TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITYSec. 585. (a) Findings.—The Congress finds that—(1) There is a lack of transparency in the revenues and expenditures of the national budgets of many developing countries that receive United States assistance.(2) In such countries, official revenues—particularly from natural resource extraction—are often unreported, under-reported, or inaccurately recorded by foreign government agencies.(3) Such inefficiencies—which in some instances mask outright theft—result in the failure of such governments to adequately provide their citizens with social, political, economic, and legal benefits and opportunities, and undermine the effectiveness of assistance provided to such countries by the United States and other international donors.(4) Good governance and respect for the rule of law are critical to a nation’s development.(b) Report.—Not more than 90 days after enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations, describing in detail—(1) Those countries whose central governments receive foreign assistance from the United States;(2) Relevant laws and regulations in such countries governing the public disclosure of revenues and expenditures in national budgets;(3) The adequacy of those laws and regulations, and the extent to which they are implemented and enforced;(4) Those countries receiving such assistance where no such laws or regulations exist, and the extent to which such revenues and expenditures are publicly disclosed; and(5) Programs and activities sponsored by the United States Government to promote accurate disclosure of revenues and expenditures in the national budgets of such countries, and the results of those programs and activities.