Bill Summary
The "Congressional Office for International Leadership Accountability and Reform Act of 2026" establishes a new charter for the Congressional Office for International Leadership, aimed at fostering nonpartisan connections between Congress and emerging leaders from eligible foreign nations through exchange programs and grassroots diplomacy. The Office will be overseen by a Board of Trustees comprising members from both the House and Senate, along with private individuals committed to enhancing U.S.-foreign relations. Key provisions include the appointment of an Executive Director to manage operations, the implementation of a grant program for hosting foreign leaders, and strict financial oversight measures, including annual audits. The legislation outlines the procedures for grant disbursement, requiring organizations to report any changes in application information, and mandates the Executive Director to keep Congress informed about funded activities. Additionally, it establishes the Congressional Office for International Leadership Fund, detailing its management and support from the Library of Congress. Transition provisions are included to ensure continuity for current Board members and the Executive Director. This Act aims to enhance diplomatic relationships while strictly adhering to nonpartisanship, and it will take effect upon enactment.
Possible Impacts
1. **Emerging Leaders from Foreign States**: Individuals from eligible foreign states will benefit from the exchange programs facilitated by the Congressional Office for International Leadership. These programs will provide them with opportunities to engage in grassroots diplomacy and develop their leadership skills through interactions with U.S. Congress members, fostering stronger international relationships.
2. **Grant Recipients and Organizations**: Organizations that apply for grants through the Office will be required to adhere to strict reporting and oversight guidelines. This means that they will need to detail how they utilize the funds and the activities they conduct, ensuring transparency and accountability in their operations. This oversight can lead to improved management practices and greater trust in the organizations involved.
3. **U.S. Congress Members**: Members of Congress will have a structured platform for engaging with foreign leaders, enhancing their ability to foster diplomatic relationships. The establishment of the Board of Trustees and the appointment of an Executive Director will ensure that these interactions remain nonpartisan, allowing Congress members to collaborate effectively on international issues while upholding the integrity of their legislative responsibilities.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8139 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8139
To establish a new charter for the Congressional Office for
International Leadership.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2026
Mr. Huizenga (for himself and Mrs. Bice) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a new charter for the Congressional Office for
International Leadership.
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 ``Congressional Office for
International Leadership Accountability and Reform Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. REFORM OF CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE FOR INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP
CHARTER.
Section 313 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001 (2
U.S.C. 1151), is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 313 CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE FOR INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the legislative
branch of the Government an office known as the `Congressional Office
for International Leadership' (in this section referred to as the
`Office').
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Office is to support the
Congress in a nonpartisan manner with core missions--
``(1) to foster connections between the Congress and
emerging political, civic, and professional leaders of eligible
foreign states by administering exchange programs to help the
leaders build lasting relationships with the Congress and
American communities; and
``(2) to serve as a bridge between the Congress and
emerging political, civic, and professional leaders of eligible
foreign states by facilitating direct dialogue on American
foreign policy, legislative developments, and key policy issues
through grassroots diplomacy.
``(c) Board of Trustees.--
``(1) Composition.--The Office shall be subject to the
supervision and direction of a Board of Trustees (in this
section referred to as the `Board') composed of the following
12 members:
``(A) Two Members of the House of Representatives
appointed by the Speaker, one of whom shall be
designated by the Majority Leader of the House of
Representatives and one of whom shall be designated by
the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
``(B) Two Senators appointed by the President pro
tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated
by the Majority Leader of the Senate and one of whom
shall be designated by the Minority Leader of the
Senate.
``(C) The chairman and ranking minority member of
the Committee on House Administration of the House of
Representatives.
``(D) The chairman and ranking minority member of
the Committee on Rules and Administration of the
Senate.
``(E) Four private individuals, with interests in
improving relations between the United States and
eligible foreign states, who shall be appointed by the
Executive Director of the Office, with the approval of
the chairman of the Committee on House Administration
of the House of Representatives and the chairman of the
Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate,
without regard to civil service laws and political
affiliation.
``(2) Term.--Each member appointed under subparagraph (A),
(B), or (E) of paragraph (1) shall serve a renewable term of 3
years.
``(3) Quorum.--A majority of the members appointed to the
Board shall constitute a quorum.
``(4) Vacancies.--A vacancy with respect to a member, other
than a member appointed under subparagraph (C) or (D) of
paragraph (1), shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointment, and the individual so appointed shall
serve for the remainder of the term.
