Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696590690827.pdf (United States)
G:\CMTE\FA\17\MISC\H4134_SUS.XML Suspend the Rules and Pass the Bill, H.R.

4134, With an Amendment (The amendment strikes all after the enacting clause and inserts a new text) 117TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 4134 To support empowerment, economic security, and educational opportunities for adolescent girls around the world, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 24, 2021 Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida (for herself, Mr. WALTZ, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mrs. KIM of California, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Ms. BASS, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. RUTHERFORD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To support empowerment, economic security, and educational opportunities for adolescent girls around the world, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.

SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Keeping Girls in School Act’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec.

1.

Short title; table of contents.

Sec.

2.

Definitions.

Sec.

3.

Sense of Congress.

Sec.

4.


Secondary education for adolescent girls.

Sec.

5.

Global strategy requirement.

Sec.

6.

Transparency and reporting to Congress.

SEC.

2.

DEFINITIONS.

In this Act: (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com- mittees’’ means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(2) The term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad- ministrator of the United States Agency for Inter- national Development.

(3) The term ‘‘gender parity in secondary edu- cation’’ means that girls and boys have equal access to quality secondary education, in accordance with the definition of ‘‘gender parity in basic education’’ in section 2 of the Reinforcing Education Account- ability in Development Act (22 U.S.C.

2151c note).
2151c note).

 (4) The term ‘‘USAID’’ means the United States Agency for International Development.

(5) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of State.

SEC.

3.
SEC.

3.

SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that— (1) every child, regardless of gender or place of birth, deserves an equal opportunity to access qual- ity education; (2) education is a key investment in the future, well-being, and prosperity of girls, as well as the sta- bility and productivity of their communities; (3) the United States has been a global leader in efforts to expand and improve access to quality basic education for all, particularly marginalized and vulnerable populations, including women and girls; (4) gains with respect to girls’ secondary edu- cation and empowerment have been proven to cor- relate strongly with efforts to advance women’s rights and gender equality, a stated priority of United States foreign policy and national security; and (5) achieving equal access to and quality of educational opportunity for girls contributes signifi- cantly to economic growth and development, thereby lowering the risk for violence and instability.
SEC.

4.

SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS.

(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of State and the Ad- ministrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall promote access to quality education for girls globally and shall seek to enter into agreements to support adolescent girls’ access to quality secondary edu- cation, particularly in countries where adolescent girls are 10 significantly more likely to drop out of school than their 11 peers.
Activities shall— (1) be informed by a context-specific, evidence- based analysis of the challenges that girls face in successfully transitioning to, remaining enrolled in, and completing secondary school; (2) improve safe, inclusive, and quality edu- cational opportunities for girls and advance girls’ empowerment so that girls can successfully transi- tion to, remain enrolled in, and complete secondary school, achieve positive life and learning outcomes, and make healthy transitions into adulthood; and (3) seek to use United States Government strategies and frameworks relevant to international basic education, women’s and girls’ empowerment, and gender equality to integrate multi-sectoral, evi- denced-based approaches to adolescent girls’ edu- cation and well-being.
(b) ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSALS OR APPLICATIONS FOR AWARDS.—The Administrator shall seek proposals or applications for awards, pursuant to the authority in sub- section (a), to conduct activities carried out under agree- ments pursuant to subsection (a) beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) MONITORING AND EVALUATION.—The Adminis- trator shall seek to ensure that activities carried out under agreements pursuant to subsection (a)— (1) employ rigorous monitoring and evaluation methodologies, including measurable goals, out- comes, and benchmarks, to ensure that such activi- ties demonstrably improve adolescent girls’ access to secondary education, close the gap in gender parity for secondary education, and improve the quality of girls’ education; (2) disaggregate data collected and reported by age, gender, marital and motherhood status, dis- ability, and geographic location, to the extent prac- ticable and appropriate; and (3) use, to the extent possible, indicators and methodologies identified by the Interagency Working Group for the Strategy on International Basic Edu- cation.
(d) COORDINATION AND OVERSIGHT.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordina- tion with the Administrator, shall be responsible for the oversight and coordination of all activities of the United States Government carried out under this section, as appropriate.
(2) DEVELOPMENT OF AGREEMENTS.—In the development of agreements described in subsection (a), the Secretary, in coordination with the Adminis- trator, shall consult with representatives across Fed- eral departments and agencies who are implementing the global strategy described in section 5.
(3) COORDINATION REQUIREMENTS.—In car- rying out the activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2), the Secretary and the Administrator shall coordinate with the USAID Coordinator for Inter- national Basic Education Assistance, the USAID Youth Coordinator, and the most senior USAID and Department of State officials on advancing women’s rights and gender equality.
(4) COORDINATION WITH OTHER STRATE- GIES.—Activities carried out under this section shall also be carried out in coordination with— (A) the United States global strategy to empower adolescent girls described in section 5; and (B) the United States Government Strat- egy on International Basic Education, including its objective to expand access to quality basic education for all, particularly marginalized and vulnerable populations.
SEC.

5.

GLOBAL STRATEGY REQUIREMENT.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordi- nation with the Administrator, shall— (1) review and update a United States global strategy to empower adolescent girls, which includes a focus on girls’ access to quality, inclusive sec- ondary education and subsequent agency implemen- tation plans; and (2) submit the updated strategy to the appro- priate congressional committees.
(b) 5-YEAR UPDATE OF STRATEGY.—Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a fur- ther update and revision of the strategy and implementa- tion plans described in such subsection.
(c) CONSULTATION REQUIRED.—In reviewing and updating the strategy and implementation plans described in subsection (a), the Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator, shall consult with and provide meaningful opportunity for review to— (1) the heads of relevant Federal departments and agencies (or their designees); (2) the appropriate congressional committees; and (3) representatives of United States and inter- national civil society and multilateral organizations with demonstrated experience and expertise in em- powering adolescent girls and promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality, including local civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, and, where possible, program participants.
(d) COORDINATION REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the activities described in section 5 the Secretary and the Administrator shall coordinate with the USAID Coor- dinator for International Basic Education Assistance, the USAID Youth Coordinator, and the most senior USAID and Department of State officials on advancing women’s 23 rights and gender equality.
SEC.

6.

TRANSPARENCY AND REPORTING TO CONGRESS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the submission of the first strategy required by section 5, and biennially thereafter for 4 years, the Secretary, in coordi- nation with the Administrator, shall submit to the appro- priate congressional committees a report describing— (1) the activities initiated under agreements under the authorities provided by this Act; and (2) the manner and extent to which such activi- ties are monitored and evaluated, in accordance with section 4(d).
(b) AVAILABILITY.—The reports required by sub- section (a) shall be made available on a text-based, search- able, and publicly available website of USAID.