[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 611 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 611

  To authorize the establishment of a program to provide economic and 
infrastructure reconstruction assistance to the Republic of Haiti, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 8, 2005

   Mr. Foley (for himself, Mr. Rangel, and Mr. Shaw) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the establishment of a program to provide economic and 
infrastructure reconstruction assistance to the Republic of Haiti, 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 ``Haiti Economic and Infrastructure 
Reconstruction Act''.

SEC. 2. ECONOMIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM FOR THE 
              REPUBLIC OF HAITI.

    (a) Program Authorized.--The President is authorized to establish 
an economic and infrastructure reconstruction program for the Republic 
of Haiti, to be known as the ``Haiti Economic and Infrastructure 
Reconstruction Program'' (in this section referred to as the 
``Reconstruction Program''), under which individuals who are recruited 
into the Program will be deployed to Haiti to provide assistance to the 
Government of Haiti related to economic and infrastructure 
reconstruction and development.
    (b) Appointment.--If the President establishes the Reconstruction 
Program under subsection (a), the President shall appoint an officer or 
employee of the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the 
United States Agency for International Development to serve as the 
Director of the Reconstruction Program. The Director shall possess 
expertise with respect to--
            (1) Haiti; or
            (2) economic, educational, judicial, law enforcement, 
        healthcare, or infrastructure reconstruction and recovery 
        efforts in developing countries.
    (c) Coordination.--The Director shall coordinate with appropriate 
officials from the Government of Haiti to identify ministries and 
agencies of the Government of Haiti that require assistance concerning 
the reconstruction and development in Haiti with respect to--
            (1) the economy, including a special emphasis on the 
        development of private and public domestic and foreign business 
        investment;
            (2) the educational system, including a special emphasis on 
        the development of school facilities, teacher training 
        programs, and administration management programs;
            (3) the judiciary and the rule of law;
            (4) the healthcare system; and
            (5) the infrastructure.
    (d) Recruitment of Individuals for Participation in the 
Reconstruction Program.--
            (1) Required qualifications.--The Director shall recruit 
        individuals who are citizens of the United States and who 
        possess--
                    (A) at minimum, a four-year college or university 
                degree awarded from an accredited college or university 
                located in the United States; or
                    (B) such skills or expertise as the Director 
                determines to be relevant or appropriate to carry out 
                the Reconstruction Program.
            (2) Haitian-americans.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
        the Director shall recruit Haitian-Americans.
    (e) Use of Funds.--The Director shall use funds appropriated for 
the Reconstruction Program to--
            (1) cover the costs of housing, in such amounts as the 
        Director determines to be appropriate, for individuals who are 
        deployed to Haiti to carry out the Reconstruction Program; and
            (2) pay such individuals a salary, in such amounts as the 
        Director determines to be appropriate, taking into 
        consideration the expertise of an individual and the position 
        in the Reconstruction Program held by such individual.
    (f) Length of Deployment in Haiti.--
            (1) One year.--Individuals recruited under subsection (d) 
        may be deployed to Haiti under the Reconstruction Program for 
        no longer than one year.
            (2) Exception.--If the Director determines that an extended 
        period of deployment for any individual is appropriate, and 
        such individual consents to such extension, the Director may 
        extend the deployment of such individual for no longer than two 
        additional years.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) First interim report.--Not later than six months after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 
        submit to Congress a first interim report regarding the 
        Reconstruction Program.
            (2) Second interim report.--Not later than 12 months after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 
        submit to Congress a second interim report regarding the 
        Reconstruction Program.
            (3) Final report.--Not later than 18 months after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 
        Congress a final report regarding the Reconstruction Program.
            (4) Contents.--The interim and final reports shall include 
        information relating to the following:
                    (A) A description and explanation of the process of 
                recruitment of individuals for participation in the 
                Reconstruction Program, including a description and 
                explanation of--
                            (i) the selection criteria used; and
                            (ii) any incentives offered and the cost of 
                        such incentives.
                    (B) The number of individuals recruited and the 
                ministry or agency and the locality in which each 
                individual is placed.
                    (C) The potential for expansion of the 
                Reconstruction Program.
    (h) Infrastructure Defined.--In this section, the term 
``infrastructure'' means a road, highway, bridge, tunnel, airport, mass 
transportation vehicle or system, intermodal transportation facility, 
waterway, commercial port, drinking or waste water treatment facility, 
solid waste disposal facility, pollution control system, and gas, 
electricity, and oil utilities.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the President to carry out this section such sums as 
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2011. It is 
the sense of Congress that at least $3,000,000 should be made available 
for each of those fiscal years to carry out this section.

SEC. 3. HEALTHCARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR HAITI.

    (a) Healthcare Program Authorized.--The President is authorized to 
establish a healthcare assistance program for Haiti, to be known as the 
``Haiti Healthcare Assistance Program'' (in this section referred to as 
the ``Healthcare Program''), under which grants may be made to 
qualified nongovernmental organizations to establish programs in Haiti 
related to the prevention of infectious diseases in Haiti.
    (b) Coordination.--If the President establishes the Healthcare 
Program under subsection (a), the President shall seek to work with 
appropriate officials from the Government of Haiti and with appropriate 
individuals from international financial institutions, civil society, 
nongovernmental organizations, and international organizations to work 
in coordination and cooperation with qualified nongovernmental 
organizations.
    (c) Use of Grant Funds.--A qualified nongovernmental organization 
that receives a grant through this section shall use the grant to 
promulgate a comprehensive and integrated strategy to combat and 
control infectious diseases in Haiti through the establishment of a 
comprehensive healthcare infrastructure in Haiti that focuses on 
education, prevention, care, treatment, support, capacity development, 
and other related activities.
    (d) Satisfaction of Criteria to Be Considered a Qualified 
Nongovernmental Organization.--The Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development shall promulgate criteria that 
shall be satisfied by a nongovernmental organization in order for such 
organization to be considered a qualified nongovernmental organization 
for purposes of this section.
    (e) Healthcare Infrastructure Defined.--In this section, the term 
``healthcare infrastructure'' means an inpatient or outpatient 
hospital, clinic, or medical facility and medical programs, including 
programs for hiring physicians, nurses, or other medical personnel and 
programs for acquiring transportation and communications systems for 
medical purposes.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the President to carry out this section such sums as 
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2011. It is 
the sense of Congress that at least $3,000,000 should be made available 
for each of those fiscal years to carry out this section.
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