[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 142 (Wednesday, November 19, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H8104-H8106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GIRLS COUNT ACT OF 2014
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3398) to authorize the Secretary of State and the Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development to provide
assistance to support the rights of women and girls in developing
countries, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3398
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 ``Girls Count Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) According to the United States Census Bureau's 2013
international figures, 1 person in 12--or close to
900,000,000 people--is a girl or young woman age 10 through
24.
(2) The data also asserts that young people are the fastest
growing segment of the population in developing countries.
(3) Even though most countries do have birth registration
laws, nearly one-third of all children under the age of 5
worldwide have never had their births registered. Moreover,
an estimated 45 percent of children under the age of 5
worldwide (about 290 million children) do not possess a birth
certificate.
(4) A nationally recognized proof of birth is the key to
determining a child's citizenship, nationality, place of
birth, parentage and age, without which a passport, drivers
license, or national identification card are impossible to
obtain. Those who lack such documentation are often prevented
from officially participating in and benefitting from the
formal economic, legal, and political sectors in their
countries.
(5) The lack of birth registration among girls worldwide is
particularly concerning as it exacerbates their
disproportionate vulnerability to trafficking, child
marriage, and lack of access to health and education
services.
(6) A lack of birth registration among women and girls can
also aggravate what in many places amounts to an already
reduced ability to seek employment, participate in civil
society or purchase or inherit land and other assets.
(7) Girls undertake much of the domestic labor needed for
poor families to survive: carrying water, harvesting crops,
tending livestock, caring for younger children, and doing
chores.
(8) Accurate assessments of access to education, poverty
levels, and overall census activities are hampered by the
lack of official information on women and girls. Without this
rudimentary information, assessments of foreign assistance
and domestic social welfare programs cannot be accurately
gauged.
(9) To ensure that women and girls are fully integrated
into United States foreign assistance policies and programs,
that the specific needs of girls are, to the maximum extent
possible, addressed in the design, implementation, and
evaluation of development assistance programs, and that women
and girls have the power to affect the decisions that affect
their lives, all girls should be counted and have access to
birth certificates and other official documentation.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to--
(1) encourage countries to uphold the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and enact laws that ensure girls and boys of
all ages are full participants in society, including
requiring birth certifications and some type of national
identity card to ensure that all citizens, including girls,
are counted;
(2) enhance training and capacity-building to developing
countries, local nongovernmental organizations, and other
civil society organizations to effectively address the needs
of birth registries in countries where girls are
undercounted;
(3) include organizations representing children and
families in the design, implementation, and monitoring of
programs under this Act; and
(4) mainstream into the design, implementation, and
evaluation of policies and programs at all levels an
understanding of the distinctive impact that such policies
and programs may have on girls.
SEC. 4. UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT COUNTING OF GIRLS
IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.
(a) Authorization.--The Secretary and the Administrator are
authorized to--
(1) support programs that will contribute to improved and
sustainable Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems
(CRVS) with a focus on birth registration as the first and
most important life event to be registered;
(2) promote programs that build the capacity of developing
countries' national and local legal and policy frameworks to
prevent discrimination against girls;
(3) support programs to help increase property rights,
social security, and home ownership, land tenure security,
and inheritance rights for women; and
(4) assist key ministries in the governments of developing
countries, including health, interior, youth, and education
ministries, to ensure that girls from poor households obtain
equitable access to social programs.
(b) Coordination With Multilateral Organizations.--The
Secretary shall coordinate with the World Bank, relevant
United Nations agencies and programs, and other relevant
organizations to urge and work with countries to enact,
implement, and enforce laws that specifically collect data on
girls and establish registration and identification laws to
ensure girls are active participants in the social, economic,
legal and political sectors of society in their countries.
(c) Coordination With Private Sector and Civil Society
Organizations.--The Secretary and the Administrator should
work with United States, international, and local private
sector and civil society organizations to advocate for the
registration and documentation of all girls and boys in
developing countries to prevent exploitation, violence, and
other abuses.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
The Secretary and the Administrator shall include in
relevant evaluations and reports to Congress the following
information:
(1) To the extent practicable, United States foreign
assistance and development assistance beneficiaries by age,
gender, marital status, location, and school enrollment
status.
(2) A description of how United States foreign assistance
and development assistance benefits girls.
(3) Specific information on programs that address the
particular needs of girls.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development.
(2) Foreign assistance.--The term ``foreign assistance''
has the meaning given the term in section 634(b) of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2394(b)).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of State.
SEC. 7. SUNSET.
