[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 43390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14866]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 27, 2005 / 
Notices  

[[Page 43390]]



AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT


Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance; 
Office of Private Voluntary Cooperation/American Schools and Hospitals 
Abroad; Announcement of Changed Criterion  8 of the American 
Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) Program; Notice

    The U.S. Agency for International Development is announcing changed 
Criterion  8 of the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad 
program, pursuant to section 214 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 
as amended. The program criteria serve as administrative guidance for 
considering the acceptability and relative merits of applicants.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. George Like (202) 712-1766, ASHA, 
U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC 20523.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 26, 1979, the U.S. Agency for 
International Development published 11 Program Criteria for the 
American Schools and Hospitals Abroad program. Originally Criterion 
 8 stated ``The institution must be open to all persons 
regardless of race, religion, sex, color or national origin. (The above 
shall not be construed to require enrollment of students of both sexes 
at an educational institution enrolling males or females only.) 
Assistance may not be used to train persons for religious pursuits or 
to construct buildings or other facilities intended for worship or 
religious instruction.''
    On December 16, 2002, Executive Order 13279 ``Equal Protection of 
the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations'' was published in 
the Federal Register (67 FR 77145). In partial fulfillment of that 
Executive Order, on October 21, 2004, the U.S. Agency for International 
Development announced in the Federal Register (69 FR 61785) proposed 
changes to Criterion  8 of the American Schools and Hospitals 
Abroad program. The Agency provided a 60-day comment period on the 
announced proposed changes, which ended on December 20, 2004. No public 
comments on the proposed changes were received.
    Accordingly, Criterion  8 of the American Schools and 
Hospitals Abroad program is changed to ``The institution must be open 
to all persons regardless of race, religion, sex, color or national 
origin. (The above shall not be construed to require enrollment of 
students of both sexes at an educational institution enrolling males or 
females only.) Direct assistance may not be used to support any 
inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction 
or proselytization.''

Leonard M. Rogers,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and 
Humanitarian Assistance.
[FR Doc. 05-14866 Filed 7-26-05; 8:45 am]
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