``(5) Expenses.--The members of the Board shall serve
without pay, but each member shall be entitled to reimbursement
for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred
in the performance of the duties of the Board, in accordance
with chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
``(d) Eligible Foreign States.--
``(1) In general.--The Board shall decide from time to time
on the designation of a country as an `eligible foreign state'
or the removal of such designation.
``(2) Notice to congressional committees.--The Board shall
provide written notice to the Subcommittee on Legislative
Branch of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch of
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate of a decision
under paragraph (1) not later than 90 days before the decision
takes effect.
``(e) Executive Director.--
``(1) In general.--There shall be an Executive Director of
the Office who shall be the chief executive officer of the
Office and who shall carry out the functions of the Office,
subject to the supervision and direction of the Board, without
political or partisan bias.
``(2) Appointment; removal.--The House and Senate
leadership shall appoint, and may remove, the Executive
Director of the Office, without regard to political affiliation
and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the
Executive Director, only on the recommendation of the
appointment or removal by the members of the Board described in
subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subsection (c)(1).
``(3) Term.--The Executive Director of the Office shall
serve a renewable term of 6 years, to begin from the date of
the appointment of the Executive Director.
``(4) Pay.--The Executive Director of the Office shall
receive compensation at the annual rate specified by the Board,
which may not exceed level III of the Executive Schedule under
section 5314 of title 5, United States Code.
``(5) Deputy director.--The Executive Director of the
Office shall appoint a Deputy Director, without regard to
political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to
perform the duties of the office, who shall act as the
Executive Director during the absence or incapacity of the
Executive Director or a vacancy in the office of the Executive
Director and perform such other duties assigned to the Deputy
Director by the Executive Director, but the House and Senate
leadership may appoint the Deputy Director, on the
recommendation of the appointment by members of the Board
described in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subsection (c)(1), if
a vacancy arises with respect to the office of the Deputy
Director and more than 120 days have elapsed since--
``(A) the initial appointment of the Executive
Director of the Office; and
``(B) the creation of the vacancy.
``(6) House and senate leadership defined.--In this
subsection, the term `House and Senate leadership' means the
following:
``(A) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
``(B) The Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives.
``(C) The Majority Leader of the Senate.
``(D) The Minority Leader of the Senate.
``(f) Administrative Provisions.--
``(1) Personnel.--The Executive Director of the Office may
appoint and fix the compensation of such personnel as may be
necessary to carry out the functions of the Office, except that
in no case shall employees other than the Executive Director be
compensated at a rate to exceed the maximum rate for employees
in grade GS-15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of
title 5, United States Code.
``(2) Experts and consultants.--The Executive Director of
the Office may procure temporary and intermittent services of
experts and consultants as are necessary to the extent
authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but
at rates not to exceed the rate specified at the time of such
service for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section
5314 of title 5, United States Code.
``(3) Regulations.--The Executive Director of the Office
may prescribe such regulations as the Executive Director
considers necessary governing the manner in which the functions
of the Office shall be carried out.
``(4) Receiving and using gifts.--The Executive Director of
the Office may solicit and receive money and other property
donated, bequeathed, or devised to the Office, without
condition or restriction other than the money or other property
to be used for the purposes of the Office, and to use, sell, or
otherwise dispose of such property for the purpose of carrying
out the functions of the Office.
``(5) Noncompensated personnel.--The Executive Director of
the Office may accept and utilize the services of voluntary and
noncompensated personnel and reimburse such personnel for
expenses in accordance with chapter 57 of title 5, United
States Code.
``(6) Contracts.--The Executive Director of the Office may
enter into contracts, grants, or other arrangements to carry
out the provisions of this section, and the Executive Director
may enter into such contracts, grants, or other arrangements
without performance or other bonds or without regard to section
6101 of title 41, United States Code, with the concurrence of
two-thirds of the members of the Board.
``(7) Official expenses.--The Executive Director of the
Office may make expenditures for--
``(A) official reception and representation
expenses; and
``(B) expenditures for meals, entertainment, and
refreshments in connection with official training
sessions or other programs or activities conducted by
the Office.
``(8) Additional funding sources.--The Executive Director
of the Office may apply for, receive, and use for the purposes
of the Office grants or other assistance from Federal sources.
