,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhii  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #af1 
#bjbj,mrs4 ,blackburn 7for herself1 ,mr4
 ,hawley1 ,mr4 ,cramer1 and ,mr4 ,rubio7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was read twice and referred to the      
,committee on ,foreign ,relations  ,a   
,,bill  ,to direct the ,comptroller     
,general of the ,united ,states to      
conduct a study to evaluate the         
activities of sister city partnerships  
operating within the ,united ,states1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,sister ,city ,transparency ,act4  #b4  
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee  
on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2  
7,b7 the ,committee on ,health1         
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the
 ,senate2  7,c7 the ,committee on ,armed
 ,services of the ,senate2  7,d7 the    

,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives2  7,e7 the   
,committee on ,education and ,labor of  
the ,house of ,representatives2 and     
7,f7 the ,committee on ,armed ,services 
of the ,house of ,representatives4  7#b7
 ,foreign community ,the term foreign   
community means any subnational unit of 
government outside of the ,united       
,states4  7#c7 ,sister city partnership 
,the term sister city partnership means 
a formal agreement between a ,united    
,states community and a foreign         
community that-- 7,a7 is recognized by  
,sister ,cities ,international2 and     
7,b7 is operating within the ,united    
,states4  7#d7 ,united ,states community
 ,the term ,united ,states community    
means a ,state1 county1 city1 or other  
unit of local government in the ,united 
,states4  #c4 ,study of sister city     
partnerships operating within the       
,united ,states involving foreign       
communities in countries with           
significant public sector corruption    

7a7 ,in general ,the ,comptroller       
,general of the ,united ,states shall   
conduct a study of the activities of    
sister city partnerships involving      
foreign communities in countries        
receiving a score of #de or less on     
,transparency ,international's #bjai    
,corruption ,perceptions ,index4  7b7   
,elements of the study ,the study       
conducted under subsection 7a7 shall--  
7#a7 identify-- 7,a7 the activities     
conducted within sister city            
partnerships2  7,b7 the economic and    
educational outcomes of such activities2
  7,c7 the types of information that    
sister city partnerships make publicly  
available1 including information        
relating to contracts and activities2   
7,d7 the means by which ,united ,states 
communities safeguard freedom of        
expression within sister city           
partnerships2 and  7,e7 the oversight   
practices that ,united ,states          
communities implement to mitigate the   
risks of foreign espionage and economic 

coercion within sister city             
partnerships2  7#b7 assess-- 7,a7 the   
extent to which ,united ,states         
communities ensure transparency         
regarding sister city partnership       
contracts and activities2  7,b7 the     
extent to which sister city partnerships
 involve economic arrangements that make
 ,united ,states communities vulnerable 
to malign market practices2  7,c7 the   
extent to which sister city partnerships
 involve educational arrangements that  
diminish the freedom of expression2     
7,d7 the extent to which sister city    
partnerships allow foreign nationals to 
access local commercial1 educational1   
and political institutions2  7,e7 the   
extent to which foreign communities     
could use sister city partnerships to   
realize strategic objectives which do   
not conduce to the economic and national
 security interests of the ,united      
,states2  7,f7 the extent to which      
foreign communities could use sister    
city partnerships to conduct malign     

activities1 including academic and      
industrial espionage2 and  7,g7 the     
extent to which ,united ,states         
communities seek to mitigate foreign    
nationals' potentially inappropriate use
 of visa programs to participate in     
activities relating to sister city      
partnerships2 and  7#c7 review-- 7,a7   
the range of activities conducted within
 sister city partnerships1 including    
activities relating to cultural exchange
 and economic development2  7,b7 how    
such activities differ between sister   
city partnerships2 and  7,c7 best       
practices to ensure transparency        
regarding sister city partnerships'     
agreements1 activities1 and employees4  
7c7 ,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later
 than #f months after initiating the    
study required under subsection 7a71 the
 ,comptroller ,general shall submit a   
report to the appropriate congressional 
committees that contains the results of 
such study1 including the findings1     
conclusions1 and recommendations 7if    

any7 of the study4  7#b7 ,form ,the     
report required under paragraph 7#a7 may
 include a classified annex1 if         
necessary4