[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6117 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6117

   To promote the empowerment, development, and prosperity of women 
                   globally, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 2020

 Mr. McCaul (for himself, Mrs. Wagner, Ms. Houlahan, and Ms. Frankel) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To promote the empowerment, development, and prosperity of women 
                   globally, 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 ``Women's Global Development and 
Prosperity Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WOMEN'S GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY 
              INITIATIVE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall establish an office 
for the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) 
under the office established in section 6(a) to lead and coordinate 
efforts related to the objectives set forth in subsection (b).
    (b) Objectives.--The W-GDP Initiative should be based on the 
following three pillars:
            (1) Women prospering in the workforce.--Advance women in 
        the workforce by improving access to quality vocational 
        education and skills training, enabling women to secure jobs in 
        their local economies.
            (2) Women succeeding as entrepreneurs.--Promote women's 
        entrepreneurship and increase access to capital, markets, 
        technical assistance, and mentorship.
            (3) Women enabled in the economy.--Identify and reduce the 
        legal, regulatory, and social barriers, including 
        disproportionate burdens of unpaid care, gender-based violence 
        and abuse, and underinvestment in education, that constrain 
        women's full and free participation in the global economy and 
        promote improved practices.
    (c) Sense of Congress on Enabling Women in the Economy.--It is the 
sense of Congress that, recognizing the breadth of work necessary to 
address the overall enabling environment and supporting efforts related 
to the third pillar set forth under subsection (b)(3), it should be the 
policy of the United States to ensure that the United States Government 
promotes the following five types of foundational legal reforms:
            (1) Accessing institutions.--Lifting barriers that prevent 
        women from fully participating in the work force, ensuring 
        women's authority to sign legal documents such as contracts and 
        court documents, and addressing unequal access to courts and 
        administrative bodies for women, whether officially, through 
        lack of proper enforcement, or through the unequal access of 
        education that may prevent women's literacy.
            (2) Building credit.--Ensuring women's equal access to 
        credit and capital to start and grow their businesses, and 
        prohibiting discrimination in access to credit on the basis of 
        gender or marital status.
            (3) Owning and managing property.--Lifting restrictions on 
        women's possessing and managing property, including limitations 
        on inheritance and the ability to transfer, purchase, or lease 
        property.
            (4) Traveling freely.--Addressing constraints on women's 
        freedom of movement, including restrictions on obtaining 
        passports on the basis of gender.
            (5) Removing restrictions on employment.--Eliminating 
        barriers that limit working hours, occupations, or tasks on the 
        basis of gender.
    (d) Policy Alignment.--The Women's Global Development and 
Prosperity Initiative shall be closely aligned and coordinated with 
ongoing United States Government efforts to advance women's empowerment 
globally, including requirements under the Women, Peace, and Security 
Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-68) and the Women's Entrepreneurship and 
Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-428).

SEC. 3. LEVERAGING UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE.

    The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ambassador-at-
Large for Women's Empowerment and the heads of relevant Federal 
agencies, including those set forth in section 5(b), may work with the 
private sector and nongovernmental organizations to leverage public and 
private capital to complement W-GDP Initiative programs and related 
efforts.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated not less 
than $200,000,000 for fiscal years 2021 through 2025 for a W-GDP Fund, 
established at the United States Agency for International Development, 
with a focus on sourcing and scaling the most impactful programs for 
women's economic empowerment and ensuring there is not duplication of 
effort with other departments and agencies.
    (b) Appropriations Requirement.--Funds authorized to be 
appropriated by this section shall only be made available subject to 
the availability of appropriations.
    (c) Oversight.--Funds authorized to be appropriated by this section 
shall be jointly overseen by the United States Agency for International 
Development and the Ambassador for Women's Empowerment.

SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY STEERING GROUP AND ADVISORY COUNCIL.

    (a) Establishment of an Interagency Steering Group.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall establish a steering 
        group (the ``Steering Group''), with representation from 
        appropriate Federal departments and agencies, to carry out the 
        policy goals of this Act. The President shall designate a chair 
        or co-chairs to lead the activities of the Steering Group in 
        coordination with the Ambassador-at-Large for Women's 
        Empowerment.
            (2) Membership.--The Steering Group shall include 
        representatives from--
                    (A) the Department of State;
                    (B) the Department of the Treasury;
                    (C) the Department of Commerce;
                    (D) the Department of Labor;
                    (E) the Department of Defense;
                    (F) the United States Agency for International 
                Development (USAID);
                    (G) the Millennium Challenge Corporation;
                    (H) the Peace Corps;
                    (I) the United States International Development 
                Finance Corporation (DFC);
                    (J) the Inter-American Foundation;
                    (K) the United States African Development 
                Foundation;
                    (L) the components of the executive offices of the 
                President, including the Office of Management and 
                Budget, and the Office of the United States Trade 
                Representative; and
                    (M) other Federal agencies, as determined 
                appropriate by guidelines developed by the co-chairs.
    (b) Establishment of an Advisory Council.--
            (1) In general.--The President may establish a W-GDP 
        Advisory Council (in this subsection referred to as the 
        ``Council'') to advise the Secretary of State, and others as 
        appropriate.
            (2) Membership.--Members of the Council should be appointed 
        by the Secretary of State and may consist of up to 16 members 
        that includes representation from non-governmental 
        organizations, think tanks, advocacy organizations, 
        foundations, the private sector, faith-based organizations, 
        women's organizations, and other institutions engaged in 
        promoting women's economic empowerment globally.
            (3) Functions.--The Secretary of State should call upon 
        members of the Council, either collectively or individually, to 
        advise the Interagency Steering Group regarding the extent to 
        which the W-GDP Initiative is meeting its objectives and any 
        suggestions for improvements with respect to meeting those 
        objectives, including implementation challenges and 
        opportunities.
            (4) Federal advisory committee act.--The Council shall not 
        be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
        App.).

