[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1462 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1462

 To authorize assistance for individuals with disabilities in foreign 
countries, including victims of warfare and civil strife, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 27, 2003

Mr. Lantos (for himself, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Smith of New 
  Jersey, Mr. Evans, Mr. Payne, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Berman, Mr. Quinn, Mr. 
    Wexler, Mr. Case, Mr. Crowley, Mr. McDermott, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. 
   Blumenauer, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Olver, Mr. 
Hoeffel, Ms. McCollum, and Mr. Langevin) introduced the following bill; 
     which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize assistance for individuals with disabilities in foreign 
countries, including victims of warfare and civil strife, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``International Disability and Victims 
of Warfare and Civil Strife Assistance Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following finding:
            (1)(A) According to the International Committee of the Red 
        Cross, there are tens of millions of landmines in over 60 
        countries around the world, and it has estimated that as many 
        as 24,000 people are maimed or killed each year by landmines, 
        mostly civilians, resulting in amputations and disabilities of 
        various kinds.
            (B) While the United States Government invests more than 
        $100,000,000 in mine action programs annually, including 
        funding for mine awareness and demining training programs, only 
        about ten percent of these funds go to directly aid landmine 
        victims.
            (C) The Patrick Leahy War Victims Fund, administered by the 
        United States Agency for International Development, has 
        provided essential prosthetics and rehabilitation for landmine 
        and other war victims in developing countries who are disabled 
        and has provided long-term sustainable improvements in quality 
        of life for victims of civil strife and warfare, addressing 
        such issues as barrier-free accessibility, reduction of social 
        stigmatization, and increasing economic opportunities.
            (D) Enhanced coordination is needed among Federal agencies 
        that carry out assistance programs in foreign countries for 
        victims of landmines and other victims of civil strife and 
        warfare to make better use of interagency expertise and 
        resources.
            (2) According to a review of Poverty and Disability 
        commissioned by the World Bank, ``disabled people have lower 
        education and income levels than the rest of the population. 
        They are more likely to have incomes below poverty level than 
        the non-disabled population, and they are less likely to have 
        savings and other assets . . . [t]he links between poverty and 
        disability go two ways--not only does disability add to the 
        risk of poverty, but conditions of poverty add to the risk of 
        disability.''.
            (3) Numerous international human rights conventions and 
        declarations recognize the need to protect the rights of 
        individuals regardless of their status, including those 
        individuals with disabilities, through the principles of 
        equality and non-discrimination.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to authorize assistance 
for individuals with disabilities, including victims of landmines and 
other victims of civil strife and warfare.

SEC. 3. INTERNATIONAL DISABILITIES AND WAR VICTIMS ASSISTANCE.

    The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is 
amended by inserting after section 134 the following:

``SEC. 135. INTERNATIONAL DISABILITIES AND WAR VICTIMS ASSISTANCE.

    ``(a) Authorization.--The President is authorized to furnish 
assistance to individuals with disabilities, including victims of civil 
strife and warfare, in foreign countries.
    ``(b) Activities.--The programs established pursuant to subsection 
(a) may include programs, projects, and activities such as the 
following:
            ``(1) Development of local capacity to provide medical and 
        rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, 
        including victims of civil strife and warfare, in foreign 
        countries, such as--
                    ``(A) support for and training of medical 
                professionals, including surgeons, nurses, and physical 
                therapists, to provide effective emergency and other 
                medical care and for the development of training 
                manuals relating to first aid and other medical 
                treatment;
                    ``(B) support for sustainable prosthetic and 
                orthotic services; and
                    ``(C) psychological and social rehabilitation of 
                such individuals, together with their families as 
                appropriate, for the reintegration of such individuals 
                into local communities.
            ``(2) Support for policy reform and educational efforts 
        related to the needs and abilities of individuals with 
        disabilities, including victims of civil strife and warfare.
            ``(3) Coordination of programs established pursuant to 
        subsection (a) with existing programs for individuals with 
        disabilities, including victims of civil strife and warfare, in 
        foreign countries.
            ``(4) Support for establishment of appropriate entities in 
        foreign countries to coordinate programs, projects, and 
        activities related to assistance for individuals with 
        disabilities, including victims of civil strife and warfare.
            ``(5) Support for primary, secondary, and vocational 
        education, public awareness and training programs and other 
        activities that help prevent war-related injuries and assist 
        individuals with disabilities, including victims of civil 
        strife and warfare, with their reintegration into society and 
        their ability to make sustained social and economic 
        contributions to society.
    ``(c) Priority.--To the maximum extent feasible, assistance under 
this section shall be provided through nongovernmental organizations, 
and, as appropriate, through governments to establish appropriate 
norms, standards, and policies related to rehabilitation and issues 
affecting individuals with disabilities, including victims of civil 
strife and warfare.
    ``(d) Funding.--Amounts made available to carry out the other 
provisions of this part (including chapter 4 of part II of this Act) 
and the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989 are 
authorized to be made available to carry out this section and are 
authorized to be provided notwithstanding any other provision of 
law.''.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH, PREVENTION, AND ASSISTANCE RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL 
              DISABILITIES AND LANDMINE AND OTHER WAR VICTIMS.

