[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9499 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9499
To require the United States Agency for Global Media to verify the
authenticity of foreign academic credentials purported to be held by
prospective and existing employees of the Agency, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 9, 2024
Mr. Burchett (for himself and Mr. McCaul) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the United States Agency for Global Media to verify the
authenticity of foreign academic credentials purported to be held by
prospective and existing employees of the Agency, 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 ``Securing the Integrity of Ethics in
Government Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Advisory board.--The term ``Advisory Board'' means the
International Broadcasting Advisory Board as described in
section 306 of the United States International Broadcasting Act
of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6205).
(2) Agency.--The term ``Agency'' means the United States
Agency for Global Media.
(3) Credential evaluation service.--The term ``credential
evaluation service'' means an organization that is--
(A) a member organization of--
(i) the National Association of Credential
Evaluation Services; or
(ii) the Association of International
Credentials Evaluators; and
(B) has as its primary purpose the evaluation and
validation of academic credentials.
(4) Foreign academic credential.--The term ``foreign
academic credential'' means a credential awarded for the
completion of an undergraduate or a graduate-level course of
study at a postsecondary educational institution located
outside the United States.
SEC. 3. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--Beginning on the effective date of this Act, the
Agency may not appoint an individual who purports to have a foreign
academic credential (as described in subsection (c)) to a position in
the Agency higher than GS-11 (or the equivalent), including a position
for which such credential is not required, unless, prior to such
appointment, the Agency obtains--
(1)(A) a written evaluation from a credential evaluation
service that includes--
(i) verification that the foreign academic
credential was earned by the individual at a
postsecondary educational institution outside
the United States;
(ii) the name of the institution that
awarded the credential;
(iii) the type of credential earned by the
individual;
(iv) the academic subject matter to which
the credential pertains;
(v) an analysis indicating whether the
foreign academic credential is comparable to a
type of academic credential awarded by
postsecondary educational institutions in the
United States and, if so, which type of
domestically awarded credential is most
comparable to the foreign academic credential;
(vi) an explanation of the processes and
standards used by the credential evaluation
service to determine the validity and
comparability of the foreign academic
credential under clauses (i) and (v),
respectively;
(vii) a statement confirming that the
standards and processes used to evaluate the
comparability of the foreign academic
credential under clause (v) followed the
relevant guidelines of the International
Education Standards Council; and
(viii) an assurance confirming that the
credential evaluation service--
(I) inspected all documentation
submitted to the service in connection
with the service's evaluation of the
foreign academic credential; and
(II) did not find any evidence of
fraud, forgery, or other material
irregularities in such documentation;
and
(B) documentation, such as an academic transcript or
diploma, demonstrating that the individual completed all
requirements necessary to obtain the foreign academic
credential, which shall--
(i) be provided directly to the Agency by the
postsecondary educational institution that issued the
credential; and
(ii) be certified as authentic by an official of
the institution authorized to issue such documentation;
or
(2) alternative documentation, obtained directly from the
Government of the foreign country with jurisdiction over the
institution that awarded the credential, demonstrating the
validity of the credential.
(b) Verification of Foreign Academic Credentials for Existing
Employees.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the
effective date of this Act, the Agency shall obtain the
documentation described in subsection (a)(1) or the alternative
documentation described in subsection (a)(2) with respect to
each foreign academic credential purported to be held (as
described in subsection (c)) by an individual in a position in
the Agency that is higher than GS-11.
(2) Penalty.--The Agency shall take appropriate
disciplinary action with respect to an individual described in
paragraph (1) in the event the Agency is unable to obtain the
documentation required under such paragraph for a foreign
academic credential purported to be held by such individual.
(c) Rule of Applicability.--The requirements under subsections (a)
and (b) shall apply with respect to foreign academic credentials that
are--
(1) disclosed in the application or other materials
received by the Agency in connection with the hiring of an
individual; or
(2) otherwise noted in the employment record of an
individual.
(d) Alternative Documentation Procedures.--The Agency shall seek to
establish procedures, in consultation with appropriate officials of
foreign Governments, through which the Agency may obtain the
alternative documentation described in subsection (a)(2)(A).
SEC. 4. OVERTIME PAYMENTS.
(a) In General.--The Agency shall--
(1) record all overtime pay paid to--
(A) employees of the Agency; and
(B) contractors of the Agency; and
(2) establish a system to track such overtime pay as a
result of expiring compensatory time off.
(b) Notice and Approval.--The supervisor of an employee claiming
overtime work in excess of the guidelines of the Agency or overtime pay
with respect to expiring compensatory time off may not approve such
overtime work or overtime pay unless such supervisor submits a request
for approval to, and such request is approved by, the Chief Management
Officer of the Agency or such other officer designated by the Agency.
SEC. 5. REVIEW OF UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING.
Section 306(d) of the United States International Broadcasting Act
of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6205(d)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (6)(B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) convene biannually to conduct a review of United
States Agency for Global Media affiliate and grantee
broadcasting activities and, when not less than three Advisory
Board members find a violation of the broadcasting standards
and principles listed under section 303 pursuant to such a
review, submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate a report describing each such violation.''.
SEC. 6. SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR CERTAIN MATTERS RELATING TO THE
AGENCY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the effective date of
this Act, the Chair of the Advisory Board shall appoint a Special
Investigator to submit the report required by subsection (a). The
individual appointed as Special Investigator shall have expertise in
human resources, labor management, credentials screening, and oversight
and accountability.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this
Act, the Special Investigator shall submit to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate a report on--
(1) the adequacy of the Agency's hiring and employee
vetting processes;
(2) the efficacy and feasibility of establishing an Office
of Inspector General at the Agency;
(3) its recommendations with respect to the findings under
paragraphs (1) and (2);
(4) a fiscal and administrative cost-benefit analysis of
establishing an independent Office of Inspector General within
the Agency;
(5) an evaluation of the adequacy of the Department of
State's Office of Inspector General for oversight and
accountability purposes at the Agency, with particular
attention to investigation of matters potentially criminal in
nature;
(6) a review of all incidents pertaining to, inter alia,
fraud, misconduct, malfeasance, misstatements,
misrepresentations, and security breaches at the Agency since
January 1, 2019, and any disciplinary actions taken with
respect to them;
(7) an overview of the Department of State and the Agency's
responsibilities regarding personnel and whistleblower
complaints, with particular focus on areas for improvement;
(8) a determination as to whether the Agency has adequately
coordinated with the Department of State regarding personnel
misconduct and whistleblower complaints;
(9) the circumstances under which the Department of State
refers whistleblower complaints to the Agency;
(10) any circumstances under which the Department of State
is involved in Agency hiring decisions, including the
Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security verifying Agency job
applicants' foreign education credentials; and
(11) an assessment of the Department of State and the
Agency's security clearance process, including outsourcing to
the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.
SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act takes effect on January 1, 2025.
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