[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 847 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 149
118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 847

 To establish the International Children with Disabilities Protection 
    Program within the Department of State, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 16, 2023

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Moran, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. 
    Cardin, Mr. Tillis, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. 
  Merkley, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Coons) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

                             July 25, 2023

              Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the International Children with Disabilities Protection 
    Program within the Department of State, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``International Children with 
Disabilities Protection Act of 2023''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress makes the following findings:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) According to the United Nations Children's 
        Fund (UNICEF), there are at least 240,000,000 children and 
        youth with disabilities in the world, including approximately 
        53,000,000 children under age 5.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Families and children with disabilities 
        together make up nearly 2,000,000,000 people, or 25 percent of 
        the world's population.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Millions of children, particularly children 
        with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, are 
        placed in large or small residential institutions and most of 
        those children are left to grow up without the love, support, 
        and guidance of a family. The vast majority of children placed 
        in residential institutions have at least one living parent or 
        have extended family, many of whom would keep their children at 
        home if they had the support and legal protections necessary to 
        do so.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) As described in the 2013 world report 
        published by UNICEF, many parents who wish to keep their 
        children with disabilities feel that they have no choice but to 
        give up their child to a residential institution because of 
        prejudice and stigma against disability, the lack of support 
        and protection that families receive, and the fact that 
        education and community services are often inaccessible or 
        inappropriate for children with disabilities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Extensive scientific research demonstrates 
        that placing children in residential institutions may lead to 
        psychological harm, increased developmental disabilities, 
        stunted growth, rapid spread of infectious diseases, and high 
        rates of mortality.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Leading child protection organizations have 
        documented that children and adolescents raised without 
        families in residential institutions face high risk of 
        violence, trafficking for forced labor or the sex industry, 
        forced abortion or sterilization, and criminal 
        detention.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) The danger of family breakup and 
        institutionalization has grown enormously as a result of the 
        COVID-19 pandemic. According to a study published in The 
        Lancet, as of September 2022, a minimum of 10,500,000 children 
        globally have lost a parent or co-residing caregiver to COVID-
        19 and are now at increased risk of placement in a residential 
        institution.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) The disability rights movement in the United 
        States has been a world leader and an inspiration to the growth 
        of a global disability rights movement. The United States has 
        many models of practice that could be shared with countries 
        around the world to support laws, policies, and services to 
        promote the full inclusion of children with disabilities in 
        families around the world.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) The Advancing Protection and Care for Children 
        in Adversity strategy of the United States Government (APCCA) 
        and the Global Child Thrive Act of 2020 (subtitle I of title 
        XII of division A of Public Law 116-283; 134 Stat. 3985) commit 
        the United States Government to investing in the development, 
        care, dignity, and safety of vulnerable children and their 
        families around the world, including efforts to keep children 
        with their families and reduce placement of children in 
        residential institutions.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    It is the sense of Congress that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) stigma and discrimination against children 
        with disabilities, particularly intellectual and other 
        developmental disabilities, and lack of support for community 
        inclusion have left people with disabilities and their families 
        economically and socially marginalized;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) organizations of persons with disabilities and 
        family members of persons with disabilities are often too small 
        to apply for or obtain funds from domestic or international 
        sources or ineligible to receive funds from such 
        sources;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) as a result of the factors described in 
        paragraphs (1) and (2), key stakeholders have often been left 
        out of public policymaking on matters that affect children with 
        disabilities; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) financial support, technical assistance, and 
        active engagement of people with disabilities and their 
        families is needed to ensure the development of effective 
        policies that protect families, ensure the full inclusion in 
        society of children with disabilities, and promote the 
        transition of children with disabilities to independent living 
        as adults.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of State.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Family.--The term ``family'' includes married 
        and unmarried parents, single parents, adoptive families, 
        kinship care, extended family, and foster care.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Organization of persons with disabilities.--
        The term ``organization of persons with disabilities'' means a 
        nongovernmental civil society organization with staff 
        leadership and a board of directors the majority of which 
        consists of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) people with disabilities;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) individuals who were formerly placed 
                in a residential institution; or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) family members of children or youth 
                with disabilities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Residential institution.--The term 
        ``residential institution''--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) means a facility where children live 
                in a collective arrangement that is not family-based 
                and that--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) may be public or privately 
                        managed and staffed;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) may be small or large; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) may or may not be designated 
                        for children with disabilities; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) includes an orphanage, a children's 
                institution, a group home, an infant home, a children's 
                village or cottage complex, a boarding school used 
                primarily for care, and any other residential setting 
                for children.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. STATEMENT OF POLICY.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    It is the policy of the United States to--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) assist countries abroad in creating rights 
        protection programs for people with disabilities and developing 
