Blackburn, Tillis introduce bill to increase oversight of sister city partnerships

MGN

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) —  U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have introduced the Sister City Transparency Act.

This bill is aimed at increasing federal oversight of sister city partnerships to address potential security risks, including foreign surveillance.

The legislation would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study sister city agreements, particularly those involving countries with significant public sector corruption such as China and Russia.

The goal is to identify any vulnerabilities that could be exploited for espionage or economic coercion.

According to a release sent by Senator Blackburn’s Office, currently the U.S. maintains 1,800 sister city partnerships worldwide, including 157 with Chinese communities.

However, information about the specifics of these partnerships – such as agreements, activities, and staffing – is often limited.

If passed, the Sister City Transparency Act would direct the GAO to:

• Identify the oversight practices that U.S. communities implement to mitigate the risks of foreign espionage and economic coercion within sister city partnerships;
• Assess the extent to which foreign communities could use sister city partnerships to conduct malign activities, including academic and industrial espionage; and
• Review best practices to ensure transparency regarding sister city partnerships’ agreements, activities, and employees.