# 119-s-491: Foreign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Act

119-s-491, Foreign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA); status introduced (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-491
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-491
- Congress: 119
- Title: Foreign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-06
- Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA)
- Cosponsors: 21
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Centralize U.S. foreign assistance coordination** by creating a Director of Foreign Assistance at the Department of State who would lead integrated planning, budgeting, monitoring, and interagency cooperation for U.S. aid. The Director would have defined duties, a Senate-confirmed appointment path, limits on acting service, and controls over certain personnel decisions. - Foreign recipients and partners would see aid programs tied more directly to State Department priorities and subject to more monitoring, evaluation, and public reporting. - U.S. agencies and staff, including USAID and offices across State, would be required to feed consolidated strategy, budgets, and performance data into a single integrated process. The Director would be President-appointed and require Senate confirmation. No one may serve as Acting Director for more than 90 days. Adverse personnel actions against the Director or staff reporting to the Director would require Deputy Secretary approval. - Congress and budget managers would face a tight spending timetable because funds for State or USAID, or under the Director’s direction, would have to be available to obligate within 90 days after enactment of the related appropriations Act.

## Cosponsors (21)

- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-02-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-02-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-02-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-02-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-02-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-02-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-03-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Faster obligation deadline for foreign aid: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require that all funds Congress appropriates to the State Department, to USAID, or otherwise under the Director's direction be made available to be obligated within 90 days after the related appropriations Act is enacted. The rule sets a 90‑day maximum window for making t…
- New Director for U.S. Foreign Aid: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would create a Senate‑confirmed Director of Foreign Assistance at the State Department. The Director would report to the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources and could not hold another federal job while serving. No one could serve as Acting Director or run the office f…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act
- 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-491 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/491)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2295)
- [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-491 (as of 2025-12-21).