Bill > HR8833

This bill, titled the Sister City Transparency Act, directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on sister city partnerships, which are formal agreements between a United States community (like a city or county) and a foreign community (a subnational government outside the U.S.) that are recognized by Sister Cities International. The study will specifically focus on partnerships involving foreign communities in countries with significant public sector corruption, as identified by a low score on Transparency International's 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index. The Comptroller General will examine how these partnerships are formed, their activities, their economic and educational outcomes, the public availability of information about them, and how U.S. communities protect freedom of expression and guard against foreign espionage and economic coercion. The study will also assess the transparency of contracts and activities, potential vulnerabilities to malign market practices or diminished freedom of expression, the extent to which foreign nationals can access local institutions, and whether these partnerships could be used by foreign communities to advance strategic objectives detrimental to U.S. interests, including human rights abuses or espionage. Finally, the study will review the types of activities conducted, how they vary, and identify best practices for transparency. The Comptroller General must then submit a report of these findings to relevant congressional committees within six months of starting the study.