District of Columbia Sister City Integrity Act
The District of Columbia Sister City Integrity Act would bar the District government from forming any Sister City partnerships with jurisdictions that are located in foreign adversary countries. The term “foreign adversary country” uses the federal government’s designation for “covered nations,” as defined in 10 U.S.C. 4872(f)(2). The purpose is to prevent DC international exchanges with nations viewed as security risks. If DC already has a Sister City relationship with such a jurisdiction at the time of enactment, the Act requires that relationship to be terminated within the earlier of the contract’s own terms or 180 days. Additionally, the District may not use federal funds for liaison and outreach to diplomatic and international communities unless it certifies compliance with the Act. In short, the bill restricts future and existing Sister City ties with adversary countries and ties federal funding to compliance with these restrictions.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition on new Sister City relationships: The District of Columbia government may not establish any new Sister City ties with jurisdictions located in foreign adversary countries.
- 2Definition of “foreign adversary country”: The bill uses the meaning of “covered nation” from 10 U.S.C. 4872(f)(2) to define which countries count as adversaries for purposes of this prohibition.
- 3Termination of existing relationships: If a DC Sister City relationship with a foreign adversary jurisdiction is already in effect on enactment, it must end no later than the earlier of the contract’s own termination date or 180 days after enactment.
- 4Federal funding condition: The District cannot use federal funds to provide liaison and outreach services to diplomatic and international communities unless it certifies to the President that it is in compliance with the Act.
- 5Title and scope: The measure is titled the District of Columbia Sister City Integrity Act and is introduced in the House; it targets the District’s international engagement related to Sister City partnerships.