text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
      This Act may be cited as the ``Foreign Aid Transparency and 
  Accountability Act of 2016''.
  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 Appropriations of the Senate;
              (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
          Representatives; and
              (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
          Representatives.
          (2) Evaluation.--The term ``evaluation'' means, with respect to 
      a covered United States foreign assistance program, the systematic 
      collection and analysis of information about the characteristics 
      and outcomes of the program, including projects conducted under 
      such program, as a basis for--
              (A) making judgments and evaluations regarding the program;
              (B) improving program effectiveness; and
              (C) informing decisions about current and future 
          programming.
          (3) Covered united states foreign assistance.--The term 
      ``covered United States foreign assistance'' means assistance 
      authorized under--
              (A) part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
          2151 et seq.), except for--
                  (i) title IV of chapter 2 of such part (relating to the 
              Overseas Private Investment Corporation); and
                  (ii) chapter 3 of such part (relating to International 
              Organizations and Programs);
              (B) chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
          1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.; relating to Economic Support 
          Fund);
              (C) the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7701 et 
          seq.); and
              (D) the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.).
  SEC. 3. GUIDELINES FOR COVERED UNITED STATES FOREIGN ASSISTANCE 
  PROGRAMS.
      (a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are to--
          (1) evaluate the performance of covered United States foreign 
      assistance and its contribution to the policies, strategies, 
      projects, program goals, and priorities undertaken by the Federal 
      Government;
          (2) support and promote innovative programs to improve 
      effectiveness; and
          (3) coordinate the monitoring and evaluation processes of 
      Federal departments and agencies that administer covered United 
      States foreign assistance.
      (b) Establishment of Guidelines.--Not later than 18 months after 
  the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall set forth 
  guidelines, according to best practices of monitoring and evaluation 
  studies and analyses, for the establishment of measurable goals, 
  performance metrics, and monitoring and evaluation plans that can be 
  applied with reasonable consistency to covered United States foreign 
  assistance.
      (c) Objectives of Guidelines.--
          (1) In general.--The guidelines established pursuant to 
      subsection (b) shall provide direction to Federal departments and 
      agencies that administer covered United States foreign assistance 
      on--
              (A) monitoring the use of resources;
              (B) evaluating the outcomes and impacts of covered United 
          States foreign assistance projects and programs; and
              (C) applying the findings and conclusions of such 
          evaluations to proposed project and program design.
          (2) Objectives.--The guidelines established pursuant to 
      subsection (b) shall provide direction to Federal departments and 
      agencies that administer covered United States foreign assistance 
      on how to--
              (A) establish annual monitoring and evaluation objectives 
          and timetables to plan and manage the process of monitoring, 
          evaluating, analyzing progress, and applying learning toward 
          achieving results;
              (B) develop specific project monitoring and evaluation 
          plans, including measurable goals and performance metrics, and 
          to identify the resources necessary to conduct such 
          evaluations, which should be covered by program costs;
              (C) apply rigorous monitoring and evaluation methodologies 
          to such programs, including through the use of impact 
          evaluations, ex-post evaluations, or other methods, as 
          appropriate, that clearly define program logic, inputs, 
          outputs, intermediate outcomes, and end outcomes;
              (D) disseminate guidelines for the development and 
          implementation of monitoring and evaluation programs to all 
          personnel, especially in the field, who are responsible for the 
          design, implementation, and management of covered United States 
          foreign assistance programs;
              (E) establish methodologies for the collection of data, 
          including baseline data to serve as a reference point against 
          which progress can be measured;
              (F) evaluate, at least once in their lifetime, all programs 
          whose dollar value equals or exceeds the median program size 
          for the relevant office or bureau or an equivalent calculation 
          to ensure the majority of program resources are evaluated;
              (G) conduct impact evaluations on all pilot programs before 
          replicating, or conduct performance evaluations and provide a 
          justification for not conducting an impact evaluation when such 
          an evaluation is deemed inappropriate or impracticable;
              (H) develop a clearinghouse capacity for the collection, 
          dissemination, and preservation of knowledge and lessons 
          learned to guide future programs for United States foreign 
          assistance personnel, implementing partners, the donor 
          community, and aid recipient governments;
              (I) internally distribute evaluation reports;
              (J) publicly report each evaluation, including an executive 
          summary, a description of the evaluation methodology, key 
          findings, appropriate context, including quantitative and 
          qualitative data when available, and recommendations made in 
          the evaluation within 90 days after the completion of the 
          evaluation;
              (K) undertake collaborative partnerships and coordinate 
          efforts with the academic community, implementing partners, and 
          national and international institutions, as appropriate, that 
          have expertise in program monitoring, evaluation, and analysis 
          when such partnerships provide needed expertise or 
          significantly improve the evaluation and analysis;
              (L) ensure verifiable, reliable, and timely data, including 
          from local beneficiaries and stakeholders, are available to 
          monitoring and evaluation personnel to permit the objective 
          evaluation of the effectiveness of covered United States 
          foreign assistance programs, including an assessment of 
          assumptions and limitations in such evaluations; and
              (M) ensure that standards of professional evaluation 
          organizations for monitoring and evaluation efforts are 
          employed, including ensuring the integrity and independence of 
          evaluations, permitting and encouraging the exercise of 
          professional judgment, and providing for quality control and 
          assurance in the monitoring and evaluation process.