``(9) Necessary expenditures.--The Executive Director of
the Office may make other necessary expenditures.
``(10) Nonpartisan service.--The personnel of the Office
shall carry out the duties and responsibilities with respect to
the Office without partisan bias.
``(11) Reporting of finances.--For each fiscal year, the
Executive Director of the Office shall--
``(A) prepare an audited financial statement for
the preceding fiscal year, which shall--
``(i) cover all accounts and associated
activities of the Office; and
``(ii) reflect the overall financial
position of the Office, including assets and
liabilities of the Office, and the results of
the operations of the Office;
``(B) appoint an independent external auditor who
shall, in accordance with applicable generally accepted
government auditing standards--
``(i) carry out an audit of the financial
statement described in subparagraph (A); and
``(ii) submit a report of the audit to the
Executive Director of the Office and the
Comptroller General; and
``(C) submit to the Committee on House
Administration of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate the
audited financial statement and the report.
``(12) Audited financial statements.--
``(A) In general.--For each fiscal year, the
Executive Director of the Office shall prepare and
submit to the Committee on House Administration of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and
Administration of the Senate an audited financial
statement for the preceding fiscal year, covering all
accounts and associated activities of the Office.
``(B) Contents of financial statement.--An audited
financial statement under this paragraph shall
reflect--
``(i) the overall financial position of the
activities covered by the statement, including
assets and liabilities thereof; and
``(ii) results of operations of those
activities.
``(C) Audit by independent external auditor.--A
financial statement under this paragraph shall be
audited in accordance with applicable generally
accepted government auditing standards by an
independent external auditor appointed by the Executive
Director of the Office.
``(D) Submission of audit report by auditor.--The
auditor appointed under subparagraph (C) to audit a
financial statement under this paragraph shall submit a
report on the audit, which shall be prepared in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards, to the Executive Director of the Office and
the Comptroller General.
``(E) GAO review.--The Comptroller General of the
United States--
``(i) may review any audit of a financial
statement conducted under this subsection;
``(ii) shall report to the Executive
Director of the Office, the Committee on House
Administration of the House of Representatives,
and the Committee on Rules and Administration
of the Senate, regarding the results of the
review and make any recommendation that the
Comptroller General considers appropriate; and
``(iii) may audit a financial statement
prepared under this paragraph at the discretion
of the Comptroller General or at the request of
the Committee on House Administration of the
House of Representatives or the Committee on
Rules and Administration of the Senate.
``(F) Regulations.--The Comptroller General may
prescribe regulations to carry out this paragraph and
include in such regulations any requirement in chapter
35 of title 31, United States Code, that the
Comptroller General considers appropriate.
``(g) Grant Program.--
``(1) In general.--To carry out the purpose described in
subsection (b), the Office shall award grants to government or
community organizations in the United States to host emerging
political or civic leaders at any level of government who are
nationals of eligible foreign states (in this subsection
referred to as `program participants') in the United States.
``(2) Duration of stay in the united states.--A recipient
of a grant under this subsection may not host a program
participant in the United States for not more than 30 days for
each calendar year.
``(3) Limitation.--The Office shall ensure that grant funds
under this subsection shall support not more than 3,500 program
participants in any calendar year.
``(4) Permissible uses of grant funds.--Grant funds under
this subsection may be used to pay--
``(A) the costs and expenses incurred by a program
participant for travel in the United States and between
an eligible foreign state and the United States;
``(B) the costs for the lodging of a program
participant in the United States, whether such lodging
is provided through public accommodations or private
homes; and
``(C) administrative expenses incurred by a
recipient of a grant under this subsection to host a
program participant.
``(5) Applications.--An organization in the United States
may submit to the Office, at such time and in such manner as
the Office may reasonably require, an application for a grant
under this subsection that includes the following information,
for each funding period for which the organization requests
grant funds in the application:
``(A) A calendar of proposed events or activities
sponsored by the organization for the benefit of
program participants for the funding period that
includes the location and a description of each such
proposed event or activity.
``(B) The number and proposed qualifications of
program participants hosted using the grant funds.
``(C) Assurances that the organization will address
any concern raised by the Office or the Board to
support the Congress without partisan bias.
``(D) Any such other assurances and other
information as the Office may reasonably require.