This Act shall expire on the date that is 5 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and also to
include any extraneous material for the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
[[Page H8105]]
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this measure. It is
called the Girls Count Act, and I do want to thank Mr. Chabot of Ohio
for his work on this important piece of legislation.
Now, what this does is it aims to increase birth registration rates
in developing countries. And usually the births which are not being
registered are infant females.
Nearly one-third of all children around the world have never had
their births registered by their country's civil registries. Almost
hard for us to recognize here--one-third.
A child whose birth is not recorded has no birth certificate to prove
her age or his age or parentage or citizenship, making these children
especially vulnerable to violations of their basic rights.
The lack of a birth certificate usually prevents individuals from
acquiring essential pieces of identification that you are going to need
in life--like a driver's license, like a passport--and can also impede
any financial transaction you are going to make--taking out a loan,
taking out a mortgage. Basically, these girls, tragically, don't count.
For girls in particular, this lack of documentation can undercut
existing legal protections against girls being trafficked or made child
brides. And as they grow up, girls without an official identity face
high barriers to work, high barriers to education or political
participation, and all of this in places where we need women and girls
to be actively shaping their country's future, to improve prospects for
development, to oppose extremism in their communities.
That is why I am pleased that the House is acting on H.R. 3398,
because this bill supports efforts to increase birth registration by
encouraging the State Department and USAID to work with countries on
improving their civil registries.
The bill promotes the development of laws and policies to prevent
discrimination against girls and improve property and inheritance
rights for women. And lastly, the legislation requires the State
Department and USAID to provide more relevant breakdowns of foreign
assistance whenever possible so that we can be sure women and girls are
from benefiting from our efforts.
So this bill complements other work that the House has done this
Congress, particularly our efforts to combat child trafficking and to
promote safe international adoptions. Ensuring that every boy and girl
is counted can prevent children from being trafficked or prevent them
from being exploited or denied a loving home.
I am proud of the House's work thus far to address this critical
issue. I believe that this bill in particular is another step in
advancing this agenda, and that is why I would just like to recognize
Mr. Chabot for all of the work he put into it and, as well, of course,
to recognize Mr. Engel's contribution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume,
and I rise in strong support of H.R. 3398, the Girls Count Act of 2014.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank Representative
Chabot and Representative McCollum for authoring this important
legislation. It is very good legislation, it is very important
legislation, and I am proud to be a part of it.
Around the world, nearly 230 million children under the age of 5 have
never had their birth registered or been issued a birth certificate.
Most of these unregistered children are girls, and all of them face
serious vulnerabilities.
The lack of birth registration makes it much harder to get official
documentation and, as a result, these children often become targets for
child labor, abuse, human and sex trafficking, child marriage,
recruitment into militant groups, and other forms of exploitation.
Unregistered children are often prevented from access to health care,
including necessary child immunizations, and from enrolling in school.
Down the line, many of these children will be unable to inherit land or
money, start a business, or even open a bank account.
This sort of marginalization often hits women the hardest.
Unregistered women are more likely to be confined to their homes and
invisible to the outside world. Lack of registration limits their
choices and opportunities and impedes the long-term development of
their communities.
H.R. 3398 will enhance efforts to get more children registered. It
reaffirms our strong support for programs aimed at addressing the
undercounting of girls in the developing world. It encourages countries
to support programs that expand the rights of women, especially
property ownership and Social Security rights.
The legislation authorizes the Secretary of State and the
Administrator of USAID to support important civil registration and
vital statistics programs focusing on birth registration, and allows
them to work with local government ministries to ensure equal access to
these programs. This complements the work of organizations around the
world that are engaged in the important work of protecting vulnerable
children and puts pressure on other governments to act.
While improving birth registration systems helps the most vulnerable
populations, it has positive ripple effects across a whole society.
Governments with better records can provide better services, tailor
more effective policies, and bring more people into full participation
in their economies. This basic practice can help make entire countries
stronger.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
legislation. I, once again, thank Chairman Royce for his cooperation
and bipartisanship.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), chairman of the Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and the author of this particular
bill.
Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce for his
leadership on this important issue, and I also want to thank my friends
and colleagues, Mr. Engel and Ms. McCollum, for their leadership and
their support as well.
Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that we are living in challenging times.
The international community is having to confront new evils it seems
like every day. It is critical that we confront these evils with
determination and resolve and intelligence. This bill, the one before
us today, really actually does this.
With this bill, Congress has the opportunity to address an injustice
that is holding girls back from fully participating in society but,
worse, exposing them to the particularly horrific evils of human
trafficking.