      (d) President's Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
  the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit a report to the 
  appropriate congressional committees that contains a detailed 
  description of the guidelines established pursuant to subsection (b). 
  The report shall be submitted in unclassified form, but it may contain 
  a classified annex.
      (e) Comptroller General's Report.--The Comptroller General of the 
  United States shall, not later than 18 months after the report required 
  by subsection (d) is submitted to Congress, submit to the appropriate 
  congressional committees a report that--
          (1) analyzes the guidelines established pursuant to subsection 
      (b); and
          (2) assesses the implementation of the guidelines by the 
      agencies, bureaus, and offices that implement covered United States 
      foreign assistance as outlined in the President's budget request.
  SEC. 4. INFORMATION ON COVERED UNITED STATES FOREIGN ASSISTANCE 
  PROGRAMS.
      (a) Publication of Information.--
          (1) Update of existing website.--Not later than 90 days after 
      the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
      update the Department of State's website, 
      ``ForeignAssistance.gov'', to make publicly available 
      comprehensive, timely, and comparable information on covered United 
      States foreign assistance programs, including all information 
      required under subsection (b) that is available to the Secretary of 
      State.
          (2) Information sharing.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
      of the enactment of this Act, and quarterly thereafter, the head of 
      each Federal department or agency that administers covered United 
      States foreign assistance shall provide the Secretary of State with 
      comprehensive information about the covered United States foreign 
      assistance programs carried out by such department or agency.
          (3) Updates to website.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
      of the enactment of this Act, and quarterly thereafter, the 
      Secretary of State shall publish, on the ``ForeignAssistance.gov'' 
      website or through a successor online publication, the information 
      provided under subsection (b).
      (b) Matters To Be Included.--
          (1) In general.--The information described in subsection (a)--
              (A) shall be published for each country on a detailed 
          basis, such as award-by-award; or
              (B) if assistance is provided on a regional level, shall be 
          published for each such region on a detailed basis, such as 
          award-by-award.
          (2) Types of information.--
              (A) In general.--To ensure the transparency, 
          accountability, and effectiveness of covered United States 
          foreign assistance programs, the information described in 
          subsection (a) shall include--
                  (i) links to all regional, country, and sector 
              assistance strategies, annual budget documents, 
              congressional budget justifications, and evaluations in 
              accordance with section 3(c)(2)(J);
                  (ii) basic descriptive summaries for covered United 
              States foreign assistance programs and awards under such 
              programs; and
                  (iii) obligations and expenditures.
              (B) Publication.--Each type of information described in 
          subparagraph (A) shall be published or updated on the 
          appropriate website not later than 90 days after the date on 
          which the information is issued.
              (C) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this paragraph may be 
          construed to require a Federal department or agency that 
          administers covered United States foreign assistance to provide 
          any information that does not relate to, or is not otherwise 
          required by, the covered United States foreign assistance 
          programs carried out by such department or agency.
          (3) Report in lieu of inclusion.--
              (A) Health or security of implementing partners.--If the 
          head of a Federal department or agency, in consultation with 
          the Secretary of State, makes a determination that the 
          inclusion of a required item of information online would 
          jeopardize the health or security of an implementing partner or 
          program beneficiary or would require the release of proprietary 
          information of an implementing partner or program beneficiary, 
          the head of the Federal department or agency shall provide such 
          determination in writing to the appropriate congressional 
          committees, including the basis for such determination.
              (B) National interests of the united states.--If the 
          Secretary of State makes a determination that the inclusion of 
          a required item of information online would be detrimental to 
          the national interests of the United States, the Secretary of 
          State shall provide such determination, including the basis for 
          such determination, in writing to the appropriate congressional 
          committees.
