Congressional Office for International Leadership Accountability and Reform Act of 2026

Summary

Revises the statute governing the Congressional Office for International Leadership to change its mission focus, reorganize its Board, create a formal Executive Director role with defined appointment, term, pay and conduct rules, and set procedures for deciding which foreign countries are eligible for exchange programs. It also preserves current staff, contracts, and eligible countries during a transition period and takes effect on enactment. The bill is organizational and governance-focused: it clarifies who serves on the Board and how members are appointed and replaced, requires notice to appropriations subcommittees when designating eligible foreign states, and sets continuity rules for existing personnel and agreements.

• Rewrites the Office's statutory charter to narrow and clarify its purpose around congressional exchanges with emerging foreign leaders.
• Expands and reconfigures the Board from 11 to 12 members and adds two standing committee leaders to the Board.
• Creates a statutory Executive Director role with appointment/removal rules, term limits, a pay cap, and a political-bias prohibition.
• Specifies Board member terms (renewable 3-year terms for certain appointees), quorum rules, vacancy procedures, and expense reimbursement authority.
• Requires 90 days' notice to relevant Appropriations subcommittees before designating eligible foreign states.
• Transition provisions allow current Board members and the incumbent Executive Director to remain temporarily and preserve existing contracts, assets, and eligible countries.
• Takes effect on enactment; does not itself appropriate funds or change taxes.
• Focuses on governance and oversight changes rather than program expansion or new funding.