SEC. 6. OFFICE OF WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State should establish in the 
Office of the Secretary of the Department of State the Office of 
Women's Empowerment. The Office should be headed by an Ambassador-at-
Large for Women's Empowerment, who should be appointed by the 
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The 
Ambassador-at-Large should report directly to the Secretary.
    (b) Purpose.--In addition to the duties described in this Act and 
duties determined by the Secretary of State, the Ambassador should 
coordinate efforts of the United States Government as directed by the 
Secretary regarding approaches that promote equality and advance the 
status and development of women and girls in United States foreign 
policy.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Ambassador should--
                    (A) direct activities, policies, programs, and 
                funding relating to gender equality and the advancement 
                of women and girls internationally;
                    (B) work to ensure the integration of gender 
                analysis into the formulation of policy, programs, 
                structures, process, and capacities throughout the 
                bureaus and offices of the Department of State and in 
                the international programs of other Federal agencies;
                    (C) direct United States Government resources, as 
                appropriate, to respond to needs for promoting gender 
                equality and the empowerment of women in United States 
                Government foreign policies and international programs;
                    (D) design, support, and implement activities 
                regarding--
                            (i) the empowerment of women 
                        internationally, including for the prevention 
                        of and response to gender-based violence 
                        internationally;
                            (ii) the policies and goals of the Women, 
                        Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (Public Law 
                        115-68) and the Women's Entrepreneurship and 
                        Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (Public Law 
                        115-428);
                            (iii) the Women's Global Development and 
                        Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative as described in 
                        section 2; and
                            (iv) the reduction of legal, regulatory, 
                        and social barriers that constrain women 
                        worldwide;
                    (E) ensure that programs, projects, and activities 
                designed to promote and empower women internationally 
                are subject to rigorous monitoring and evaluation, and 
                oversee the development of indicators and standards for 
                such monitoring and evaluation, with the intent of 
                using these across relevant Federal agencies;
                    (F) partner, consult, and coordinate with other 
                governments, bilateral and multilateral institutions, 
                nongovernmental organizations, and private-sector 
                partners, and represent the United States in diplomatic 
                and multilateral fora as appropriate, to advance the 
                objectives of this Act;
                    (G) serve as the principal advisor to the Secretary 
                of State regarding gender equality, women's 
                empowerment, and gender-based violence as a foreign 
                policy matter; and
                    (H) undertake other relevant duties that the 
                Secretary of State shall determine, as appropriate.
            (2) Information sharing and transparency.--The Office of 
        Women's Empowerment should, as appropriate--
                    (A) be the central repository of data on all United 
                States programs, projects, and activities that relate 
                to empowering, promoting, including, and advancing 
                women worldwide; and
                    (B) produce a full accounting of United States 
                Government spending on such programs, projects, and 
                activities not later than one year after the date of 
                the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Service of Current Senior Official.--A senior official with 
experience in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women 
and girls, appointed by the President as an Ambassador-at-Large and 
confirmed by the Senate for a position that addresses global women's 
issues, shall also serve in the Ambassador-at-Large position 
established under this section.

SEC. 7. SENIOR COORDINATOR FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--There should be established in the United 
States Agency for International Development the position of Senior 
Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. The Senior 
Coordinator should--
            (1) report to the Administrator of the United States Agency 
        for International Development; and
            (2) conduct duties as directed by the Administrator to 
        promote the purposes of this Act.
    (b) In General.--The Senior Coordinator should--
            (1) in consultation with the Ambassador-at-Large for 
        Women's Empowerment described in section 6, coordinate 
        activities, policies, programs, and funding of the Agency 
        relating to gender equality and women's empowerment;
            (2) work to ensure the integration of gender analysis into 
        the programs, structures, processes, and capacities of all 
        bureaus and offices of the Agency as mandated by the Women's 
        Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (Public 
        Law 115-428);
            (3) design, support, and implement activities led by the 
        Agency regarding gender equality and women's empowerment, 
        including for the prevention and response to gender-based 
        violence internationally;
            (4) serve as the principal advisor to the Administrator on 
        gender equality, women's empowerment, and gender-based 
        violence;
            (5) track and analyze monitoring and evaluation data and 
        findings on gender equality and women's empowerment programs of 
        the Agency; and
            (6) partner, consult, and coordinate with other 
        governments, bilateral and multilateral institutions, 
        nongovernmental organizations, and private-sector partners to 
        advance the objectives of this Act.

SEC. 8. REPORTING TO CONGRESS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, and annually thereafter until 2025, the President shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report that--
            (1) summarizes and evaluates the implementation of United 
        States diplomatic efforts and foreign assistance programs, 
        projects, and activities to advance the policy objectives set 
        forth in section 2;
            (2) describes the nature and extent of the coordination 
        among the relevant departments and agencies;
            (3) describes the monitoring and evaluation tools, 
        mechanisms, and common indicators to assess progress made on 
        the policy objectives of this Act;
            (4) describes partnerships and collaborations with the 
        private sector, including amount of funding leveraged by United 
        States contributions to support the objectives described in 
        section 2; and
            (5) describes partnerships, consultation, and coordination 
        being undertaken with other governments, bilateral and 
        multilateral institutions, and nongovernmental organizations.

SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``Agency'' means 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) Gender analysis.--The term ``gender analysis'' refers 
        to the definition as outlined in the Women's Entrepreneurship 
        and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-428), 
        namely to undertake analysis of ``quantitative and qualitative 
        information to identify, understand, and explain gaps between 
        men and women''.
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