall obtain the documentation described in subsection (a)(1) or the alternative documentation described in subsection (a)(2) with respect to each foreign academic credential purported to be held (as described in subsection (c)) by an individual in a position in the Agency that is higher than GS–11. (2) Penalty The Agency shall take appropriate disciplinary action with respect to an individual described in paragraph (1) in the event the Agency is unable to obtain the documentation required under such paragraph for a foreign academic credential purported to be held by such individual. (c) Rule of applicability The requirements under subsections (a) and (b) shall apply with respect to foreign academic credentials that are— (1) disclosed in the application or other materials received by the Agency in connection with the hiring of an individual; or (2) otherwise noted in the employment record of an individual. (d) Alternative documentation procedures The Agency shall seek to establish procedures, in consultation with appropriate officials of foreign Governments, through which the Agency may obtain the alternative documentation described in subsection (a)(2)(A). 4. Overtime payments (a) In general The Agency shall— (1) record all overtime pay paid to— (A) employees of the Agency; and (B) contractors of the Agency; and (2) establish a system to track such overtime pay as a result of expiring compensatory time off. (b) Notice and approval The supervisor of an employee claiming overtime work in excess of the guidelines of the Agency or overtime pay with respect to expiring compensatory time off may not approve such overtime work or overtime pay unless such supervisor submits a request for approval to, and such request is approved by, the Chief Management Officer of the Agency or such other officer designated by the Agency. 5. Review of United States international broadcasting Section 306(d) of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 ( 22 U.S.C. 6205(d) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (6)(B), by striking and at the end; (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (8) convene biannually to conduct a review of United States Agency for Global Media affiliate and grantee broadcasting activities and, when not less than three Advisory Board members find a violation of the broadcasting standards and principles listed under section 303 pursuant to such a review, submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report describing each such violation. . 6. Special Investigator for certain matters relating to the Agency (a) In general Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this Act, the Chair of the Advisory Board shall appoint a Special Investigator to submit the report required by subsection (a). The individual appointed as Special Investigator shall have expertise in human resources, labor management, credentials screening, and oversight and accountability. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this Act, the Special Investigator shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on— (1) the adequacy of the Agency’s hiring and employee vetting processes; (2) the efficacy and feasibility of establishing an Office of Inspector General at the Agency; (3) its recommendations with respect to the findings under paragraphs (1) and (2); (4) a fiscal and administrative cost-benefit analysis of establishing an independent Office of Inspector General within the Agency; (5) an evaluation of the adequacy of the Department of State’s Office of Inspector General for oversight and accountability purposes at the Agency, with particular attention to investigation of matters potentially criminal in nature; (6) a review of all incidents pertaining to, inter alia, fraud, misconduct, malfeasance, misstatements, misrepresentations, and security breaches at the Agency since January 1, 2019, and any disciplinary actions taken with respect to them; (7) an overview of the Department of State and the Agency’s responsibilities regarding personnel and whistleblower complaints, with particular focus on areas for improvement; (8) a determination as to whether the Agency has adequately coordinated with the Department of State regarding personnel misconduct and whistleblower complaints; (9) the circumstances under which the Department of State refers whistleblower complaints to the Agency; (10) any circumstances under which the Department of State is involved in Agency hiring decisions, including the Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security verifying Agency job applicants’ foreign education credentials; and (11) an assessment of the Department of State and the Agency’s security clearance process, including outsourcing to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. 7. Effective date This Act takes effect on January 1, 2025.