(a) Establishment

(1) In general

There is established in the legislative branch of the Government an office to be known as the “Congressional Office for International Leadership” (the “Office”).

(2) Board of Trustees

The Office shall be subject to the supervision and direction of a Board of Trustees (the “Board”) which shall be composed of 11 members as follows:

(A) Two Members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be designated by the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and one of whom shall be designated by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(B) Two Senators appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated by the Majority Leader of the Senate and one of whom shall be designated by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

(C) The Librarian of Congress.

(D) Four private individuals with interests in improving relations between the United States and eligible foreign states, designated by the Librarian of Congress.

(E) The chair of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the chair of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.


Each member appointed under this paragraph shall serve for a term of 3 years. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment and the individual so appointed shall serve for the remainder of the term. Members of the Board shall serve without pay, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

(b) Purpose and authority of the Office

(1) Purpose

The purpose of the Office is to establish, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (2), a program to enable emerging political and civic leaders of eligible foreign states at all levels of government to gain significant, firsthand exposure to the American free market economic system and the operation of American democratic institutions through visits to governments and communities at comparable levels in the United States and to establish and administer a program to enable cultural leaders of Russia to gain significant, firsthand exposure to the operation of American cultural institutions.

(2) Grant program

Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3) and (4), the Office shall establish a program under which the Office annually awards grants to government or community organizations in the United States that seek to establish programs under which those organizations will host nationals of eligible foreign states who are emerging political and civic leaders at any level of government.

(3) Restrictions

(A) Duration

The period of stay in the United States for any individual supported with grant funds under the program shall not exceed 30 days.

(B) Limitation

The number of individuals supported with grant funds under the program shall not exceed 3,500 in any fiscal year.

(C) Use of funds

Grant funds under the program shall be used to pay—

(i) the costs and expenses incurred by each program participant in traveling between an eligible foreign state and the United States and in traveling within the United States;

(ii) the costs of providing lodging in the United States to each program participant, whether in public accommodations or in private homes; and

(iii) such additional administrative expenses incurred by organizations in carrying out the program as the Office may prescribe.

(4) Application

(A) In general

Each organization in the United States desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Office at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Office may reasonably require.

(B) Contents

Each application submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall—

(i) describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought;

(ii) include the number of program participants to be supported;

(iii) describe the qualifications of the individuals who will be participating in the program; and

(iv) provide such additional assurances as the Office determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.

(c) Establishment of Fund

(1) In general

There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the “Congressional Office for International Leadership Fund” (the “Fund”), which shall consist of amounts which may be appropriated, credited, or transferred to it under this section.

(2) Donations

Any money or other property donated, bequeathed, or devised to the Office under the authority of this section shall be credited to the Fund.

(3) Fund management

(A) In general

The provisions of subsections (b), (c), and (d) of section 1105 of this title, and the provisions of section 1106(b) of this title, shall apply to the Fund.

(B) Expenditures

The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to pay to the Office from amounts in the Fund such sums as the Board determines are necessary and appropriate to enable the Office to carry out the provisions of this section.

(d) Executive Director

On behalf of the Board, the Librarian of Congress shall appoint an Executive Director who shall be the chief executive officer of the Office and who shall carry out the functions of the Office subject to the supervision and direction of the Board of Trustees. The Executive Director of the Office shall be compensated at the annual rate specified by the Board, but in no event shall such rate exceed level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5.

(e) Administrative provisions

(1) In general

The provisions of section 1108 of this title shall apply to the Office.

(2) Support provided by Library of Congress

The Library of Congress may disburse funds appropriated to the Office, compute and disburse the basic pay for all personnel of the Office, provide administrative, legal, financial management, and other appropriate services to the Office, and collect from the Fund the full costs of providing services under this paragraph, as provided under an agreement for services ordered under sections 1535 and 1536 of title 31.

(f) Authorization of appropriations

Terms Used In 2 USC 1151

  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
  • Majority leader: see Floor Leaders
  • Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
  • officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
  • President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

(g) Transfer of funds

Any amounts appropriated for use in the program established under section 3011 of the 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (Public Law 106-31; 113 Stat. 93) shall be transferred to the Fund and shall remain available without fiscal year limitation.

(h) Effective dates

(1) In general

This section shall take effect on December 21, 2000.

(2) Transfer

Subsection (g) shall only apply to amounts which remain unexpended on and after the date the Board certifies to the Librarian of Congress that grants are ready to be made under the program established under this section.

(j) 1 Eligible foreign state defined

In this section, the term “eligible foreign state” means—

(1) any country specified in section 5801 of title 22;

(2) Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; and

(3) any other country that is designated by the Board, except that the Board shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the designation at least 90 days before the designation is to take effect.

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