        policies and social supports to ensure that children with 
        disabilities can grow up as members of families and make the 
        transition to independent living as adults;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) promote the development of advocacy skills and 
        leadership abilities of people with disabilities and family 
        members of children and youth with disabilities so that such 
        individuals can effectively participate in their local, 
        regional, and national governments to promote policy reforms 
        and programs to support full inclusion in families of children 
        with disabilities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) promote the development of laws and policies 
        that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) strengthen families and protect 
                against the unnecessary institutionalization of 
                children with disabilities; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) create opportunities for youth with 
                disabilities to receive the resources and support 
                needed to achieve their full potential and transition 
                to independent living as adults;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) promote participation by different groups of 
        people with disabilities and their families in advocating for 
        disability rights and reforms to legal frameworks; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) promote the sustainable action needed to bring 
        about changes in law, policy, and programs to ensure full 
        family inclusion of children with disabilities and the 
        transition of children with disabilities to independent living 
        as adults.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES PROTECTION 
              PROGRAM AND CAPACITY BUILDING.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) International Children With Disabilities Protection 
Program.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Establishment of program.--There is 
        established within the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and 
        Labor of the Department a grant and capacity-building program 
        to be known as the ``International Children with Disabilities 
        Protection Program'' (in this section referred to as the 
        ``Program'').</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Program is to 
        assist organizations of persons with disabilities and family 
        members of children with disabilities in communicating about 
        and advocating for policies that ensure the family inclusion 
        and transition to independent living of children with 
        disabilities to advance the policy described in section 
        5.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Criteria.--The Secretary of State, in 
        consultation with leading civil society groups with expertise 
        in global disability rights, shall establish criteria for--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) applications for grants awarded under 
                paragraph (4); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the selection of--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) the countries or regions 
                        targeted under the Program;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) priority activities funded 
                        through grants awarded under paragraph (4); 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) capacity-building needs of 
                        recipients of grants awarded under paragraph 
                        (4).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Disability inclusion grants.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--The Secretary of State 
                may award grants to eligible implementing partners to 
                administer grant amounts directly or through 
                subgrants.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Eligible implementing partners.--For 
                purposes of this paragraph, an eligible implementing 
                partner is a nongovernmental organization or other 
                civil society organization that--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) has the capacity to administer 
                        grant amounts--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (I) directly; or</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (II) through subgrants 
                                that can be effectively used by 
                                emerging new organizations of persons 
                                with disabilities; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) has expertise in disability 
                        rights.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) Priority.--The Secretary of State 
                shall prioritize awarding grants under this paragraph 
                to eligible implementing partners with experience 
                operating or administering subgrants in countries for 
                which the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, 
                Human Rights, and Labor, in consultation with the 
                United States Government Special Adviser and Senior 
                Coordinator for the Administrator of the United States 
                Agency for International Development on Children in 
                Adversity, has determined that there are significant 
                populations of children living in residential 
                institutions.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) Subgrants.--An eligible implementing 
                partner that receives a grant under this paragraph 
                should seek to--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) provide not less than 50 
                        percent of the grant amount through subgrants 
                        to local organizations of persons with 
                        disabilities and other nongovernmental 
                        organizations working in country to advance the 
                        policy described in section 5; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) provide, of any amount 
                        distributed pursuant to clause (i)--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (I) 75 percent to 
                                organizations of persons with 
                                disabilities; and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (II) 25 percent to other 
                                nongovernmental 
                                organizations.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Capacity-Building Programs.--The Secretary of State is 
authorized to provide funds to nongovernmental organizations with 
expertise in capacity building and technical assistance to develop 
capacity-building programs to--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) develop disability leaders, legislators, 
        policymakers, and service providers to plan and implement 
        programs to advance the policy described in section 
        5;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) build the advocacy capacity and knowledge of 
        successful models of rights enforcement, family support, and 
        disability inclusion among disability, youth, and allied civil 
        society advocates, attorneys, and professionals to advance the 
        policy described in section 5;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) create online programs to train policymakers, 
        activists, and other individuals on successful models of 
        reform, services, and rights protection to ensure that children 
        with disabilities can live and grow up with families and become 
        full participants in society, which--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) are available globally;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) offer low-cost or no-cost training 
                accessible to persons with disabilities, family members 
                of such persons, and other individuals with potential 
                to offer future leadership in the advancement of the 
                goals of family inclusion, transition to independent 
                living as adults, and rights protection for children 
                with disabilities; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) should be targeted to government 
                policymakers, disability activists, and other potential 
                allies and supporters among civil society groups; 
                and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) create study tours so activists and 
        policymakers from abroad can observe and better understand the 
        operation of successful models of family and community 
        inclusion and rights advocacy, including exposing such 
        activists and policymakers to models of good practice in the 
        United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated to carry out this section amounts as 
        follows:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 
                2024.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
                2025 through 2029.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Capacity-building and technical assistance 
        programs.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by 
        paragraph (1), not less than $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 
        and not less than $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 
        through 2029 are authorized to be available for capacity-
        building and technical assistance programs to support 
        disability rights leadership and to train and engage 
        policymakers, professionals, and allies in civil society 
        organizations in foreign countries.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 7. BRIEFINGS AND REPORTS ON IMPLEMENTATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Annual Briefing Required.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Not less frequently than annually 
        through fiscal year 2029, the Secretary of State shall submit 
        to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the 
        Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate a briefing on--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the programs and activities carried 
                out to advance the policy described in section 5; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) any broader work of the Department in 
                advancing that policy.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Elements.--Each briefing required by paragraph 
        (1) shall include, with respect to each program carried out 
        under section 6--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the rationale for the country and 
                program selection;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the goals and objectives of the 
                program, and the kinds of participants in the 
                activities and programs supported;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) a description of the types of 
                technical assistance and capacity building provided; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) an identification of any gaps in 
                funding or support needed to ensure full participation 
                of organizations of persons with disabilities or 
                inclusion of children with disabilities in the 
                program.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Reports Required.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Not less frequently than once 
        every 3 years through fiscal year 2029, the Secretary of State 
        shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
        Pensions, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee 
        on Appropriations of the Senate a report on the matters 
        described in subsection (a)(1).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph 
        (1) shall include the elements described in subsection 
        (a)(2).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Consultation.--In preparing each report 
        required by paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult 
        with organizations of persons with disabilities.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 8. PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR 
              CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Sense of Congress on Programming and Programs.--It is 
the sense of Congress that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) all programming of the Department and the 
        United States Agency for International Development related to 
        childcare reform, improvement of health care systems, primary 
        and secondary education, disability rights, and human rights 
        should seek to be consistent with the policy described in 
        section 5; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) programs of the Department and the United 
        States Agency for International Development related to 
        children, health care, and education--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) should--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) engage organizations of 
                        persons with disabilities in policymaking and 
                        program implementation; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) support full inclusion of 
                        children with disabilities in families; 
                        and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) should aim to avoid support for 
                residential institutions for children with disabilities 
                except in situations of conflict or emergency in a 
                manner that protects family connections as described in 
                subsection (b).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Sense of Congress on Conflict and Emergencies.--It is 
the sense of Congress that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) programs of the Department and the United 
        States Agency for International Development serving children in 
        situations of conflict or emergency, among displaced or refugee 
        populations, or in natural disasters should seek to ensure that 
        children with and without disabilities can maintain family 
        ties; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) in situations of emergency, if children are 
        separated from parents or have no family, every effort should 
        be made to ensure that children are placed with extended 
        family, in kinship care, or in a substitute family.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``International Children with 
Disabilities Protection Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) stigma and discrimination against children with 
        disabilities, particularly intellectual and other developmental 
        disabilities, and lack of support for community inclusion have 
        left people with disabilities and their families economically 
        and socially marginalized;
            (2) organizations of persons with disabilities and family 
        members of persons with disabilities are often too small to 
        apply for or obtain funds from domestic or international 
        sources or ineligible to receive funds from such sources;
            (3) as a result of the factors described in paragraphs (1) 
        and (2), key stakeholders have often been left out of public 
        policymaking on matters that affect children with disabilities; 
        and
            (4) financial support, technical assistance, and active 
        engagement of persons with disabilities and their families is 
        needed to ensure the development of effective policies that 
        protect families, ensure the full inclusion in society of 
        children with disabilities, and promote the ability of persons 
        with disabilities to live in the community with choices equal 
        to others.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of State.
            (2) Eligible implementing partner.--The term ``eligible 
        implementing partner'' means a nongovernmental organization or 
        other civil society organization that--
                    (A) has the capacity to administer grants directly 
                or through subgrants that can be effectively used by 
                local organizations of persons with disabilities; and
                    (B) has international expertise in the rights of 
                persons with disabilities, including children with 
                disabilities and their families.
            (3) Organization of persons with disabilities.--The term 
        ``organization of persons with disabilities'' means a 
        nongovernmental civil society organization run by and for 
        persons with disabilities and families of children with 
        disabilities.

SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to--
            (1) assist partner countries in developing policies and 
        programs that recognize, support, and protect the civil and 
        political rights of and enjoyment of fundamental freedoms by 
        persons with disabilities, including children, such that the 
        latter may grow and thrive in supportive family environments 
        and make the transition to independent living as adults;
            (2) promote the development of advocacy and leadership 
        skills among persons with disabilities and their families in a 
        manner that enables effective civic engagement, including at 
        the local, national, and regional levels, and promote policy 
        reforms and programs that support full economic and civic 
        inclusion of persons with disabilities and their families;
            (3) promote the development of laws and policies that--
                    (A) strengthen families and protect against the 
                unnecessary institutionalization of children with 
                disabilities; and
                    (B) create opportunities for children and youth 
                with disabilities to access the resources and support 
                needed to achieve their full potential to live 
                independently in the community with choices equal to 
                others;
            (4) promote the participation of persons with disabilities 
        and their families in advocacy efforts and legal frameworks to 
        recognize, support, and protect the civil and political rights 
        of and enjoyment of fundamental freedoms by persons with 
        disabilities; and
            (5) promote the sustainable action needed to bring about 
        changes in law, policy, and programs to ensure full family 
        inclusion of children with disabilities and the transition of 
        children with disabilities to independent living as adults.

