[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1117 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1117
To provide a United States voluntary contribution to the United Nations
Population Fund.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 20, 2001
Mrs. Maloney of New York (for herself, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Crowley, Mr.
Leach, Mr. Hoeffel, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Berman, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Filner,
Mr. Engel, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Pallone, Mrs.
Thurman, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Sawyer, Ms. Brown of Florida,
Mr. Jefferson, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Lee, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr.
Capuano, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Towns, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Hooley of Oregon,
Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Farr of California, Mr.
Nadler, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Allen,
Mrs. Morella, Mr. Payne, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Frank, Mr. Tierney, Mr.
Gilman, Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr.
Lantos, Mr. Shays, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Slaughter, Mrs. Johnson
of Connecticut, Mrs. Kelly, Ms. Waters, Mrs. Meek of Florida, Mr.
Hilliard, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Rodriguez, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. McDermott, Mr.
Stark, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Weiner, Mr. Price of North
Carolina, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Levin) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide a United States voluntary contribution to the United Nations
Population Fund.
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 Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) Funding Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The renewed commitment of the world community to the
formulation of government policies that contribute to global
population stabilization and to improvements in the status of
women owes much to the efforts of the United Nations and its
specialized agencies and organizations, particularly the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
(2) Over one-half of the UNFPA's assistance is devoted to
maternal and child health programs, including the provision of
family planning services, and it is a major supplier of modern
methods of contraception. UNFPA also supports efforts aimed at
preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually-
transmitted diseases and activities aimed specifically at
enhancing the status of women.
(3) UNFPA does not fund abortion services, rather, UNFPA
seeks to reduce the incidence of abortion by improving access
to contraceptive services and to reduce deaths and injuries
related to unsafe abortion by supporting treatment of women
suffering from its complications.
(4) Operating in over 130 nations in all regions of the
world and as a politically neutral source of funds, UNFPA
complements the important work of the United States Agency for
International Development population assistance program.
(5) The United States contribution to UNFPA last year
provided an estimated 870,000 women in the developing world
with effective modern contraception, thereby preventing 500,000
unintended pregnancies, 200,000 abortions, and thousands of
maternal and child deaths.
(6) Many global environmental problems, including water
shortages, pollution, tropical deforestation, and the loss of
wildlife habitat are linked to rapid population growth. UNFPA
has assisted countries around the world plan for and slow
population growth, therefore reducing its effects on the
environment.
(7) Assistance provided by UNFPA conforms to the principle,
affirmed at the 1994 International Conference on Population and
Development by 180 nations, including the United States, that
``all couples and individuals have the basic right to decide
freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children
and to have the information, education, and means to do so.''.
(8) UNFPA opposes coercion in any form. All of UNFPA's
programs are designed in conformity with universally recognized
human rights principles.
(9) An appropriate way to express the legitimate concerns
of the United States Government about the population policies
of the People's Republic of China is by placing those concerns
on the bilateral agenda along with other important human rights
issues, not by singling out a United Nations agency by
withholding all funding thereby punishing the women and
families around the world who depend on its humanitarian aid.
(10) UNFPA plays a constructive role in helping to reduce
the incidence of coercive practices in China through its
country program which has been successful in eliminating
targets and quotas and promoting voluntary family planning and
informed consent in the 32 program counties. By improving
contraceptive method choice, expanding the range of
reproductive health services, and enhancing the status of
women, the UNFPA country program will help to enable the
Chinese to operationalize the human rights approach of the
International Conference on Polulation and Development.
SEC. 3. UNITED STATES VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
POPULATION FUND.
In addition to amounts otherwise available to carry out the
purposes of chapter 3 of part 1 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961,
there are authorized to be appropriated $35,000,000 for fiscal year
2002 and $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 to be available only for
United States voluntary contributions to the United Nations Population
Fund.
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON THE UNITED STATES VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND.
(a) Limitation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the
funds appropriated for voluntary contributions to the United Nations
Population Fund for each of the fiscal years 2002 and 2003, an amount
equal to the amount allocated by the United Nations Population Fund for
the country program in the People's Republic of China during each
fiscal year shall be withheld from obligation and expenditure if during
such fiscal year, the Secretary of State submits to the appropriate
congressional committees the certification described in subsection (b).
(b) Certification.--The Secretary of State shall submit a
certification under subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that the
country program of the United Nations Population Fund in the People's
Republic of China does not meet the following criteria--
(1) Focuses on improving the delivery of voluntary family
planning information and services.
(2) Is designed in conformity with the human rights
principles affirmed at the International Conference on
Population and Development with the support of 180 nations
including the United States.
(3) Is implemented only in counties of the People's
Republic of China where all quotas and targets for the
recruitment of program participants have been abolished and the
use of coercive measures has been eliminated.
(4) Is carried out in consultation with and under the
oversight and approval of the UNFPA executive board, including
the United States representative.
(5) Is subject to regular independent monitoring to ensure
compliance with the principles of informed consent and
voluntary participation.
(6) Suspends operations in project counties found to be in
violation of program guidelines.
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