What This Bill Does
This bill removes certain restrictions that prevent foreign nongovernmental organizations (private groups not run by any government) from receiving U.S. foreign aid money. Specifically, it stops the U.S. from denying aid to these foreign organizations based on health services they provide or rules about how they use their own money for advocacy work (speaking out about causes).
Who It Affects
Foreign nongovernmental organizations that apply for U.S. foreign assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
Key Provisions
• Foreign nongovernmental organizations cannot be denied aid solely because they provide health or medical services, including counseling and referral services, using their own non-U.S. government money as long as those services follow the laws of the country where they operate (Sec. 2(1)).
• Foreign nongovernmental organizations cannot face different rules about using their own money for advocacy and lobbying activities than the rules applied to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving the same type of aid (Sec. 2(2)).
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the U.S. government cannot block foreign nongovernmental organizations from receiving aid based on health services they provide with their own funds or based on how they use their own money for advocacy work, as long as those activities follow local laws.
Important Definitions
None defined.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1838
To prohibit the application of certain restrictive eligibility requirements to
foreign nongovernmental organizations with respect to the provision of
assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 28, 2023
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. BERA, Mr. SCHIFF,
Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr.
CARSON, Ms. SALINAS, Mr. KIM of New Jersey, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms.
MCCOLLUM, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SCHNEIDER,
Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Ms. PETTERSEN, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Ms.
PINGREE, Mr. DELUZIO, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. ALLRED, Mr. KILDEE, Mr.
DAVIS
of Illinois, Mr. SOTO, Mr. TRONE, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms.
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. ROSS, Mr. KILMER, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms.
TITUS, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr.
CASE, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SLOTKIN, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. SWALWELL, Mr.
PALLONE, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mrs. NAPOLITANO,
Ms. MENG, Mr. STANTON, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. STEVENS, Mr.
JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. OMAR, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr.
MCGOVERN, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. CROCKETT, Mr. CROW,
Mr. JACKSON of North Carolina, Mrs. MCCLELLAN, Ms. WEXTON, Mr.
NADLER, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. HIMES, Mr. GOMEZ,
Mr. PANETTA, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr.
SARBANES, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr.
VARGAS, Ms. CHU, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. POR-
TER, Mr. MULLIN, Mrs. FLETCHER, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL
of Florida, Mrs. TRAHAN, Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania, Mr. VEASEY, Ms.
STRICKLAND, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. POCAN, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. SCAN-
LON, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Ms. STANSBURY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. QUIGLEY, Ms.
SHERRILL, Mr. MCGARVEY, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia,
Mrs. TORRES
of California, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr.
KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. RUIZ, Ms. ADAMS,
Mr. NEAL, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms.
JACOBS, Mr. PETERS, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mrs.
CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, Ms. JACKSON
LEE, Ms. PLASKETT, Mr.
COHEN, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms.
KAMLAGER-DOVE, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. LIEU, Mr. CARTER of Lou-
isiana, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. NICKEL, Mr. KEATING, Ms. CARAVEO, Ms.
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•HR 1838 IH
CLARKE of New York, Mr. MFUME, Ms. BROWN, Mr. TONKO, Mr.
BEYER, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. IVEY, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. HOYLE of Oregon,
Mrs. SYKES, Mr. COSTA, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. BUDZINSKI, Ms.
LEGER FERNANDEZ, Ms. BALINT, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. LARSEN of Wash-
ington, Mr. RYAN, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. SORENSEN, Mr.
SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. NORCROSS, Mrs. MCBATH, Ms. UNDERWOOD,
and Ms. BUSH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
A BILL
To prohibit the application of certain restrictive eligibility
requirements to foreign nongovernmental organizations
with respect to the provision of assistance under part
I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Health, Em-
4
powerment and Rights Act’’.
5
SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR FOREIGN NONGOVERNMENTAL
6
ORGANIZATIONS UNDER PART I OF THE FOR-
7
EIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961.
8
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, regula-
9
tion, or policy, in determining eligibility for assistance au-
10
thorized under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of
11
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), foreign nongovernmental
12
organizations—
13
(1) shall not be ineligible for such assistance
14
solely on the basis of health or medical services, in-
15
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•HR 1838 IH
cluding counseling and referral services, provided by
1
such organizations with non-United States Govern-
2
ment funds if such services do not violate the laws
3
of the country in which they are being provided; and
4
(2) shall not be subject to requirements relating
5
to the use of non-United States Government funds
6
for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those
7
that apply to United States nongovernmental organi-
8
zations receiving assistance under part I of such
9
Act.
10
Æ
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