[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5274 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5274

    To promote international exchanges on best election practices, 
cultivate more secure democratic institutions around the world, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 2018

   Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Price of North 
  Carolina, and Mr. Roskam) introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To promote international exchanges on best election practices, 
cultivate more secure democratic institutions around the world, 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 ``Global Electoral Exchange Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) recent elections globally have illustrated the urgent 
        need for the promotion and exchange of international best 
        election practices, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity, 
        results transmission, transparency of electoral data, election 
        dispute resolution, and the elimination of discriminatory 
        registration practices and other electoral irregularities;
            (2) the advancement of democracy worldwide promotes 
        American interests, as stable democracies provide new market 
        opportunities, improve global health outcomes, and promote 
        economic freedom and regional security;
            (3) credible elections are the cornerstone of a healthy 
        democracy and enable all persons to exercise their basic human 
        right to have a say in how they are governed;
            (4) inclusive elections strengthen the credibility and 
        stability of democracies more broadly, as democratic 
        institutions flourish when representative of all groups of 
        society;
            (5) at the heart of a strong election cycle is the 
        professionalism of the election management body and an 
        empowered civil society; and
            (6) the development of local expertise via peer-to-peer 
        learning and exchanges promotes the independence of such bodies 
        from internal and external influence.

SEC. 3. GLOBAL ELECTORAL EXCHANGE.

    (a) Global Electoral Exchange.--The Secretary of State shall 
establish and administer a Global Electoral Exchange Program to promote 
the utilization of sound election administration practices in the 
United States and foreign countries.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Global Electoral Exchange Program 
described in subsection (a) shall include the promotion and exchange of 
international best election practices, including in the areas of 
cybersecurity, results transmission, transparency of electoral data, 
election dispute resolution, the elimination of discriminatory 
registration practices and electoral irregularities, and other sound 
election administration practices.
    (c) Exchange of Electoral Authorities.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State may, in 
        consultation, as appropriate, with the United States Agency for 
        International Development and regionally focused independent 
        agencies, make grants to any United States-based organization 
        described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
        1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code with 
        experience in comparative election systems or subject matter 
        expertise in the areas of election administration or electoral 
        integrity that submits an application in such form, and 
        satisfying such requirements, as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Types of grants.--An organization described in 
        paragraph (1) may receive a grant for one or more of the 
        following purposes:
                    (A) To design and implement programs bringing 
                election administrators and officials, including 
                government officials, polling workers, civil society 
                representatives, members of the judiciary, and others 
                who participate in the organization and administration 
                of an election in a foreign country to the United 
                States to study election procedures in the United 
                States for educational purposes.
                    (B) To design and implement programs taking United 
                States or another country's election administrators and 
                officials, including government officials, polling 
                workers, civil society representatives, members of the 
                judiciary, and others who participate in the 
                organization and administration of elections for public 
                office in the United States or such other countries to 
                foreign countries to study election procedures in such 
                countries for educational purposes.
            (3) Coordination.--The Secretary of State shall coordinate 
        with State and local governments in the United States, in 
        addition to the governments of United States territories, to 
        conduct exchanges under this section and may enter into 
        memorandums of understanding with such governments to guide 
        participation by such governments in the Global Electoral 
        Exchange Program.
            (4) Limits on activities.--Activities administered under 
        the Global Electoral Exchange Program may not--
                    (A) include election observation for the purposes 
                of discussing the validity or legitimacy of an 
                election; or
                    (B) facilitate any advocacy for a certain electoral 
                result by a grantee when participating in the Program.
            (5) Further limits.--A recipient of a grant under the 
        Global Electoral Exchange Program may use such grant for only 
        the purpose for which such grant was awarded, unless otherwise 
        authorized by the Secretary of State.
            (6) Not duplicative.--Grants made under this subsection may 
        not be duplicative of any other grants made under any other 
        provision of law for similar or related purposes.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    (a) Internet.--The Secretary of State shall maintain a publically 
available Department of State website detailing the Global Electoral 
Exchange Program, including a list of grants awarded under the Program 
and the amount awarded in each such grant, each annual report required 
under subsection (c), and other information at the discretion of the 
Secretary.
    (b) Notification of Grants.--Not later than 30 days after each 
grant award under the Global Electoral Exchange Program under section 
3, the Secretary of State shall publish on the website described in 
subsection (a) a summary of such grant, including criteria for 
selecting the grantee and any relevant agreements between the Secretary 
of State and foreign governments, State and local governments in the 
United States, or the governments of United States territories that are 
associated with such grant. The Secretary shall notify the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate of such publication.
    (c) Annual Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act and every year thereafter, the 
        Secretary of State shall publish on the website described in 
        subsection (a) a report on the Global Electoral Exchange 
        Program and notify the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations 
        of the Senate of such report.
            (2) Elements.--The reports required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A summary of all exchanges conducted under the 
                Global Electoral Exchange Program, including criteria 
                used to select grantees.
                    (B) A summary of all memorandum of understandings 
                with States, local governments, and territories in 
                accordance with section 3(c)(3).
    (d) Annual Recommendations.--In conjunction with the annual reports 
required under subsection (c), the Secretary of State may provide 
recommendations for the improvement of the Global Electoral Exchange 
Program, based on the purposes under section 3(b), in a written report 
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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