[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3393 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3393
To authorize contributions to the United Nations Population Fund, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 9, 2025
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Coons, Mr.
Kaine, Mr. Booker, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Duckworth, Mrs. Gillibrand,
Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schiff, Mr.
Van Hollen, and Mr. Welch) introduced the following bill; which was
read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize contributions to the United Nations Population Fund, 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 ``Support UNFPA Funding Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United Nations Population Fund (referred to in this
Act as ``UNFPA'') is the United Nations sexual and reproductive
health agency.
(2) UNFPA was founded with the bipartisan leadership of the
United States and advances United States strategic interests to
promote peace and stability overseas by working in more than
150 countries to end preventable maternal deaths, the unmet
need for contraception, and gender-based violence and other
harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and
child marriage.
(3) UNFPA is the United Nations agency with the mandate to
provide reproductive and maternal care in humanitarian crises
that are critical to the lives of women and girls by providing
family planning, maternal health care, midwife training, and
interventions to halt child marriage and the practice of female
genital mutilation.
(4) UNFPA is present in more than three times as many
countries as United States bilateral family planning and
reproductive health programs.
(5) The Multilateral Organization Performance Assessment
Network (commonly known as ``MOPAN''), of which the United
States is a member, conducted a thorough evaluation of UNFPA's
organizational performance, effectiveness, and results. The
evaluation, released in January 2025, concluded that UNFPA is
an effective organization that is successfully delivering on
its mandate. UNFPA has been an excellent steward and partner to
the United States, ensuring that all United States financial
contributions are kept in a segregated account and in
compliance with United States legal restrictions. UNFPA does
not fund abortion or promote abortion as a method of family
planning. UNFPA opposes all forms of coercion and involuntary
sterilization.
(6) All UNFPA programming is guided by principles adopted
by 179 governments, including the United States, at the 1994
International Conference for Population and Development. The
principles include that ``reproductive health care programs
should provide the widest range of services without any form of
coercion. All couples and individuals have the basic right to
decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their
children and to have the information, education and means to do
so.''.
(7) UNFPA extends and supports the United States investment
in global safety, stability and security by reaching women and
girls in politically unstable regions. UNFPA also plays a
pivotal role in meeting protection and health care needs in
countries experiencing complex humanitarian emergencies.
(8) UNFPA ensures access to health care and essential
supplies for women and families affected by humanitarian
crises, including those arising from natural disasters, armed
conflicts, and other emergencies.
(9) During 2024, UNFPA assisted millions of women, girls,
and adolescents with a range of life-saving services,
including--
(A) 10,000,000 people who were reached with sexual
and reproductive health services across 49 countries;
(B) 3,600,000 people who were reached with gender-
based violence prevention, risk mitigation, and
response services in 53 countries;
(C) more than 825,000 women who were assisted with
delivering babies safely in 37 countries; and
(D) 3,500 health facilities that were supported in
55 countries, including conflict-affected countries
where UNFPA is able to reach up to three times as many
communities as United States services providers.
(10) The United States termination of funding for UNFPA
programs restricts UNFPA's critical work, endangering lives
across the world. Without such funding, UNFPA cannot continue
to address the needs of--
(A) more than 700 women and adolescent girls who
die each day from preventable causes related to
pregnancy and childbirth, most of which occur in
developing countries and more than half of which occur
in fragile and humanitarian settings;
(B) more than 226,000,000 women of reproductive age
in low- and middle-income countries who want to avoid
pregnancy and are not using a modern contraceptive
method;
(C) an estimated 1 in 3 women who experience
gender-based violence;
(D) an estimated 230,000,000 women who have
survived some form of female genital mutilation; and
(E) an estimated 12,000,000 girls who are forcibly
married each year before reaching 18 years of age.
(11) The halting of United States funding in 2025 has
already led to--
(A) the closure of 21 health centers in
Afghanistan, with 500 more health centers potentially
facing closure;
(B) 200,000 women in Sudan who have been left
without essential reproductive health services;
(C) the loss of lifesaving services for 1,500,000
women and girls in Yemen and the closing of 44 health
facilities, 24 women-friendly spaces, and 14 mobile
protection teams to reach the most vulnerable women in
Yemen; and
(D) the discontinuation of hospital support in
Bangladesh, including staff and medicines leading to
limited life-saving emergency obstetric and newborn
care impacting 11,000 women and girls in Bangladesh.
(12) Voluntary family planning is central to global health,
equality, and women's empowerment, and is a key factor in
poverty reduction, enabling individuals and families to make
informed decisions about their reproductive health and economic
well-being.
(13) Providing access to family planning--
(A) reduces unintended pregnancies and unsafe
abortions; and
(B) improves the health outcomes of women.
(14) Greater access to family planning has the potential--
(A) to prevent up to 30 percent of the 295,000
maternal deaths that occur annually; and
(B) to save the lives of 1,400,000 children who are
younger than 5 years of age.
(15) In March 2025, thousands of Americans, representing
all 50 States, expressed their support for the lifesaving work
of UNFPA through a series of letters.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States that--
(1) improving the health and status of women around the
world is a strategic priority for United States foreign policy
and development efforts that contributes to global stability
and economic growth;
(2) the ability of individuals to freely determine whether,
when, and with whom to have children, and to attain the highest
standard of health, supports both human rights and sustainable
development, fostering more stable and prosperous societies;
(3) providing access to voluntary contraception and
reproductive health care is a cost-effective way to enhance
women's economic participation, reduce poverty, and strengthen
communities, advancing United States strategic interests;
(4) UNFPA is a key partner in advancing global health,
stability, and economic development by improving the health and
status of women and expanding access to voluntary family
planning and reproductive health care;
(5) UNFPA plays a vital role in ensuring that family
planning and reproductive health programs are voluntary,
rights-based, and aligned with international standards, helping
to prevent instability and improve health outcomes in
vulnerable regions;
(6) financial support for UNFPA aligns with United States
interests by promoting global health, reducing maternal
mortality, and fostering development in ways that contribute to
more stable and self-sufficient nations; and
(7) the United States Government remains committed to
providing targeted, cost-effective funding to support the
efforts described in paragraphs (1) through (6).
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Finding.--Congress finds that the United Nations Population
Fund does not support nor participate in the management of any program
or activity of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization in any
country.
(b) Funding Authority.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the United Nations Population Fund is authorized to receive funding,
except with regards to programs in China.
(c) Funding for Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the President, in addition to funds otherwise made available,
$74,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support
the core functions and programs of the United Nations
Population Fund, which may include efforts--
(A) to end preventable maternal deaths;
(B) to end the unmet need for contraceptives and
promoting a voluntary approach to family planning;
(C) to end gender-based violence;
(D) to end other harmful practices, such as child
marriage and female genital mutilation; and
(E) in support of United States national security
and humanitarian efforts by operating in areas where
medical infrastructure or services have been destroyed
or limited by natural disasters, armed conflict, or
other humanitarian emergencies.
(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.
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