[Senate Report 115-93]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                       Calendar No. 123
                                                       
                                                       
115th Congress}                                            { Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session  }                                            { 115-93

======================================================================                                                       
                                                 

                 WOMEN, PEACE, AND SECURITY ACT OF 2017
 
                                _______
                                

                  June 8, 2017.--Ordered to be printed

          Mr. Corker, from the Committee on Foreign Relations,
                        submitted the following

                                 REPORT

                         [To accompany S. 1141]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under 
consideration the bill (S. 1141) to ensure that the United 
States promotes the meaningful participation of women in 
mediation and negotiation processes seeking to prevent, 
mitigate, or resolve violent conflict, having considered the 
same, reports favorably thereon without amendment, and 
recommends that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page

  I. Purpose..........................................................1
 II. Committee Action.................................................1
III. Discussion.......................................................2
 IV. Cost Estimate....................................................3
  V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................4
 VI. Changes in Existing Law..........................................4

                               I. Purpose

    The purpose of S. 1141 is to ensure that the United States 
promotes the meaningful participation of women in mediation and 
negotiation processes seeking to prevent, mitigate, or resolve 
violent conflict.

                          II. Committee Action

    S. 1141 was introduced on May 16, 2017, by Senator Shaheen 
and co-sponsored by Senator Capito. On May 25, 2015, the 
committee considered S. 1141 and reported favorably by voice 
vote, without amendments.

                            III. Discussion

    A summary of the key provisions of S. 1141 follows:

Section 1

    Section 1 provides that the short title of the bill: the 
``Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017.''

Section 2

    Section 2 states Congressional findings regarding women, 
peace, and security.

Section 3

    Section 3 provides a sense of Congress regarding the 
participation of women in peace and security efforts.

Section 4

    Section 4 declares that it is the policy of the United 
States to promote the meaningful participation of women in all 
aspects of overseas conflict prevention, management, and 
resolution through a variety of diplomatic efforts and 
programs.

Section 5

    Section 5 requires the President, in consultation with the 
heads of relevant federal departments and agencies, to 
establish and submit to Congress, within one year of enactment, 
a single government-wide strategy, known as the Women, Peace, 
and Security Strategy to fulfill the policy objectives outlined 
in section 4.
    The legislation tasks the President, rather than the 
Secretary of State, with submitting the strategy due to the 
practical concern about the ability of the Secretary of State 
to appropriately and effectively task other agencies. The 
Committee intends to support the State Department in its 
leadership role on these issues. The Committee expects that the 
President will task and rely on the heads of the relevant 
departments and agencies in developing and implementing the 
strategy, and intends to conduct appropriate oversight of the 
implementation of this legislation by the Department of State, 
the Department of Defense, USAID for their respective 
responsibilities under the legislation as tasked by the 
President.
    The strategy will include a specific implementation plan 
from each of the relevant federal departments and agencies that 
includes the anticipated contributions and efforts of the 
department or agency. Section 5 further states that the 
President should consult and coordinate with international 
partners and stakeholders, particularly when direct engagement 
by the United States is not advised or appropriate. Section 5 
also expresses the sense of Congress regarding various steps 
that the President should take in implementing the strategy.

Section 6

    Section 6 requires the Secretary of State, the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, and the Secretary of Defense to ensure that 
certain personnel receive training regarding the participation 
of women in conflict prevention and peace building.

Section 7

    Section 7 allows the Secretary of State and Administrator 
of the United States Agency for International Development to 
establish guidelines or take additional steps to ensure that 
overseas United States personnel are consulting with 
appropriate stakeholders regarding participation of women in 
security and peace building efforts.
    Section 7 also instructs the Secretary of State to work 
with international, regional, national, and local organizations 
to increase the meaningful participation of women in 
international peacekeeping operations.

Section 8

    Section 8 requires that no later than one year after the 
submission of a strategy under Section 5, that the Secretary of 
State, Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, and the Secretary of Defense brief 
the appropriate congressional committees on training efforts 
carried out pursuant to Section 6.
    Section 8 also requires that, no later than two years after 
the submission of each strategy under Section 5, the President 
submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees 
that summarizes and evaluates the implementation of the 
strategy, describes the coordination among federal departments, 
outlines monitoring and evaluation tools, and describes the 
training carried out pursuant to Section 6.

Section 9

    Section 9 defines the terms ``appropriate congressional 
committees,'' ``relevant federal departments and agencies,'' 
and ``stakeholders.''

                           IV. Cost Estimate

    In accordance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(a) of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee provides this 
estimate of the costs of this legislation prepared by the 
Congressional Budget Office.


                            United States Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                      Washington, DC, May 25, 2017.

Hon. Bob Corker,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 1141, the Women, 
Peace, and Security Act of 2017.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sunita 
D'Monte.
          Sincerely,
                                                Keith Hall.
Enclosure

cc: Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin,
     Ranking Member

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

                                                      May 25, 2017.

                                S. 1141


                 Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017


AS ORDERED REPORTED BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS ON MAY 
                                25, 2017

    S. 1141 would require the President to develop a strategy 
to promote the participation of women abroad in conflict 
prevention, management, resolution, and recovery. In addition, 
the bill would require the Departments of Defense (DoD) and 
State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) 
to train personnel in such matters. Finally, the bill would 
require the Department of State and USAID to provide their 
staff with guidelines on consulting with appropriate 
stakeholders and to report at intervals to the Congress on the 
implementation of the bill.
    In 2011, President Obama issued Executive Order 13595 
instituting a national action plan to promote the inclusion of 
women in advancing peace and security in areas with significant 
conflict. Based on the efforts of DoD, the Department of State, 
and USAID under that action plan, CBO concludes that many of 
the bill's requirements are being satisfied under current law. 
CBO estimates that any additional efforts and the required 
reports would in total cost less than $500,000 over the 2018-
2022 period; such spending would be subject to the availability 
of appropriated funds.
    Enacting S. 1141 would not affect direct spending or 
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO 
estimates that enacting S. 1141 would not increase net direct 
spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 
10-year periods beginning in 2028.
    S. 1141 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sunita D'Monte. 
The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                   V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact

    Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b) of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, the committee has determined that there is 
no regulatory impact as a result of this legislation.

                      VI. Changes in Existing Law

    In compliance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 12 of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, the committee has determined that there 
are no changes in existing law made by this legislation.

                                  [all]