[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2139 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2139

   To direct the President to develop and implement a comprehensive 
national strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective 
        of promoting global development, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2009

 Mr. Berman (for himself and Mr. Kirk) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the President to develop and implement a comprehensive 
national strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective 
        of promoting global development, 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 ``Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform 
Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Poverty, lack of opportunity, gender inequality and 
        other violations of human rights, and environmental degradation 
        are recognized as significant contributors to socioeconomic and 
        political instability, as well as to the exacerbation of 
        disease pandemics and other global health threats.
            (2) The 2002 National Security Strategy of the United 
        States notes: ``[A] world where some live in comfort and 
        plenty, while half of the human race lives on less than $2 per 
        day, is neither just nor stable. Including all of the world's 
        poor in an expanding circle of development and opportunity is a 
        moral imperative and one of the top priorities of United States 
        international policy.''.
            (3) The 2006 National Security Strategy of the United 
        States notes: ``America's national interests and moral values 
        drive us in the same direction: to assist the world's poor 
        citizens and least developed nations and help integrate them 
        into the global economy.''.
            (4) Poverty reduction is in the United States national 
        security interest, in that it improves United States security 
        by mitigating the underlying causes of violence and extremism, 
        addresses threats like climate change and disease that know no 
        borders, expands economic opportunities for United States 
        producers and consumers, shows the best face of the United 
        States to the world, and represents the values, kindness, and 
        generosity of the American people.
            (5) Elevating the United States' standing in the world 
        represents a critical and essential element of any strategy to 
        improve national and global security by mitigating the root 
        causes of conflict and multinational terrorism, strengthening 
        diplomatic and economic relationships, preventing global 
        climate change, curbing weapons proliferation, and fostering 
        peace and cooperation among all nations.
            (6) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that 
        ``robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-
        term tools for securing America's future''.
            (7) A National Strategy for Global Development, as required 
        under subsection (b), would bring such departments, agencies, 
        and offices together to develop a comprehensive strategy laying 
        out the principal objectives, approaches, and basic framework 
        for global development policies and programs--bilateral and 
        multilateral--as part of broader policies of the United States 
        for engaging in the world.
    (b) Strategy Required.--The President shall develop and implement, 
on an interagency basis, a comprehensive national strategy to further 
the United States foreign policy objective of reducing poverty and 
contributing to broad-based economic growth in developing countries, 
including responding to humanitarian crises. The strategy required 
under this subsection shall be known as the ``National Strategy for 
Global Development''.
    (c) Elements of Strategy.--The strategy required under subsection 
(b) shall support United States engagement with developing countries in 
order to reduce poverty and contribute to broad-based economic growth 
in developing countries and therefore further the achievement of United 
States long-term foreign policy and national security interests. The 
strategy shall further--
            (1) define the role of United States Government departments 
        and agencies in carrying out global development policies and 
        programs, such as trade policies, debt relief, climate change, 
        and other polices and programs to reduce poverty and contribute 
        to broad-based economic growth in developing countries, and 
        create a process to enhance the interagency coordination among 
        such departments and agencies to ensure policy and program 
        coherence and avoid duplication and counterproductive outcomes 
        among such policies and programs;
            (2) establish development objectives for global development 
        policies and programs described in paragraph (1) to reduce 
        poverty and contribute to broad-based economic growth in 
        developing countries consistent with internationally recognized 
        development goals and host country priorities, including cross-
        cutting principles and best practices to ensure that efforts 
        are as effective as possible;
            (3) review and improve coordination among United States 
        Government departments and agencies carrying out global 
        development policies and programs described in paragraph (1) 
        and other countries and organizations, including multilateral, 
        bilateral, and international organizations, host country 
        governments, and civil society organizations, carrying out 
        similar policies and programs to reduce poverty and contribute 
        to broad-based economic growth;
            (4) address the continuum of activities relating to poverty 
        reduction in developing countries, including activities to 
        address humanitarian needs through urgent humanitarian 
        assistance and rehabilitation, reconstruction, and long-term 
        development;
            (5) establish development goals for each geographic region 
        of the world based on the specific needs of each such region; 
        and
            (6) include budget requirements to carry out the strategy.
    (d) Character of Strategy.--In developing the strategy required 
under subsection (b), the President should, to the maximum extent 
practicable, ensure that the strategy is flexible so as to respond to 
changing objectives, approaches, and needs of developing countries and 
changing United States foreign policy and national security interests.
    (e) Consultation.--In developing and implementing the strategy 
required under subsection (b), the President should consult with the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, nongovernmental 
stakeholders, international financial institutions, other international 
organizations involved in humanitarian assistance and development 
efforts, and developing countries.
    (f) Transmission to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the 
        Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
        and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a copy of 
        the strategy required under subsection (b). The strategy shall 
        be transmitted in unclassified form, but may contain a 
        classified annex if necessary.
            (2) Availability to public.--Upon transmission of the 
        strategy to Congress under paragraph (1), the President shall 
        publish the strategy (other than the classified annex, if any) 
        on the White House website.

