[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1567 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1567

  To authorize a comprehensive, strategic approach for United States 
foreign assistance to developing countries to reduce global poverty and 
     hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, promote 
   inclusive, sustainable agricultural-led economic growth, improve 
    nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children, build 
    resilience among vulnerable populations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 24, 2015

  Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Royce, Mr. 
   Engel, Mr. Fortenberry, Ms. Bass, Mr. Crenshaw, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. 
  Reichert, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Paulsen, and Mr. Cicilline) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize a comprehensive, strategic approach for United States 
foreign assistance to developing countries to reduce global poverty and 
     hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, promote 
   inclusive, sustainable agricultural-led economic growth, improve 
    nutritional outcomes, especially for women and children, build 
    resilience among vulnerable populations, 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 ``Global Food Security Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY OBJECTIVES; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national security 
interest of the United States to promote global food security, 
resilience, and nutrition, consistent with national food security 
investment plans, which is reinforced through programs, activities, and 
initiatives that--
            (1) accelerate inclusive, agricultural-led economic growth 
        that reduces global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, 
        particularly among women and children;
            (2) increase the productivity, incomes, and livelihoods of 
        small-scale producers, especially women, by working across 
        agricultural value chains and expanding producer access to 
        local and international markets;
            (3) build resilience to food shocks among vulnerable 
        populations and households while reducing reliance upon 
        emergency food assistance;
            (4) create an enabling environment for agricultural growth 
        and investment, including through the promotion of secure and 
        transparent property rights;
            (5) improve the nutritional status of women and children, 
        with a focus on reducing child stunting, including through the 
        promotion of highly nutritious foods, diet diversification, and 
        nutritional behaviors that improve maternal and child health;
            (6) align with and leverage broader United States 
        strategies and investments in trade, economic growth, science 
        and technology, maternal and child health, nutrition, and 
        water, sanitation, and hygiene;
            (7) continue to strengthen partnerships between United 
        States-based universities and institutions in developing 
        countries that build agricultural capacity; and
            (8) ensure the effective use of United States taxpayer 
        dollars to further these objectives.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the 
President, in providing assistance to implement the Global Food 
Security Strategy, should--
            (1) coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the 
        efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
        implement the Global Food Security Strategy; and
            (2) utilize, to the extent possible, open and streamlined 
        solicitations to allow for the participation of a wide range of 
        implementing partners via the most appropriate procurement 
        mechanism.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agriculture.--The term ``agriculture'' means crops, 
        livestock, fisheries, and forestries.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (3) Feed the future innovation labs.--The term ``Feed the 
        Future Innovation Labs'' means research partnerships led by 
        United States universities that advance solutions to reduce 
        global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.
            (4) Food and nutrition security.--The term ``food and 
        nutrition security'' means access to, and availability, 
        utilization, and stability of, sufficient food to meet caloric 
        and nutritional needs for an active and healthy life.
            (5) Global food security strategy.--The term ``Global Food 
        Security Strategy'' means the strategy developed and 
        implemented pursuant to section 4(a).
            (6) Malnutrition.--The term ``malnutrition'' means poor 
        nutritional status caused by nutritional deficiency or excess.
            (7) Relevant federal departments and agencies.--The term 
        ``relevant Federal departments and agencies'' means the United 
        States Agency for International Development, the Department of 
        Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of 
        State, the Department of the Treasury, the Millennium Challenge 
        Corporation, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the 
        Peace Corps, the Office of the United States Trade 
        Representative, the United States African Development 
        Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and any other 
        department or agency specified by the President for purposes of 
        this section.
            (8) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the ability 
        of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to 
        mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses to 
        food security in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability 
        and facilitates inclusive growth.
            (9) Small-scale producer.--The term ``small-scale 
        producer'' means farmers, pastoralists, foresters, and fishers 
        that have a low-asset base and limited resources, including 
        land, capital, skills and labor, and, in the case of farmers, 
        typically farm on fewer than 5 hectares of land.
            (10) Sustainable.--The term ``sustainable'' means the 
        ability of a target country, community, partner, or beneficiary 
        to maintain, over time, the programs authorized and outcomes 
        achieved pursuant to this Act.

