United States Security Assistance Effectiveness Act
Sponsored By: Representative Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]
Introduced
Summary
Centralize and strengthen State Department oversight of security assistance. The bill would create a new Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security and an Office of Security Assistance to align budgets, planning, monitoring, and interagency coordination with the Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal partners.
Show full summary
- U.S. diplomats and the State workforce would face new coordination roles, mandatory training, and a dedicated Coordinator for Security Assistance to run a common program database and assessment system.
- Partner countries and recipients would be subject to stronger baseline assessments and monitoring, with an assessment and monitoring program due within 18 months and country prioritization required within 2 years.
- Congress, researchers, and the DoD would get unified visibility and planning tools, including a common security assistance database to be in place within 2 years and annual unclassified budget-support reports starting 3 years after enactment.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New State office and training for security aid
If enacted, State would set up an Office of Security Assistance under the Under Secretary. The Under Secretary would give strategy, align budgets, and lead work with Defense on security aid. Within 180 days, State would create a Foreign Service Institute course on security assistance. Within one year, each bureau would name a security aid coordinator (not the officer who does human-rights vetting), and each post getting aid would name a senior diplomatic lead. These designees would complete the training. Within 180 days, State would send Congress a plan on how it will coordinate across the Department, with posts, and with Defense.
One database and annual reports on security aid
If enacted, State would keep a single database of all security aid by country within two years. Within one year, State would send Congress a plan to capture data since FY2017 and to give Congress and researchers better visibility. The Comptroller General would report to Congress within one year on how State and Defense coordinate and how to improve it. Starting three years after enactment, State would add an unclassified report with the President’s budget that lists priority recipients, shows evaluation results, and explains planned allocations. The bill would also define what “security assistance” covers and exclude Foreign Military Sales and direct commercial sales.
Stronger planning and oversight of security aid
If enacted, State would build an assessment, monitoring, and evaluation program within 18 months for countries getting major security aid. The Coordinator would also issue a planning framework within 18 months to set goals, track results, and work with other donors. Within two years, State would list priority recipient countries each year and tie security aid plans into regional and country strategies with an annex of baselines and funding needs. State and Defense would set a process for planning section 333 projects, including timelines for State’s review of concurrence packages.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large]
GU • R
Sponsored 7/16/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov