[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5288 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5288

      To make further improvements relating to women's rights and 
                  protections, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 25, 2023

  Mr. Santos introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on 
 Education and the Workforce, the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, and 
   Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To make further improvements relating to women's rights and 
                  protections, 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 ``Securing Women's Independence For 
Today Act of 2023'' or the ``SWIFT Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO HEALTH EDUCATION CURRICULUM.

    (a) Health Education in High Schools.--The Secretary of Education 
shall encourage each public high school in each State to implement 
health education curriculum that includes information on the prevention 
of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.
    (b) Health Education in Institutions of Higher Education.--Section 
487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(30) The institution will--
                    ``(A) implement health education curriculum that 
                includes information on the prevention of rape, sexual 
                assault, and sexual harassment; and
                    ``(B) require each student enrolled at such 
                institution to complete such curriculum.''.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) High school.--The term ``high school'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States.

SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM TO IMPROVE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 
              WITH RESPECT TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that there 
should be a national effort to educate first responders and healthcare 
workers on how to engage with victims of sexual assault and violence.
    (b) Establishment of Comprehensive Education Program Described.--
Not later than the 13th of December after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Attorney General, in coordination and consultation with 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall implement a 
comprehensive education program to improve the healthcare system in the 
United States and ensure that responses to domestic violence and sexual 
assault continually improve.
    (c) Comprehensive Education Program Described.--
            (1) In general.--The comprehensive education program shall 
        include--
                    (A) enhanced training for covered employees, 
                including--
                            (i) training that considers mental health 
                        and encourages empathy;
                            (ii) training on taking and maintaining 
                        diligent records;
                            (iii) training on the proper handling of 
                        evidence; and
                            (iv) any other type of training relating to 
                        mental health that is recommended by the 
                        Secretary of Health and Human Services;
                    (B) real world situational modules described in 
                subsection (d).
            (2) Requirement to participate.--The comprehensive 
        education program shall be available to any covered employee. A 
        covered employee shall complete the comprehensive education 
        program within the first three months of hire and again at 
        least every two years. Such participation shall be managed and 
        required by the executive of each covered entity.
            (3) E-certification.--Covered employees who have completed 
        the comprehensive education program shall be issued an e-
        certificate which qualifies such an employee to interact with 
        victims of sexual assault, sexual violence, or domestic 
        violence.
    (d) Real World Situational Modules Described.--The comprehensive 
education program described under subsection (c)(1) shall include at 
minimum the following 13 modules:
            (1) A module detailing intake procedures for an individual 
        documenting sexual assault.
            (2) A module detailing intake procedures for an individual 
        documenting domestic violence.
            (3) A module detailing how to respond to a scene of 
        domestic violence.
            (4) A module detailing how to respond to a scene of sexual 
        assault.
            (5) A module on emotional support and empathy training.
            (6) A module on conflict de-escalation.
            (7) A module on reporting and associated procedures 
        necessary for law enforcement efforts to investigate and 
        prosecute perpetrators of sexual assault, sexual violence, or 
        domestic violence.
            (8) A module on suicide prevention, de-escalation, and 
        emergency response procedures, including how to interact with 
        an individual dealing with suicidal thoughts or history.
            (9) A module on how to provide services to and handle the 
        needs of victims who are minors.
            (10) A module on Federal, State, and local laws and 
        policies related to sexual assault and domestic violence.
            (11) A module on physical evidence collection and record 
        taking procedures for law enforcement, including mandatory 
        reporting requirements for information reported by a victim.
            (12) A module on social services references and resources 
        for helping victims in an individualized context.
            (13) A module on costs a victim may expect to be associated 
        with care and costs associated with mental health resources and 
        care.
    (e) Loss of Federal Funds.--Any covered entity that does not comply 
with the requirements of this section shall not be eligible for any 
Federal funding for the following year.
    (f) Fine.--A covered entity found to have covered employees in 
violation of this section shall be fined $50,000 a month per employee 
who has not completed the requirements of this section.
    (g) Reducing National Debt.--Any fines collected pursuant to 
subsection (f) shall on December 13th of each year be deposited into 
the general fund of the Treasury for the sole purpose of reducing the 
national debt.
    (h) Appropriations.--There is appropriated $13,000,000 per State 
for the Attorney General to carry out this section, to be derived from 
the unobligated balances of amounts previously appropriated as follows:
            (1) The unobligated balance of all amounts made available 
        to the Attorney General to prevent, prepare for, or respond to 
        the coronavirus as of the date of the enactment of the ``Swift 
        Act of 2023''.
            (2) To the extent the unobligated balances described in 
        paragraph (1) do not exceed $650,000,000, an additional amount 
        representing the difference between the amount described in 
        paragraph (1) and $650,000,000, derived from the unobligated 
        balances of amounts appropriated by Public Law 117-169 
        (commonly referred to as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022) 
        for the Internal Revenue Service.
            (3) To the extent the unobligated balances described in 
        paragraphs (1) and (2) do not exceed $650,000,000, an 
        additional amount representing the difference between the 
        amount described in paragraphs (1) and (2) and $650,000,000, 
        derived from the unobligated balances of amounts appropriated 
        to pay any interest or debt owed by the United States to the 
        People's Republic of China, or from any amounts made available 
        to provide United States assistance to the People's Republic of 
        China.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered employee.--The term ``covered employee'' 
        includes any employee of any covered entity who directly, or 
        has the potential to directly, interact with an individual who 
        has been a victim of sexual assault, sexual violence, or 
        domestic violence, including nurses, doctors, physician 
        assistants, law enforcement officers, and first responders.
            (2) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' includes 
        any entity that employs a covered employee.

SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR FOREIGN COUNTRIES THAT 
              CRIMINALIZE OR DISCRIMINATE BASED ON GENDER.

    (a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no Federal 
funds may be obligated or expended to provide assistance, directly or 
indirectly, to a country described in subsection (c) for five calendar 
years.
    (b) Exception.--
            (1) In general.--The President may authorize an obligation 
        or expenditure of Federal funds to assist a country described 
        in subsection (c) only if the President determines, on a case-
        by-case basis, that such proposed obligation or expenditure is 
        vital to the national security interests of the United States.
            (2) Briefing.--Upon making a determination under paragraph 
        (1), the President, acting through the Secretary of State, 
        shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees and 
        congressional leadership a briefing on such determination.
    (c) Countries Described.--A country described in this subsection is 
a foreign country the government of which the President determines has 
enacted or established and is implementing any provision of law, or 
provision which has the force and effect of law, that criminalizes or 
discriminates on the basis of gender, including through such provisions 
that, on the basis of gender--
            (1) limit or prohibit women from--
                    (A) enrolling in or attending any educational 
                institution, school, or other program of instruction, 
                or otherwise seeking or receiving education activities;
                    (B) operating a vehicle;
                    (C) freely exercising any religion; or
                    (D) walking or otherwise traveling without a male 
                escort; or
            (2) authorize (including as a form of punishment) female 
        genital mutilation, sexual abuse, beheading, or any other 
        practice that targets the lives of women.
    (d) Pay Off the National Debt.--Any Federal funds not obligated or 
expended to provide assistance, directly or indirectly, to a country 
described in subsection (c) pursuant to subsection (a) or any Federal 
funds remaining for that fiscal year or previous years for such purpose 
shall be used to pay off the national debt.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means the following:
                    (A) The Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House 
                of Representatives.
                    (B) The Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
            (2) Congressional leadership.--The term ``congressional 
        leadership'' means the following:
                    (A) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
                    (B) The minority leader of the House of 
                Representatives.
                    (C) The majority leader of the Senate.
                    (D) The minority leader of the Senate.
    (f) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect on the date that is 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. FUNDING FOR PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

    There is appropriated $13,000,000 for the Director of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out the Rape Prevention and 
Education Program, to be derived from the unobligated balances of 
amounts previously appropriated as follows:
            (1) The unobligated balance of all amounts made available 
        Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 
        prevent, prepare for, or respond to the coronavirus as of the 
        date of the enactment of the ``Swift Act of 2023''.
            (2) To the extent the unobligated balances described in 
        paragraph (1) do not exceed $13,000,000, an additional amount 
        representing the difference between the amount described in 
        paragraph (1) and $13,000,000, derived from the unobligated 
        balances of amounts appropriated by Public Law 117-169 
        (commonly referred to as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022) 
        for the Internal Revenue Service.
            (3) To the extent the unobligated balances described in 
        paragraphs (1) and (2) do not exceed $13,000,000, an additional 
        amount representing the difference between the amount described 
        in paragraphs (1) and (2) and $13,000,000, derived from the 
        unobligated balances of amounts appropriated to pay any 
        interest or debt owed by the United States to the People's 
        Republic of China, or from any amounts made available to 
        provide United States assistance to the People's Republic of 
        China.
                                 <all>