H.R. 8833

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8833 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8833

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 States, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 14, 2026

Mr. Roy (for himself, Mr. Moore of Alabama, and Mr. Perry) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

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 States, 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 ``Sister City Transparency Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate;
(B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Education and Workforce of the 
House of Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives.
(2) Foreign community.--The term ``foreign community'' 
means any subnational unit of government outside of the United 
States.
(3) Sister city partnership.--The term ``sister city 
partnership'' means a formal agreement between a United States 
community and a foreign community that--
(A) is recognized by Sister Cities International; 
and
(B) is operating within the United States.
(4) United states community.--The term ``United States 
community'' means a State, county, city, or other unit of local 
government in the United States.

SEC. 3. STUDY OF SISTER CITY PARTNERSHIPS OPERATING WITHIN THE UNITED 
STATES INVOLVING FOREIGN COMMUNITIES IN COUNTRIES WITH 
SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SECTOR CORRUPTION.

(a) 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 45 or less on 
Transparency International's 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index.
(b) Elements of the Study.--The study conducted under subsection 
(a) shall--
(1) identify--
(A) the criteria by which foreign communities 
identify United States communities as candidates for 
sister city partnerships, including themes with respect 
to the prominent economic activities and demographics 
of such United States communities;
(B) the activities conducted within sister city 
partnerships;
(C) the economic and educational outcomes of such 
activities;
(D) the types of information that sister city 
partnerships make publicly available, including 
information relating to contracts and activities;
(E) the means by which United States communities 
safeguard freedom of expression within sister city 
partnerships; and
(F) the oversight practices that United States 
communities implement to mitigate the risks of foreign 
espionage and economic coercion within sister city 
partnerships;
(2) assess--
(A) the extent to which United States communities 
ensure transparency regarding sister city partnership 
contracts and activities;
(B) the extent to which sister city partnerships 
involve economic arrangements that make United States 
communities vulnerable to malign market practices;
(C) the extent to which sister city partnerships 
involve educational arrangements that diminish the 
freedom of expression;
(D) the extent to which sister city partnerships 
allow foreign nationals to access local commercial, 
educational, and political institutions;
(E) the extent to which foreign communities could 
use sister city partnerships to realize strategic 
objectives that do not conduce to the economic and 
national security interests of the United States;
(F) the extent to which sister city partnerships 
could enable or otherwise contribute to foreign 
communities' malign activities globally, including 
activities relating to human rights abuses and academic 
and industrial espionage; and
(G) 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 partnerships; and
(3) review--
(A) the range of activities conducted within sister 
city partnerships, including activities relating to 
cultural exchange and economic development;
(B) how such activities differ between sister city 
partnerships; and
(C) best practices to ensure transparency regarding 
sister city partnerships' agreements, activities, and 
employees.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after initiating 
the study required under subsection (a), the Comptroller 
General shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional 
committees that contains the results of such study, including 
the findings, conclusions, and recommendations (if any) of the 
study.
(2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) may 
include a classified annex, if necessary.
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