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USTDA Modernization Act of 2026
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize assistance for certain development activities in high-income countries, and for other purposes.
Summary
The USTDA Modernization Act of 2026 amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to expand the U.S. Trade and Development Agency's authority to provide assistance in high-income countries, allowing up to 15 percent of its annual program funds to be used for project preparation and technical assistance in these countries, particularly in energy, critical minerals, transport, and telecommunications sectors. The bill increases the agency's personnel appointment authority from 2 to 5 individuals and authorizes the agency to contract directly with individuals for personal services without those individuals being considered federal employees. The bill requires the Trade and Development Agency to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the number of personal services contractors hired, their roles, and associated costs.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
Actions (2)
- Apr 30, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. · house
- Apr 30, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 30, 2026
Mr. Moylan (for himself and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
A BILL
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize assistance for certain development activities in high-income countries, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “United States Trade and Development Agency Modernization Act of 2026” or the “USTDA Modernization Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States Trade and Development Agency plays a critical role in advancing United States commercial, energy, digital, and infrastructure interests in priority emerging markets by supporting early-stage project preparation and technical assistance and should be authorized to allocate some of its annual program funds for activities in high-income countries that directly affect United States economic and national security.
SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF COUNTRY ELIGIBILITY.
Section 661(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2421(b)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
“(3) Assistance in high-income countries.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Director of the Trade and Development Agency is authorized to provide not more than 15 percent of the total amount of funds appropriated in a fiscal year for assistance under this section for—
“(A) activities described in paragraph (2) in high-income countries; or
“(B) projects in high-income countries that serve United States strategic interests in the energy, critical minerals, transport, or telecommunications sectors.”.
SEC. 4. PERSONNEL AUTHORITIES.
Section 661(c) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2421(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking “2” and inserting “5” before “may be appointed”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Personal services contractors.—
“(A) The Trade and Development Agency may contract with individuals for personal services, and such individuals may not be considered Federal employees for the purpose of any provision of law administered by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
“(B) The Director shall submit to Congress an annual report describing the number of individuals contracted for personal services by the Trade and Development Agency, the roles of such contractors, and the costs associated with such contracts.”. <all>
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