SEC. 3. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF UNITED STATES FOREIGN ASSISTANCE.

    Chapter 1 of part III of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2351 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 608 the 
following new section:

``SEC. 609. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF UNITED STATES FOREIGN 
              ASSISTANCE.

    ``(a) In General.--The President shall develop and implement a 
rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and 
efficiency of United States foreign assistance. The system shall 
include a method of coordinating the evaluation activities of each 
Federal department or agency primarily responsible for carrying out 
United States foreign assistance programs with evaluation activities 
carried out by other such Federal departments and agencies, and when 
possible with other international bilateral and multilateral agencies 
and entities.
    ``(b) Requirements.--In carrying out subsection (a), the President 
shall ensure that the head of each Federal department or agency 
described in subsection (a)--
            ``(1) establishes measurable performance goals, including 
        gender-sensitive goals, for United States foreign assistance 
        programs carried out by the Federal department or agency;
            ``(2) establishes criteria for selection of such United 
        States foreign assistance programs to be subject to various 
        evaluation methodologies, with particular emphasis on criteria 
        for selection of programs and projects to be subject to impact 
        evaluation;
            ``(3) establishes an organization unit with adequate staff 
        and funding to budget, plan, and conduct appropriate 
        performance monitoring and improvement and evaluation 
        activities with respect to such United States foreign 
        assistance programs;
            ``(4) establishes a process for applying the lessons 
        learned and results from evaluation activities, including the 
        use and results of impact evaluation research, into future 
        budgeting, planning, programming, design and implementation of 
        such United States foreign assistance programs; and
            ``(5) establishes a policy to publish all evaluation plans 
        and reports relating to such United States foreign assistance 
        programs.
    ``(c) Annual Evaluation Plan.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
        President shall ensure that the head of each Federal department 
        or agency described in subsection (a) develops an annual 
        evaluation plan of United States foreign assistance programs 
        carried out by the department or agency stating how the 
        department or agency will meet the requirements of this 
        section.
            ``(2) Consultation.--In preparing the evaluation plan, the 
        head of each Federal department or agency described in 
        subsection (a) shall consult with the heads of other 
        appropriate Federal departments and agencies, governments of 
        host countries, international and indigenous nongovernmental 
        organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
            ``(3) Submission to congress.--Not later than 180 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually 
        thereafter, the head of each Federal department or agency 
        described in subsection (a) shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees and the United States foreign 
        assistance evaluation advisory council established under 
        subsection (h) a copy of the evaluation plan.
    ``(d) Capacity Building.--
            ``(1) For federal departments and agencies.--The President 
        shall enhance the performance monitoring and improvement and 
        evaluation capacity of each Federal department and agency 
        described in subsection (a) by increasing and improving 
        training and education opportunities, including adopting best 
        practices and up-to-date evaluation methodologies to provide 
        the best evidence available for assessing the results of United 
        States foreign assistance programs.
            ``(2) For recipient countries.--The President is authorized 
        to provide assistance to increase the capacity of the 
        governments of countries receiving United States foreign 
        assistance to design and conduct performance monitoring and 
        improvement and evaluation activities.
    ``(e) Budgetary Planning.--The head of each Federal department or 
agency described in subsection (a) shall include in the annual budget 
of the department or agency a funding amount to conduct performance 
monitoring and improvement and evaluations of United States foreign 
assistance programs, projects, or activities.
    ``(f) United States Foreign Assistance Evaluation Advisory 
Council.--
            ``(1) In general.--The President shall establish a United 
        States foreign assistance evaluation advisory council to--
                    ``(A) provide guidance on the conduct of 
                evaluations for United States foreign assistance 
                programs, projects, and activities;
                    ``(B) facilitate publication of common indicators 
                to be used for measuring the outcomes and impacts of 
                United States foreign assistance;
                    ``(C) facilitate publication of best practices 
                reports for different types of United States foreign 
                assistance; and
                    ``(D) provide advice in the planning and 
                coordination of United States foreign assistance 
                evaluation to avoid duplication of efforts.
            ``(2) Membership.--The advisory council shall be composed 
        of not less than 7 members appointed by the President from 
        among private individuals who are familiar and experienced in 
        monitoring and evaluating foreign assistance programs, with at 
        least 2 members having specialized expertise in outcome and 
        impact evaluation methodologies.
            ``(3) Chairperson.--The chairperson of the advisory council 
        shall be designated by the President at the time of 
