,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fjah  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #f1 #bjah,mr4  
,mc,caul 7for himself and ,mr4 ,keating7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on       
,foreign ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to       
establish an interagency program to     
assist countries in the ,sahel1         
,maghreb1 and adjacent regions of       
,africa to improve immediate and        
long-term capabilities to counter       
terrorist threats1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,trans-,sahara      
,counterterrorism ,partnership ,act of  
#bjah4  #b4 ,trans-,sahara              
,counterterrorism ,partnership  7a7     
,trans-,sahara ,counterterrorism        
,partnership  7#a7 ,establishment ,the  
,secretary of ,state1 in consultation   
with the ,secretary of ,defense and the 
,administrator of the ,united ,states   
,agency for ,international ,development1
 shall establish a partnership1 to be   

known as the ,trans-,sahara             
,counterterrorism ,partnership          
7,,tsctp71 to coordinate all ,united    
,states programs1 projects1 and         
activities in the ,sahel1 ,maghreb1 and 
adjacent regions of ,africa that are    
conducted for any of the following      
purposes3  7,a7 ,to build the capacity  
of foreign military and law enforcement 
entities in such regions to conduct     
counterterrorism operations4  7,b7 ,to  
improve the ability of foreign military 
and law enforcement entities in such    
regions to cooperate on counterterrorism
 efforts4  7,c7 ,to enhance the border  
security capacity of partner countries  
in such regions1 including the ability  
to monitor1 restrain1 and interdict     
terrorist movements4  7,d7 ,to          
strengthen the rule of law in such      
countries1 including access to justice1 
and the ability of the law enforcement  
entities of such partner countries to   
detect1 disrupt1 respond to1            
investigate1 and prosecute terrorist    

activity4  7,e7 ,to monitor and counter 
the financing of terrorism4  7,f7 ,to   
further reduce any opportunities among  
communities in such regions for         
recruitment or incitement for terrorist 
activities through public diplomacy     
efforts1 such as supporting youth       
employment1 promoting meaningful        
participation of women1 strengthening   
local governance and civil society      
capacity1 and improving access to       
education4  7#b7 ,consultation ,in      
coordinating programs through the       
,,tsctp1 the ,secretary of ,state may   
also consult1 as appropriate1 with the  
,director of ,national ,intelligence1   
the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 the    
,attorney ,general1 and the heads of    
other relevant ,federal departments and 
agencies4  7#c7 ,congressional          
notification ,not later than #ae days   
before obligating amounts for an        
activity coordinated by the ,,tsctp     
pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 the         
,secretaries of ,state shall submit a   

notification1 in accordance with the    
requirements of section #fcd;,a of the  
,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb 
,u4,s4,c4 #bcid-a71 that includes the   
following3  7,a7 ,the foreign country   
and entity1 as applicable1 whose        
capabilities are to be enhanced in      
accordance with the purposes specified  
in paragraph 7#a74  7,b7 ,the amount1   
type1 and purpose of support to be      
provided4  7,c7 ,an assessment of the   
capacity of the foreign country or      
entity to absorb the training or        
equipment to be provided4  7,d7 ,the    
estimated cost1 implementation timeline1
 and delivery schedule for assistance4  
7,e7 ,a description of the arrangements 
to sustain any equipment provided by the
 activity beyond the completion date of 
such activity1 if applicable1 and the   
estimated cost and source of funds to   
support such sustainment4  7,f7 ,the    
amount1 type1 statutory authorization1  
and purpose of any ,united ,states      
assistance provided to such foreign     

country during the three preceding      
fiscal years4  7b7 ,comprehensive       
strategy for counterterrorism efforts   
7#a7 ,development ,not later than #ij   
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in     
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,defense and the ,administrator of the  
,united ,states ,agency for             
,international ,development1 shall      
submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a comprehensive1 interagency 
strategy that--  7,a7 highlights the    
desired end states1 strategic           
objectives1 and sub-objectives for the  
,united ,states counterterrorism effort 
in the ,sahel1 ,maghreb1 and adjacent   
regions of ,africa with respect to the  
use of all forms of ,united ,states     
assistance to counter violent extremism2
 and  7,b7 includes a plan by the       
,secretary of ,state for the manner in  
which programs shall be coordinated by  
the ,,tsctp pursuant to subsection      
7a77#a74  7#b7 ,supporting material in  

annual budget request ,the ,secretary of
 ,state shall include1 in the budget    
materials submitted in support of the   
budget of the ,president 7submitted to  
,congress pursuant to section #aaje of  
title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code7 for   
each fiscal year beginning after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1 a   
description of the requirements1        
activities1 and planned allocation of   
amounts requested by the ,,tsctp4  7#c7 
,form ,the report required by paragraph 
7#a7 and each description required under
 paragraph 7#b7 shall be submitted in   
unclassified form but may include a     
classified annex4  7c7 ,assessment1     
monitoring1 and evaluation of programs  
and activities  7#a7 ,monitoring and    
evaluation ,the ,secretary of ,state1 in
 consultation with the ,secretary of    
,defense and the ,administrator of the  
,united ,states ,agency for             
,international ,development1 shall      
conduct rigorously assess1 monitor1 and 
evaluate programs coordinated by the    

,,tsctp pursuant to subsection 7a77#a7  
including by the following3  7,a7       
,initial assessments of partner         
capability requirements1 potential      
programmatic risks1 baseline            
information1 and indicators of efficacy 
for purposes of planning1 monitoring1   
and evaluation of the programs and      
activities coordinated by the ,,tsctp4  
7,b7 ,evaluations of the efficiency and 
effectiveness of such programs and      
activities4  7,c7 ,monitoring           
implementation of such programs and     
activities with respect to the stated   
objectives outlined in the strategy     
required under subsection 7b77#a74  7,d7
 ,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 ,,tsctp4  7#b7 ,best  
practices requirements ,the ongoing     
assessment required under paragraph 7#a7
 shall be conducted in accordance with  

the best practices described in section 
#chc7;b77#b7 of title #aj1 ,united      
,states ,code4  7#c7 ,reports  7,a7     
,reports to ,congress ,for the #e-year  
period beginning on the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,state shall submit to the           
appropriate congressional committees an 
annual report on the findings of the    
ongoing assessment required by paragraph
 7#a7 during the previous fiscal year4  
,each report shall include1 with respect
 to such previous year1 the following3  
7i7 ,a description of all activities    
coordinated by the ,,tsctp pursuant to  
subsection 7a77#a74  7ii7 ,an evaluation
 of the lessons learned and best        
practices identified in accordance with 
paragraph 7#b74  7iii7 ,an analysis of  
major actions taken by the government of
 each foreign country receiving         
assistance coordinated by the ,,tsctp to
 combat corruption1 improve transparency
 and accountability1 and promote other  
forms of good governance such as those  

described in section #acc of the        
,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb 
,u4,s4,c4 #baeb;c7 7relating to programs
 to encourage good governance74  7,b7   
,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 7#a71   
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      
country4  7,c7 ,form ,the report        
required by subparagraph 7,a7 shall be  
submitted in unclassified form but may  
include a classified annex4  7d7        
,appropriate congressional committees   
defined ,in this section1 the term      
appropriate congressional committees    
means--  7#a7 the ,committee on ,armed  
,services1 the ,committee on ,foreign   
,affairs1 the ,committee on             

,appropriations1 and the ,permanent     
,select ,committee on ,intelligence of  
the ,house of ,representatives2 and     
7#b7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1
 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 
the ,committee on ,appropriations1 and  
the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence 
of the ,senate4