[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3827 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3827

    To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide for the 
 establishment of a Women in Enterprise Development Program to support 
       the economic empowerment of women in developing countries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 16, 1996

  Ms. Waters introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide for the 
 establishment of a Women in Enterprise Development Program to support 
       the economic empowerment of women in developing countries.

    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 ``Women in Enterprise Development Act 
of 1996''.

SEC. 2. WOMEN IN ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT.

    Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is 
amended by inserting after section 113 the following:

``SEC. 114. WOMEN IN ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT.

    ``(a) Establishment of Program.--In carrying out this part, the 
Administrator of the Agency for International Development shall 
establish and implement a Women in Enterprise Development Program.
    ``(b) Description of Program.--This program shall provide funding 
and other support for projects having the following 3 interrelated 
components:
            ``(1) Financial assistance.--The provision of financial 
        assistance to women--
                    ``(A) to support the creation of small to medium-
                size businesses in which women can readily participate;
                    ``(B) to foster investment in businesses 
                substantially owned or managed by women; and
                    ``(C) to enable such women to further their 
                education.
            ``(2) Educational assistance.--The provision of assistance 
        to encourage and support efforts of indigenous educational 
        institutions, and where appropriate other organizations--
                    ``(A) to encourage women to participate in the 
                processes of local and national government, and to 
                stimulate the interest of women in business;
                    ``(B) to prepare women for involvement in 
                government and business;
                    ``(C) to provide opportunities for women to gain 
                practical experience in government and business through 
                internships or on-the-job apprenticeships while in 
                school;
                    ``(D) to provide women with remedial assistance 
                whenever necessary; and
                    ``(E) to identify women with leadership potential 
                to serve as role models, and to assist such women in 
                furthering their education and obtaining suitable 
                positions in the public or private sector.
        Assistance under this paragraph shall encourage the development 
        and implementation of guidelines to be used by secondary and 
        postsecondary education institutions to achieve the objectives 
        described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) through the 
        development of appropriate curricula and other means.
            ``(3) Information assistance.--The provision of assistance 
        to support the creation or expansion of local resource centers 
        which offer to women interested in careers in business, 
        government, or related fields--
                    ``(A) courses in accounting, bookkeeping, and 
                elementary marketing practices, and other courses; and
                    ``(B) workshops, informational materials, career 
                counseling, and assistance in the local community.
    ``(c) Eligibility Criteria for Financial Assistance.--The 
Administrator of the Agency for International Development shall develop 
criteria for identifying the women who are eligible to receive 
financial assistance under subsection (b)(1).
    ``(d) Initial Funding Level.--The Congress urges the Administrator 
of the Agency for International Development, in carrying out this 
section during fiscal year 1997, to use not less than an amount equal 
to 10 percent of the amount made available under this part for 
assistance for micro-enterprise development.
    ``(e) Annual Reports.--The annual congressional presentation 
materials on economic assistance shall include a description of the 
assistance being provided under this section, including the amount that 
was provided for such assistance during preceding fiscal year, the 
amount estimated to be provided during the current fiscal year, and the 
amount proposed for the coming fiscal year.''.
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