Sec. 5. Establishment of certain funds
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The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, following consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, may each establish a Fund to Defend Democracy Globally, which may accept contributions from other international donors and the private sector. The Secretary and the Administrator shall regularly coordinate programs and activities supported by each respective Fund. The purpose of such Funds is to support programs that— strengthen and enhance the Department of State and USAID’s ability to respond quickly and flexibly to democratic openings and backsliding; assist fledgling or struggling democracies deliver services and meet expectations for their populations through a full range of development assistance from the United States and other international donors, in consultation and coordination with the governments of such democracies, in order to further reforms and strategies identified by such governments through consultation with respective civil societies; support, in cooperation with other international donors and in consultation with nongovernmental organizations, independent and public interest media worldwide to help such media resist the overlapping challenges of authoritarian encroachment, threats to their financial viability, and litigation and regulatory environments meant to undercut their ability to operate; center democratic values and human rights in current and emerging technologies, and counter efforts by authoritarian governments to surveil, censor, or otherwise repress populations by digital means, including through programs that— counter disinformation; establish an initiative to be housed at USAID to help countries around the world implement governing regulations for the procurement and use of technology consistent with democratic and human rights norms and standards; provide digital public goods to reduce the appeal of authoritarian-leaning technologies to cash-strapped countries; provide education on digital literacy to key populations; and support the ongoing prioritization of democratic values in technological development in the years to come; and establish an international coalition of governmental and nongovernmental actors dedicated to preserving election integrity by providing funds to deter or combat external influence in elections abroad, including cyber intrusion, disinformation, and other threats, and assist elections to meet coalition-defined standards of electoral integrity.
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated pursuant to section 8, not less than $20,000,000, to remain available until expended, should be made available for each Fund established under this subsection. The USAID Administrator, following consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, may establish a Fund to Combat Corruption and Kleptocracy abroad. The Fund may accept contributions from other international donors and the private sector, and provide contributions to multilateral organizations.
The purposes of the Fund are to support efforts by foreign governments, civil society, and the private sector to combat corruption and kleptocracy abroad, including through efforts that— enhance government transparency, accountability, and responsiveness across development sectors; improve detection and exposure of corruption crimes, including those that cross borders; expand investigations and prosecutions of corrupt acts and hold corrupt actors accountable; strengthen norms and standards at the local, national, regional, and international levels; and augment cooperation with the private sector and key industries to root out corruption that harms competitiveness, economic growth, and development and taints critical supply chains.
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated pursuant to section 8, not less than $20,000,000, to remain available until expended, should be made available for the Fund. The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, following consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, may establish a Democracy Research and Development Fund. The Fund may accept contributions from other international donors and the private sector, and provide contributions to multilateral organizations.
The purposes of the Fund are to— support research and development by the Department of State, USAID, and NED on policies, programs, and technologies relating to democracy promotion abroad; drive innovation within those entities regarding the response to democratic backsliding; and incentivize collaboration among government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector with the objective of identifying and mitigating the threats to global democracy. Not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until September 30, 2026, the Coordinators for Democracy Programs established pursuant to section 7 and the President of the National Endowment for Democracy shall each submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing research and development programs supported by the Department of State, USAID, and NED during the prior fiscal year.
The report may be accompanied by a classified annex, if necessary. Of the funds authorized to be appropriated by section 8, $15,000,000, to remain available until expended, should be made available for the Fund.