              (C) Form.--Information provided under this paragraph may be 
          provided in classified form, as appropriate.
          (4) Failure to comply.--If a Federal department or agency fails 
      to comply with the requirements under paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of 
      subsection (a), or subsection (c), with respect to providing 
      information described in subsection (a), and the information is not 
      subject to a determination under subparagraph (A) or (B) of 
      paragraph (3) not to make the information publicly available, the 
      Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation 
      with the head of such department or agency, not later than one year 
      after the date of the enactment of this Act, shall submit a 
      consolidated report to the appropriate congressional committees 
      that includes, with respect to each required item of information 
      not made publicly available--
              (A) a detailed explanation of the reason for not making 
          such information publicly available; and
              (B) a description of the department's or agency's plan and 
          timeline for--
                  (i) making such information publicly available; and
                  (ii) ensuring that such information is made publicly 
              available in subsequent years.
      (c) Scope of Information.--The online publication required under 
  subsection (a) shall, at a minimum--
          (1) in each of the fiscal years 2016 through 2019, provide the 
      information required under subsection (b) for fiscal years 2015 
      through the current fiscal year; and
          (2) for fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year thereafter, 
      provide the information required under subsection (b) for the 
      immediately preceding 5 fiscal years in a fully searchable form.
      (d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
  Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency 
  for International Development should coordinate the consolidation of 
  processes and data collection and presentation for the Department of 
  State's website, ``ForeignAssistance.gov'', and the United States 
  Agency for International Development's website, ``Explorer.USAID.gov'', 
  to the extent that is possible to maximize efficiencies, no later than 
  the end of fiscal year 2018.
  
                                 Speaker of the House of Representatives.
  
                              Vice President of the United States and    
                                                 President of the Senate.
target: (This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on July 5, 2016.  Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill defines &quot;covered U.S. foreign assistance&quot; as assistance authorized under:    part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (development assistance), except for title IV of chapter 2 (relating to the Overseas Private Investment Corporation), and chapter 3 (relating to International Organizations and Programs);   chapter 4 of part II of such Act (Economic Support Fund);   the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003; and   the Food for Peace Act.   (Sec. 3) The President shall within 18 months prescribe guidelines for establishment of goals, performance metrics, and monitoring and evaluation plans for covered U.S. foreign assistance.  The guidelines shall direct federal departments and agencies that administer such assistance on how to:    establish annual monitoring and evaluation agendas and objectives;   develop specific project monitoring and evaluation plans;  apply monitoring and evaluation methodologies to covered U.S. foreign assistance programs;   disseminate guidelines for the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation programs to all personnel responsible for program design, implementation, and management of covered U.S. foreign assistance programs;   establish data collection methodologies;  evaluate, at least once in their lifetime, all programs whose dollar value equals or exceeds the median program size for the relevant office or bureau;   develop a clearinghouse capacity for the collection and dissemination of knowledge and lessons learned that serve as benchmarks for future programs;   distribute evaluation reports internally;   publicly report evaluations and related recommendations;  undertake collaborative partnerships and coordinate efforts with academic, national and international institutions;   make verifiable and timely data available to monitoring and evaluation personnel; and   ensure that standards of professional evaluation organizations for monitoring and evaluation efforts are employed.   The President shall within 18 months give Congress a detailed description of these guidelines.   The Government Accountability Office shall analyze the guidelines and assess their implementation by the appropriate agencies, bureaus, and offices.  (Sec. 4) The Department of State shall within 90 days update its Internet website, ForeignAssistance.gov, to make publicly available comprehensive and accessible information on covered U.S. foreign assistance programs. The head of each federal department or agency that administers such assistance shall give the State Department comprehensive program information each quarter. Assistance program information shall be published: (1) on an award-by-award and country-by-country basis, or (2) on an award-by-award and region-by-region basis if provided on a regional level. Such information shall include: (1) links to all regional, country, and sector assistance strategies, annual budget documents, congressional budget justifications, and evaluations; (2) basic descriptive summaries for foreign development and economic assistance programs and awards under such programs; and (3) obligations and expenditures. If a federal department or agency determines that the inclusion of a required item of information online would jeopardize the health or security of an implementing partner or program beneficiary, or would require the release of proprietary information, it shall give Congress that determination in writing. If the State Department determines that online inclusion of a required item of information would be detrimental to U.S. national interests, it shall also give Congress that determination in writing. The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should, by the end of FY2018, coordinate data collection consolidation for the State Department's website, ForeignAssistance.gov, and USAID's website, Explorer.USAID.gov.
feat_title: Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2016