SEC. 5. INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES PROTECTION PROGRAM AND 
              CAPACITY BUILDING.

    (a) International Children With Disabilities Protection Program.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be established 
        within the Department of State a program to be known as the 
        ``International Children with Disabilities Protection Program'' 
        (in this section referred to as the ``Program'') to carry out 
        the policy described in section 4.
            (2) Criteria.--In carrying out the Program under this 
        section, the Secretary of State, in consultation with leading 
        civil society groups with expertise in the protection of civil 
        and political rights of and enjoyment of fundamental freedoms 
        by persons with disabilities, may establish criteria for 
        priority activities under the Program in selected countries.
            (3) Disability inclusion grants.--The Secretary of State 
        may award grants to eligible implementing partners to 
        administer grant amounts directly or through subgrants.
            (4) Subgrants.--An eligible implementing partner that 
        receives a grant under paragraph (3) should provide subgrants 
        and, in doing so, shall prioritize local organizations of 
        persons with disabilities working within a focus country or 
        region to advance the policy described in section 4.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--Of funds made available in fiscal years 
        2024 through 2029 to carry out the purposes of the Foreign 
        Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq), there are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act amounts as 
        follows:
                    (A) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.
                    (B) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 
                through 2029.
            (2) Capacity-building and technical assistance programs.--
        Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by paragraph (1), 
        not less than $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 
        2029 should be available for capacity-building and technical 
        assistance programs to--
                    (A) develop the leadership skills of persons with 
                disabilities, legislators, policymakers, and service 
                providers in the planning and implementation of 
                programs to advance the policy described in section 4;
                    (B) increase awareness of successful models of the 
                promotion of civil and political rights and fundamental 
                freedoms, family support, and economic and civic 
                inclusion among organizations of persons with 
                disabilities and allied civil society advocates, 
                attorneys, and professionals to advance the policy 
                described in section 4; and
                    (C) create online programs to train policymakers, 
                advocates, and other individuals on successful models 
                to advance reforms, services, and protection measures 
                that enable children with disabilities to live within 
                supportive family environments and become full 
                participants in society, which--
                            (i) are available globally;
                            (ii) offer low-cost or no-cost training 
                        accessible to persons with disabilities, family 
                        members of such persons, and other individuals 
                        with potential to offer future leadership in 
                        the advancement of the goals of family 
                        inclusion, transition to independent living as 
                        adults, and protection measures for children 
                        with disabilities; and
                            (iii) should be targeted to government 
                        policymakers, advocates, and other potential 
                        allies and supporters among civil society 
                        groups.

SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION.

    (a) Annual Report Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not less frequently than annually through 
        fiscal year 2029, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
        Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign 
        Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives a report on--
                    (A) the programs and activities carried out to 
                advance the policy described in section 4; and
                    (B) any broader work of the Department in advancing 
                that policy.
            (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include, with respect to each program carried out under section 
        5--
                    (A) the rationale for the country and program 
                selection;
                    (B) the goals and objectives of the program, and 
                the kinds of participants in the activities and 
                programs supported;
                    (C) a description of the types of technical 
                assistance and capacity building provided; and
                    (D) an identification of any gaps in funding or 
                support needed to ensure full participation of 
                organizations of persons with disabilities or inclusion 
                of children with disabilities in the program.
            (3) Consultation.--In preparing each report required by 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult with 
        organizations of persons with disabilities.

SEC. 7. PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR CHILDREN 
              WITH DISABILITIES.

    (a) Sense of Congress on Programming and Programs.--It is the sense 
of Congress that--
            (1) all programming of the Department and the United States 
        Agency for International Development related to health systems 
        strengthening, primary and secondary education, and the 
        protection of civil and political rights of persons with 
        disabilities should seek to be consistent with the policy 
        described in section 4; and
            (2) programs of the Department and the United States Agency 
        for International Development related to children, global 
        health, and education--
                    (A) should--
                            (i) engage organizations of persons with 
                        disabilities in policymaking and program 
                        implementation; and
                            (ii) support full inclusion of children 
                        with disabilities in families; and
                    (B) should aim to avoid support for residential 
                institutions for children with disabilities except in 
                situations of conflict or emergency in a manner that 
                protects family connections as described in subsection 
                (b).
    (b) Sense of Congress on Conflict and Emergencies.--It is the sense 
of Congress that--
            (1) programs of the Department and the United States Agency 
        for International Development serving children in situations of 
        conflict or emergency, among displaced or refugee populations, 
        or in natural disasters should seek to ensure that children 
        with and without disabilities can maintain family ties; and
            (2) in situations of emergency, if children are separated 
        from parents or have no family, every effort should be made to 
        ensure that children are placed with extended family, in 
        kinship care, or in an adoptive or foster family.
                                                       Calendar No. 149

118th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 847

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To establish the International Children with Disabilities Protection 
    Program within the Department of State, and for other purposes.

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                             July 25, 2023

                       Reported with an amendment