``(6) Board review.--The Board may review the decision of
the Executive Director of the Office to approve or deny the
disbursal of grant funds with respect to a funding period based
on an application submitted pursuant to paragraph (5) and
direct the Executive Director of the Office to reconsider the
decision.
``(7) Changes to application information.--An organization
that submits an application pursuant to paragraph (5) shall
submit to the Office any changes to the information in the
application at such time and in such manner as the Office may
reasonably require, and the Board may review the decision of
the Executive Director of the Office with respect to the
application in light of such changes.
``(8) Funding period.--The funding period referred to in
this subsection shall be a quarter of a calendar year, unless
the Executive Director of the Office specifies another period
with the approval of the Board.
``(9) Notice to congress.--The Executive Director of the
Office shall take reasonable measures to provide written notice
to each Member of the House of Representatives and Senator of
each event or activity funded under this subsection located in
the congressional district of the Member and the State of the
Senator, not later than 30 days before the event or activity.
``(10) Reports.--
``(A) By grant recipients.--Not later than 30 days
after the end of a calendar year, a recipient of a
grant under this subsection for the calendar year shall
submit to the Office, at such time and in such manner
as the Office may reasonably require, a report
containing a description of--
``(i) the events or activities sponsored by
the recipient;
``(ii) the use of the grant funds; and
``(iii) such other information as required
by the Office.
``(B) By the executive director.--Not later than 90
days after the end of a calendar year, the Executive
Director of the Office shall submit to the Committee on
House Administration of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the
Senate a report containing a summary of the reports
submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) with respect to
the calendar year.
``(h) Congressional Office for International Leadership Fund.--
``(1) In general.--There is established in the Treasury of
the United States a trust fund known as the `Congressional
Office for International Leadership Fund' (in this section
referred to as the `Fund'), which shall consist of amounts
which may be appropriated, credited, or transferred to the Fund
under this section.
``(2) Donations.--Any money or other property donated,
bequeathed, or devised to the Office shall be credited to the
Fund.
``(3) Management.--
``(A) In general.--The provisions of subsections
(b), (c), and (d) of section 116 of the Legislative
Branch Appropriations Act, 1989 (2 U.S.C. 1105(b), (c),
and (d)), and the provisions of section 117(b) of such
Act (2 U.S.C. 1106(b)), shall apply to the Fund and the
Office.
``(B) Expenditures.--The Secretary of the Treasury
is authorized to pay to the Office from amounts in the
Fund such sums as the Board determines are necessary
and appropriate to enable the Office to carry out the
provisions of this section.
``(i) Support From the Library of Congress.--The Librarian of
Congress shall provide to the Office such office and meeting space and
such administrative, legal, financial management, and other services
required for the operation of the Office, including the disbursement of
funds appropriated to the Office, and collect from the Fund the full
costs of providing the services under this paragraph, as provided under
an agreement for services ordered under sections 1535 and 1536 of title
31, United States Code.''.
SEC. 3. TRANSITION PROVISIONS.
(a) Terms of Trustees.--The members of the Board of Trustees of the
Congressional Office for International Leadership under subparagraphs
(A), (B), and (D) of section 313(c)(1) of the Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 U.S.C. 1151(c)(1)), immediately prior to
the effective date of this Act, shall continue to be members on the
effective date of this Act until the expiration of their respective
terms as specified under such section immediately prior to the
effective date of this Act.
(b) Executive Director.--The Executive Director of the
Congressional Office for International Leadership as of the effective
date of this Act may continue to serve as Executive Director until not
later than 6 months after the effective date, and the Executive
Director may be appointed to a new term in accordance with section
313(e) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001, as amended
by this Act.
(c) Eligible Foreign States.--The countries that are eligible
foreign states under section 313(j) of the Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act, 2001 (2 U.S.C. 1151(j)), immediately prior to the
effective date of this Act, shall be eligible foreign states subject to
section 313(d) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001, as
amended by this Act.
(d) Other Personnel.--The amendments made by this Act shall not
affect the continued employment or other appointment of the personnel
of the Congressional Office for International Leadership as of the
effective date of this Act, other than the members of the Board of
Trustees and the Executive Director.
(e) Other Matters.--The amendments made by this Act shall not
affect the validity of the contracts, liabilities, records, property,
appropriations, and other assets and interests of the Congressional
Office for International Leadership as of the effective date of this
Act.
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this
Act.
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