        appointment.
            ``(4) Term.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each member shall be appointed 
                for a term of 4 years, except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a 
                vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term 
                for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall 
                be appointed for the remainder of that term and may be 
                appointed for an additional term of 4 years.
            ``(5) Meetings.--The advisory council shall meet not less 
        than four times each year. The chairperson of the advisory 
        council shall call a meeting of the advisory council upon 
        request by four or more members of the advisory council. The 
        meetings of the advisory council shall be made open to the 
        public and minutes, comments, reports and other related 
        documents shall be published in the Federal Register in a 
        timely fashion.
            ``(6) Termination.--Section 14(a)(2) of the Federal 
        Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.; relating to the 
        termination of advisory committees) shall not apply to the 
        advisory council.
            ``(7) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of 
        the enactment of this section, and every two years thereafter, 
        the advisory council shall prepare and submit to the President 
        and the appropriate congressional committees a report that 
        summarizes the activities of the advisory council, including 
        the advisory council's assessment of the performance monitoring 
        and improvement and evaluation programs of each Federal 
        department or agency described in subsection (a).
    ``(g) Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date 
        of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the 
        President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional 
        committees a report on--
                    ``(A) the use of funds to carry out evaluations 
                under this section;
                    ``(B) the status and results of evaluations under 
                this section; and
                    ``(C) the use of results and lessons learned from 
                evaluations under this section, including actions taken 
                in response to recommendations included in current and 
                previous evaluations, such as the improvement or 
                continuation of a program, project, or activity.
            ``(2) Publication.--The report shall also be published in 
        the Federal Register and made available on the public website 
        of each Federal department or agency described in subsection 
        (a).
    ``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        `appropriate congressional committees' means the Committee on 
        Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
            ``(2) Evaluation; outcome and impact evaluation.--
                    ``(A) Evaluation.--The term `evaluation' means the 
                systematic and objective determination and assessment 
                of the design, implementation, and results of an on-
                going or completed program, project, or activity.
                    ``(B) Outcome and impact evaluation.--The term 
                `outcome and impact evaluation' means an assessment of 
                the impact and outcome of the outputs of a program, 
                project, or activity.
            ``(3) Impact evaluation research.--The term `impact 
        evaluation research' means the application of research methods 
        and statistical analysis to measure the extent to which change 
        in a population-based outcome or impact can be attributed to 
        United States program, project, or activity intervention 
        instead of other environmental factors, including change in 
        political climate and other donor assistance.
            ``(4) Impacts.--The term `impacts' means the positive and 
        negative, direct and indirect, intended and unintended long-
        term effects produced by a program, project, or activity.
            ``(5) Outcomes.--The term `outcomes' means the likely or 
        achieved immediate and intermediate effects of the outputs of a 
        program, project, or activity.
            ``(6) Outputs.--The term `outputs' means--
                    ``(A) the products, capital, goods, and services 
                that result from a program, project, or activity; or
                    ``(B) the changes resulting from the program, 
                project, or activity that are relevant to the 
                achievement of outcomes.
            ``(7) Results.--The term `results' means the positive or 
        negative, direct or indirect, intended or unintended outputs, 
        outcomes, and impacts of a program, project, or activity.
            ``(8) Performance monitoring and improvement.--The term 
        `performance monitoring and improvement' means a continuous 
        process of collecting, analyzing, and using data to compare how 
        well a program, project, or activity is being implemented 
        against expected results and program costs and to make 
        appropriate improvements accordingly.
            ``(9) United states foreign assistance.--The term `United 
        States foreign assistance' means--
                    ``(A) assistance authorized under this Act; and
                    ``(B) assistance authorized under any other 
                provision of law that is classified under budget 
                function 150 (International Affairs).
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--Of the amounts authorized to be 
        appropriated for each United States foreign assistance program 
        for each of the fiscal years 2010 and 2011, not less than 5 
        percent of such amounts are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section for such fiscal year.
            ``(2) Availability.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out this section for a fiscal year are in addition to 
        amounts otherwise available for such purposes.''.

