H.R. 8139

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8139 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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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