[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4674 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4674

 To support the sustainable recovery and rebuilding of Nepal following 
          the recent, devastating earthquakes near Kathmandu.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 2, 2016

    Ms. Meng (for herself, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Engel, Mr. Salmon, Mr. 
  Sherman, Mr. Crowley, and Mr. Polis) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To support the sustainable recovery and rebuilding of Nepal following 
          the recent, devastating earthquakes near Kathmandu.

    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 ``Nepal Recovery Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (3) International financial institution.--The term 
        ``international financial institution'' means--
                    (A) each of the institutions listed in section 
                1701(c)(2) of the International Financial Institutions 
                Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(2)); and
                    (B) the International Fund for Agricultural 
                Development.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On April 25, 2015, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the 
        Richter scale and a subsequent earthquake on May 12 measuring 
        7.3 on the Richter scale and numerous aftershocks--
                    (A) devastated Kathmandu, Nepal, and the 
                surrounding areas;
                    (B) killed more than 8,700 people;
                    (C) injured hundreds of thousands additional 
                people;
                    (D) destroyed or damaged more than 770,000 homes, 
                leaving the families who had been living in those homes 
                without shelter;
                    (E) damaged or destroyed more than 47,000 
                classrooms;
                    (F) damaged or destroyed over 1,000 health 
                facilities including primary health care centers and 
                birthing centers;
                    (G) left many people with newly acquired 
                disabilities, including lost limbs and other physical 
                and mental trauma;
                    (H) severely impacted livelihoods and food security 
                for millions of people, including the destruction of 
                stockpiled grains and the loss of more than 17,000 
                cattle and 40,000 smaller domesticated animals; and
                    (I) disrupted social structures and families 
                through death, injury, and relocation.
            (2) The earthquake devastated Nepal's infrastructure, 
        including homes, offices, factories, roads, bridges, 
        communications, and other facilities.
            (3) American citizens were also killed in the widespread 
        destruction caused by the earthquake.
            (4) Six American servicemembers and 2 members of the 
        Nepalese Army lost their lives in a helicopter accident while 
        working to relieve the suffering of the Nepalese people 
        following the earthquake.
            (5) The World Bank and the Government of Nepal conducted a 
        post disaster needs assessment that estimated almost 
        $6,700,000,000 in sector specific damage, losses, and recovery 
        needs.
            (6) In Nepal, which is one of the poorest countries in the 
        world--
                    (A) an estimated 25 percent of the population lives 
                on less than $1.25 per day;
                    (B) there is a 46-percent unemployment rate, with 
                the majority of the population engaged in subsistence 
                agriculture;
                    (C) only 25 percent of Nepalese participate in the 
                formal banking system, with the majority of Nepalese 
                severely lacking access to credit and financial 
                services, making accessing credit for rebuilding 
                difficult; and
                    (D) has one of the slowest economic growth rates in 
                the region.
            (7) The geography of Nepal poses a significant challenge to 
        relief, reconstruction, and development that requires 
        extraordinary efforts and assets to overcome.
            (8) The United States Government, the Government of Nepal, 
        and civil society organizations have invested in disaster risk 
        reduction efforts for nearly 20 years. Those efforts have 
        reduced suffering and prevented greater loss of life and 
        property.
            (9) In recent years, the Government and people of Nepal 
        have taken important steps forward to resolve civil conflict, 
        reconcile, and promote economic growth and development.
            (10) Nepal has qualified for the Millennium Challenge 
        Corporation Threshold Program and has been selected for a 
        Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact, based on its 
        performance on key selection criteria.
            (11) The earthquake has significantly increased the costs 
        and uncertainty of doing business in Nepal.

SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States, in partnership with the 
Government of Nepal and in coordination with the international 
community--
            (1) to support the sustainable recovery and rebuilding of 
        Nepal in a manner that--
                    (A) encourages greater economic growth;
                    (B) embraces the independence, resilience, and 
                democratic governance of Nepal;
                    (C) supports collaboration with the Government of 
                Nepal and consultation with Nepalese and international 
                civil society and including the participation of 
                affected communities in planning and implementing 
                recovery and reconstruction;
                    (D) ensures that the National Reconstruction 
                Authority institutes strong internal accounting and 
                accountability measures;
                    (E) seeks to reach the most severely affected 
                communities, particularly those who live in hard-to-
                reach areas or who are otherwise marginalized;
                    (F) seeks to address the vulnerability of young 
                girls and boys who are often at much higher risk of 
                trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labor, and 
                other forms of abuse during emergencies;
                    (G) prohibits the participation of the United 
                States in any construction effort, which uses forced or 
                child labor, unregistered recruitment agencies, or pays 
                wages through means other than directly to the laborer 
                or to their bank account;
                    (H) promotes compliance with Nepalese labor law and 
                internationally recognized core labor standards, as set 
                forth in the International Labor Organization 
                Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at 
                Work and its followup;
                    (I) harnesses the energy of youth, who make up 33 
                percent of Nepal's population, to rebuild Nepal;
                    (J) includes regulatory reforms that improve the 
                environment for investors;
                    (K) supports the role of women in the 
                reconstruction and recovery effort;
                    (L) rebuilds in ways that foster resilience to 
                future earthquakes, landslides, and other natural 
                disasters that threaten Nepal;
                    (M) enables a rapid return to school for children, 
                including the rapid construction and effective 
                utilization of medium-term temporary school structures; 
                and
                    (N) coordinates activities with the Millennium 
                Challenge Corporation and other agencies to assure the 
                optimal efficiency and effectiveness of United States 
                efforts;
            (2) to encourage all international donors to contribute and 
        coordinate in a transparent manner and report all contributions 
        through international mechanisms to enable the most efficient 
        allocation of all reconstruction resources;
            (3) to ensure that ongoing development investments in 
        health, education, economic growth, food security, and other 
        areas continue, where appropriate, and are not diverted to 
        other purposes;
            (4) to affirm and build a long-term partnership with Nepal 
        in support of providing a foundation for economic growth and 
        sustainability through investments--
                    (A) in essential infrastructure, including 
                transport, financial services, and energy;
                    (B) to rebuild Nepal's competitiveness and private 
                sector in order to foster employment generation, 
                including policies to encourage investment and open 
                world consumer markets to Nepalese exports;
                    (C) in food security and rural and agricultural 
                development, particularly of food staples and other 
                crops that provide economic growth and build lasting 
                food security; and
                    (D) that recognize and address how obstacles 
                related to gender limit, hinder, or suppress the 
                economic productivity and gain of women;
            (5) to ensure, with the Government of Nepal, that affected 
        children are protected from potential violence, abuse, neglect, 
        and exploitation and have the ability to access child 
        protection services, including psychosocial support;
            (6) to support, in coordination with other donors--
                    (A) the institutional development and capacity 
                building of the Government of Nepal at the national, 
                local, and community levels so that the Government of 
                Nepal can ensure basic services for its population, 
                including health care, education, and other basic 
                social services;
                    (B) contributions to a multilateral trust fund that 
                will be established to enhance the reconstruction and 
                rebuilding of Nepal;
                    (C) the Government and people of Nepal to lead the 
                vision for reconstruction and rebuilding of Nepal; and
                    (D) communities to fully participate in the 
                recovery and reconstruction process, by employing local 
                labor, as appropriate, and consulting local leaders, 
                affected communities, and civil society for their 
                experience and vision; and
            (7) to address the stateless populations in Nepal, 
        including Tibetan communities, who--
                    (A) are least likely to receive support through the 
                regular government systems; and
                    (B) may have particularly greater or different 
                needs.

SEC. 5. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of funds, the 
President may provide technical and financial assistance for programs 
that--
            (1) improve Nepal's basic infrastructure following the 
        earthquakes in affected communities;
            (2) support economic growth, including through agriculture 
        and small-scale enterprise opportunities;
            (3) promote health and basic education programs; and
            (4) support democracy programs that promote political 
        reforms, as appropriate, including strengthening democratic 
        institutions and rule of law.
    (b) Fast-Track of Investment Feasibility and Assessment Studies.--
The Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency may 
proactively explore and provide accelerated response in Nepal for--
            (1) project identification and investment analyses;
            (2) trade capacity building and sector development 
        activities, including technical assistance and feasibility 
        studies that support investments in infrastructure that 
        contribute to overseas development; and
            (3) trade capacity building and sector development 
        assistance supporting the establishment of industry standards, 
        rules, regulations, market liberalization, and other policy 
        reform, with a particular focus on engineering and 
        construction.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    (a) Report on Impact of Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts.--Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional 
committees that--
            (1) assesses the effectiveness of United States investments 
        in Nepal in disaster risk reduction and earthquake resilience 
        during the 20-year period ending on the date of the enactment 
        of this Act; and
            (2) includes a set of recommendations for how the 
        efficiency and effectiveness of disaster risk and recovery 
        programs can be improved in Nepal and other countries with 
        substantial disaster risk and recovery programming.
    (b) Report on Humanitarian Relief Efforts.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit a report to 
the appropriate congressional committees that--
            (1) describes the cost, effectiveness, timeliness, and 
        impact of the international humanitarian and reconstruction 
        assistance provided to Nepal; and
            (2) includes an assessment of the efforts of the United 
        States to prevent corruption during the humanitarian response 
        and reconstruction work.
    (c) Report on Impediments to Nepal's Recovery.--Not later than 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
State, in coordination with the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development and the heads of other appropriate 
departments and agencies, shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees that includes--
            (1) a description of the impediments to Nepal's recovery 
        efforts, including the flow of goods and services to and from 
        Nepal;
            (2) a strategy to address and mitigate political, 
        diplomatic, and economic challenges to reconstruction efforts, 
        including ensuring the efficient use, and timely distribution, 
        of United States Government assistance;
            (3) an assessment of the impact of any impediments to 
        energy resources, tourism, medical care, educational 
        institutions, and the housing sector;
            (4) an assessment of the effects of these impediments to 
        ongoing United States Government assistance programs throughout 
        Nepal, including those not directly related to earthquake 
        recovery activities; and
            (5) a detailed summary of any United States Government 
        bilateral and multilateral efforts to enlist bilateral or 
        multilateral support to mitigate political, diplomatic, and 
        economic challenges to Nepal's recovery.
    (d) Quarterly Briefings.--The Secretary of State, in coordination 
with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development and the heads of any other appropriate departments and 
agencies, shall provide quarterly briefings through the end of fiscal 
year 2018 to the appropriate congressional committees on the efforts of 
the United States Government to ensure the efficient and effective 
distribution of United States assistance to contribute to Nepal's 
recovery and to carry out the objectives of this Act.
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