SEC. 4. TRANSPARENCY OF UNITED STATES FOREIGN ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
American taxpayers and recipients of United States foreign assistance 
should, to the maximum extent practicable, have full access to 
information on United States foreign assistance.
    (b) Information Available to Public.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall publish in the Federal 
        Register and make publicly available on the websites of 
        appropriate Federal departments and agencies comprehensive, 
        timely, comparable, and accessible information on United States 
        foreign assistance a detailed program-by-program basis and 
        country-by-country basis.
            (2) Scope.--To ensure transparency, accountability, and 
        effectiveness of United States foreign assistance, the 
        information on United States foreign assistance published and 
        made available under paragraph (1) shall include planning, 
        allocations and disbursement, terms, contracting, monitoring, 
        and evaluation elements with respect to activities carried out 
        under such United States foreign assistance.
            (3) Availability to be in timely manner.--The President 
        shall direct the head of each Federal department and agency 
        providing United States foreign assistance to ensure that the 
        information required under this subsection shall be made 
        available in a timely manner.
    (c) Multilateral Efforts.--In order to best assess the use and 
impact of United States foreign assistance in relation to funding 
provided by other donor nations and recipient countries, the President 
should fully engage with and participate in the International Aid 
Transparency Initiative, established on September 4, 2008, at the Accra 
High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``United States foreign 
assistance'' has the meaning given the term in section 609(h) of the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as added by section 3 of this Act).

SEC. 5. REPEALS OF OBSOLETE AUTHORIZATIONS OF ASSISTANCE; CONFORMING 
              AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Repeals.--The following provisions of the Foreign Assistance 
Act of 1961 are hereby repealed:
            (1) Section 125 (22 U.S.C. 2151w; relating to general 
        development assistance).
            (2) Section 219 (22 U.S.C. 2179; relating to prototype 
        desalting plant).
            (3) Title V of chapter 2 of part I (22 U.S.C. 2201; 
        relating to disadvantaged children in Asia).
            (4) Section 466 (22 U.S.C. 2286; relating to debt-for-
        nature exchanges pilot program for sub-Saharan Africa).
            (5) Sections 494, 495, and 495B through 495K (22 U.S.C. 
        2292c, 2292f, and 2292h through 2292q; relating to certain 
        international disaster assistance authorities).
            (6) Section 546 (22 U.S.C. 2347c; relating to certain 
        international military education and training authorities).
            (7) Section 638(b) (22 U.S.C. 2398(b); relating to 
        exclusions).
            (8) Section 648 (22 U.S.C. 2407; relating to certain 
        miscellaneous provisions).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Section 135 of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2152h) is amended by striking 
``section 135'' and inserting ``section 136.''
    (2) Section 638 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2398) is amended by striking ``(a) No provision'' and inserting ``No 
provision''.
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