January 28, 2025
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Welch, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Reed, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Schatz, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. King, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Booker, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Coons, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Warren, Ms. Slotkin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Smith, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Markey, Mr. Luján, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Warner, Ms. Hassan, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Gallego) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
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 Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act
.
Sec. 2. Assistance for foreign nongovernmental organizations under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, regulation, or policy, in determining eligibility for assistance authorized under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), foreign nongovernmental organizations—
(1)
shall not be ineligible for such assistance solely on the basis of health or medical services, including counseling and referral services, provided by such organizations with non-United States Government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided and would not violate United States Federal law if provided in the United States; and
(2)
shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-United States Government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to United States nongovernmental organizations receiving assistance under part I of such Act.