There are 230 million children around the globe under the age of 5
who have never been recognized as being born. Their births were simply
never recorded.
In eastern and southern Africa, for example, only 38 percent of
children are registered by their fifth birthday. So think of that;
nearly two-thirds of the children born in those regions in Africa are
not registered. There is no recording of their birth. They, in essence,
don't exist to the government.
These children, a majority of whom are girls, become invisible
members of society and miss a critical first step in securing their
fundamental human rights. Being recognized by your government is
necessary, for example, for determining identity and citizenship and
age and obtaining access to education and health care and many other
things.
When a girl is not counted at birth, it is difficult, if not
impossible, for her to own land or start her own business or vote, and
she is at risk of being confined to home and, oftentimes, left unpaid.
Lack of a birth certificate keeps girls from fully participating in
society. It increases the risk of child marriage, forced labor,
recruitment into militant groups, human trafficking, and sexual
exploitation.
The Girls Count Act would help put an end to these horrors. The bill
directs the Department of State and USAID to work with our
international partners to support the issuance of birth certificates in
developing countries. The bill will ensure that the most important step
in a new citizen's life, the registration and recognition of their very
birth by their government, actually occurs.
[[Page H8106]]
Mr. Speaker, the lack of a birth certificate denies children their
fundamental human rights that we as Americans oftentimes take for
granted. This bill would make it U.S. policy to encourage the
registration of all children worldwide and make sure that girls do
truly count.
With that, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
I want to once again thank Mr. Royce and Mr. Engel for their support
and leadership in this.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to again thank the chairman and thank Mr. Chabot.
Getting children registered at birth helps to get them off to a good
start. This bill encourages governments to enact laws and policies that
give all children, including girls, a chance to be full participants in
society. So I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues to do
so as well.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1545
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, before I close, I would like to also mention
the contributions of Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Congressman Chris
Smith.
Chris Smith is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on
Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International
Organizations. He is also an original cosponsor of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Smith).
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I want to thank the distinguished chairman
for yielding and for his leadership in helping to bring this
legislation to the floor, and especially Chairman Chabot for his Girls
Count Act of 2013. I am happy and thankful to be an original cosponsor
and to urge the House to vote for it.
Mr. Speaker, in many parts of the world, girls are discriminated
against simply for being female. Indeed, this blatant disregard for the
value of the girl child often begins in the womb, especially in
countries such as China and India, where we see the horrific practice
of sex-selection abortion. This cruel practice, in turn, has led to a
gender imbalance that has fed other crimes against women, especially
sex trafficking, which has risen exponentially in the People's Republic
of China because of the missing daughters, because of this
discrimination against the girl child in utero.
Let me point out that, in her book, ``Unnatural Selection: Choosing
Boys over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men,'' Mara
Hvistendahl traces the history of sex selection to population control.
Again, we don't count the girl as being of meaning. Of course, this is
talking about a physical count, so we have a record of these young
ladies, of these young girls, but there are consequences, again, that
continue throughout the life or the lack of because she is destroyed
early on.
Hvistendahl writes--and I will only mention this briefly--that there
are over 160 million missing girls in Asia--in China, mostly, and in
India. It is a direct result of sex-selection abortion, and that
discrimination of the girl child has profound implications for the
region and for the world and, of course, for all of those girls who
have lost their lives.
Again, I want to thank Mr. Chabot for this important legislation and
Betty McCollum. This is a very important step forward in making sure we
know where the girls are after being counted so they can fully
participate in society.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I will close now, and I will urge my
colleagues to vote for this important bill.
I thank the chairman, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Smith, and Ms. McCollum.
This is a bipartisan, important piece of legislation, and I urge my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
The point I would make in closing is that, in the wake of the horrors
we have seen perpetrated by ISIS against women and Boko Haram against
schoolgirls--kidnapping and enslaving them and robbing them of their
freedom--we had one of these girls testify before our committee. She
had narrowly escaped Boko Haram but lost her mother and her father.
I know so many of us are deeply concerned about the plight of women
and girls around the world, and this bill recognizes the suffering and
aims to empower those who have been cast into the shadows of their
society. Birth registration is one of the first steps in the fight to
preserve an individual's basic rights under the law. It is also a
critical means to ensuring the full participation of women and of girls
in communities and schools. Let's help girls count. That is what this
does.
Again, I want to thank Mr. Chabot and Betty McCollum and Mr. Chris
Smith of New Jersey, as well, for their leadership on this measure,
which I encourage all Members to support.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3398, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________