    (a) Authorization.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for 
        Disease Control and Prevention, is authorized--
                    (A) to conduct programs in foreign countries 
                related to individuals with disabilities, including 
                victims of landmines and other victims of civil strife 
                and warfare;
                    (B) to provide grants to nongovernmental 
                organizations for the purpose of carrying out research, 
                prevention, public awareness and assistance programs in 
                foreign countries related to individuals with 
                disabilities, including victims of landmines and other 
                victims of civil strife and warfare.
            (2) Approval of secretary of state.--Activities under 
        programs established pursuant to paragraph (1) may be carried 
        out in foreign countries only in coordination with the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development, and upon approval for such activities in such 
        countries by the Secretary of State.
    (b) Activities.--Programs established pursuant to subsection (a) 
may include the following activities:
            (1) Research on trauma, physical, psychological, and social 
        rehabilitation, and continuing medical care related to 
        individuals with disabilities, including victims of landmines 
        and other victims of civil strife and warfare, including--
                    (A) conducting research on psychological and social 
                factors that lead to successful recovery;
                    (B) developing, testing, and evaluating model 
                interventions that reduce post-traumatic stress and 
                promote health and well-being;
                    (C) developing basic instruction tools for initial 
                medical response to traumatic injuries; and
                    (D) developing basic instruction manuals for 
                patients and healthcare providers, including for 
                emergency and follow-up care, proper amputation 
                procedures, and reconstructive surgery.
            (2) Facilitation of peer support networks for individuals 
        with disabilities, including victims of landmines and other 
        victims of civil strife and warfare, in foreign countries, 
        including--
                    (A) establishment of organizations at the local 
                level, administered by such individuals, to assess and 
                address the physical, psychological, economic and 
                social rehabilitation and other needs of such 
                individuals, together with their families as 
                appropriate, for the purpose of economic and social 
                reintegration into local communities; and
                    (B) training related to the implementation of such 
                peer support networks, including training of outreach 
                workers to assist in the establishment of organizations 
                such as those described in subparagraph (A) and 
                assistance to facilitate the use of the networks by 
                such individuals.
            (3) Sharing of expertise from limb-loss and disability 
        research centers in the United States with similar centers and 
        facilities in war-affected countries, including promoting 
        increased health for individuals with limb loss and limb 
        deficiency and epidemiological research on secondary medical 
        conditions related to limb loss and limb deficiency.
            (4) Developing a database of best practices to address the 
        needs of the war-related disabled through comprehensive 
        examination of support activities related to such disability 
        and access to medical care and supplies.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out 
this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
2003 through 2004.

SEC. 5. EXPERTISE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is authorized--
            (1) to provide advice and expertise on prosthetics, 
        orthotics, physical and psychological rehabilitation and 
        treatment, and disability assistance to other Federal 
        departments and agencies, including providing for temporary 
        assignment on a non-reimbursable basis of appropriate 
        Department of Veterans Affairs personnel, with respect to the 
        implementation of programs to provide assistance to victims of 
        landmines and other victims of civil strife and warfare in 
        foreign countries and landmine research and health-related 
        programs, including programs established pursuant to section 
        135 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as added by section 
        3 of this Act) and programs established pursuant to section 4 
        of this Act; and
            (2) to provide technical assistance to private voluntary 
        organizations on a reimbursable basis with respect to the 
        planning, development, operation, and evaluation of such 
        landmine assistance, research, and prevention programs.
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