SEC. 4. COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

    (a) Strategy.--The President shall coordinate the development and 
implementation of a United States whole-of-government strategy to 
accomplish the policy objectives set forth in section 2(a), which 
shall--
            (1) support and be aligned with country-owned agriculture, 
        nutrition, and food security policy and investment plans 
        developed with input from relevant governmental and 
        nongovernmental sectors within partner countries and regional 
        bodies, including representatives of the private sector, 
        agricultural producers, including women and small-scale 
        producers, international and local civil society organizations, 
        faith-based organizations, research institutions, and farmers 
        as reasonable and appropriate;
            (2) support inclusive agricultural value chain development, 
        with small-scale producers, especially women, gaining greater 
        access to the inputs, skills, networking, bargaining power, 
        financing, and market linkages needed to sustain their long-
        term economic prosperity;
            (3) support improvement of the nutritional status of women 
        and children, particularly during the critical first 1,000-day 
        window until a child reaches 2 years of age, with a focus on 
        reducing child stunting;
            (4) support the long-term success of programs by building 
        the capacity of local organizations and institutions;
            (5) integrate resilience and nutrition strategies into food 
        security programs, such that chronically vulnerable populations 
        are better able to build safety nets, secure livelihoods, 
        access markets, and access opportunities from longer-term 
        economic growth;
            (6) develop community and producer resiliency to natural 
        disasters, emergencies, and natural occurrences that adversely 
        impact agricultural yield;
            (7) harness science, technology, and innovation, including 
        the research conducted at Feed the Future Innovation Labs, or 
        any successor entities, throughout the United States;
            (8) integrate agricultural development activities among 
        food insecure populations living in proximity to designated 
        national parks or wildlife areas into wildlife conservation 
        efforts;
            (9) leverage resources and expertise through partnerships 
        with the private sector, farm organizations, cooperatives, 
        civil society, faith-based organizations, research entities, 
        and academic institutions;
            (10) support collaboration, as appropriate, between United 
        States universities and public and private institutions in 
        developing countries to promote agricultural development and 
        innovation;
            (11) seek to ensure that target countries respect and 
        promote land tenure rights of local communities, particularly 
        those of women and small-scale producers;
            (12) set clear and transparent selection criteria for 
        target countries, regions, and intended beneficiaries of 
        assistance to implement the Global Food Security Strategy;
            (13) set specific and measurable goals, targets, and time 
        frames, and a plan of action consistent with the policy 
        objectives described in section 2(a); and
            (14) include criteria and methodology for graduating 
        countries from assistance provided to implement the Global Food 
        Security Strategy as countries meet the progress benchmarks 
        identified pursuant to section 6(b)(3).
    (b) Coordination.--The President shall coordinate, through a whole-
of-government approach, the efforts of relevant Federal departments and 
agencies in the implementation of the Global Food Security Strategy 
by--
            (1) establishing monitoring and evaluation systems, 
        coherence, and coordination across relevant Federal departments 
        and agencies; and
            (2) establishing platforms for regular consultation and 
        collaboration with key stakeholders, including--
                    (A) multilateral institutions;
                    (B) private voluntary organizations;
                    (C) cooperatives;
                    (D) the private sector;
                    (E) local nongovernmental and civil society 
                organizations;
                    (F) faith-based organizations;
                    (G) congressional committees; and
                    (H) other stakeholders, as appropriate.
    (c) Strategy Submission.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than October 1, 2016, the 
        President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
        committees the Global Food Security Strategy required under 
        this section that provides a detailed description of how the 
        United States intends to advance the objectives set forth in 
        section 2(a) and the agency-specific plans described in 
        paragraph (2).
            (2) Agency-specific plans.--The Global Food Security 
        Strategy shall include specific implementation plans from each 
        relevant Federal department and agency that describes--
                    (A) the anticipated contributions of the department 
                or agency, including technical, financial, and in-kind 
                contributions, to implement the Global Food Security 
                Strategy; and
                    (B) the efforts of the department or agency to 
                ensure that the activities and programs carried out 
                pursuant to the strategy are designed to achieve 
                maximum impact and long-term sustainability.

SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY.

    (a) Food Shortages.--The President is authorized to carry out 
activities pursuant to section 103, section 103A, title XII of chapter 
2 of part I, and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151a, 2151a-1, 2220a et seq., and 2346 et seq.) to 
prevent or address food shortages notwithstanding any other provision 
of law.
    (b) Monitoring and Evaluation.--The President should seek to ensure 
that assistance to implement the Global Food Security Strategy is 
provided under established parameters for a rigorous accountability 
system to monitor and evaluate progress and impact of the strategy, 
including by reporting to the appropriate congressional committees and 
the public on an annual basis.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the President $1,000,600,000 for fiscal year 2016 to 
carry out the Global Food Security Strategy.

SEC. 6. REPORT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
submission of the strategy required under section 4(c), the President 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that 
describes the status of the implementation of the Global Food Security 
Strategy.
    (b) Content.--The report required under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) contain a summary of the Global Food Security Strategy 
        as an appendix;
            (2) identify any substantial changes made in the Global 
        Food Security Strategy during the preceding calendar year;
            (3) identify the indicators that will be used to measure 
        results, set benchmarks for progress over time, and establish 
        mechanisms for reporting results in an open and transparent 
        manner;
            (4) describe the progress made in implementing the Global 
        Food Security Strategy;
            (5) assess the progress and results of implementing 
        international food and nutrition security programming;
            (6) contain a transparent, open, and detailed accounting of 
        spending by relevant Federal departments and agencies to 
        implement the Global Food Security Strategy, including by 
        listing all recipients of funding or partner organizations and, 
        to the extent possible, describing their activities;
            (7) identify any United States legal or regulatory 
        impediments that could obstruct the effective implementation of 
        the programming referred to in paragraph (5);
            (8) contain a clear gender analysis of programming that 
        includes established disaggregated gender indicators to better 
        analyze outcomes for food productivity, income growth, equity 
        in access to inputs, jobs and markets, and nutrition;
            (9) describe the strategies and benchmarks for graduating 
        target countries and monitoring any graduated target countries;
            (10) assess efforts to coordinate United States 
        international food security and nutrition programs, activities, 
        and initiatives with--
                    (A) other bilateral donors;
                    (B) international and multilateral organizations;
                    (C) international financial institutions;
                    (D) host country governments;
                    (E) international and local private voluntary, 
                nongovernmental, faith-based organizations, and civil 
                society organizations; and
                    (F) other stakeholders;
            (11) assess United States Government-facilitated private 
        investment in related sectors and the impact of private sector 
        investment in target countries;
            (12) include consultation with relevant United States 
        Government agencies in the preparation of the report; and
            (13) incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing and 
        updating strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing 
        lessons learned with a wide range of stakeholders.
    (c) Public Availability of Information.--The information referred 
to in subsection (b) shall be made publicly accessible in a timely 
manner on a consolidated website.
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