Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696596987440.pdf (United States)
G:\M\17\HOULPA\HOULPA_003.XML 116H4722 ..................................................................... (Original Signature of Member) 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. ll To authorize contributions to the United Nations Population Fund, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Ms. HOULAHAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on llllllllllllll A BILL To authorize contributions to the United Nations Population Fund, 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.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Support UNFPA Funding Act’’.

SEC.

2.

FINDINGS.
SEC.

2.

FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following: (1) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations reproductive health agency.
(2) UNFPA was founded with the leadership of the United States 50 years ago and works in more than 150 countries to end preventable maternal deaths, the unmet need for contraception, and gen- der-based violence and other harmful practices, in- cluding female genital mutilation and child mar- riage.

(3) UNFPA also ensures access to health care and essential supplies for women and families im- pacted by emergencies.
(4) All UNFPA programming is guided by principles adopted by 179 governments, including the United States, at the 1994 International Con- ference for Population and Development.

The prin- ciples include that ‘‘reproductive health care pro- grams should provide the widest range of services without any form of coercion.

All couples and indi- viduals have the basic right to decide freely and re- sponsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information, education and means to do so.’’.
(5) UNFPA is currently working to address the needs of the following: (A) The 810 women and adolescent girls who die each day from preventable causes re- lated to pregnancy and childbirth, 99 percent of which deaths occur in developing countries and more than half of which occur in fragile and humanitarian settings.
(B) The more than 218,000,000 women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries who want to avoid pregnancy and are not using a modern contraceptive method.

(C) The estimated 1 in 3 women who expe- rience gender-based violence.

(D) The estimated 200,000,000 women who have survived some form of female genital mutilation.

(E) The estimated 15,000,000 girls who are forcibly married before the age of 18 each year.
(6) In recent years, the United States has been the third-largest overall donor to UNFPA, and its second-largest donor for humanitarian response.
(7) UNFPA, which works in three times as many countries as the United States Agency for International Development, extends the impact of United States foreign assistance by reaching people in politically unstable regions.
UNFPA also plays a pivotal role in meeting protection and health care needs in countries experiencing humanitarian emer- gencies like Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.

(8) Voluntary family planning is central to gen- der equality and women’s empowerment, and it is a key factor in reducing poverty.
(9) UNFPA is responding to the needs of women and girls affected by the COVID-19 outbreak by focusing on countries that have weak public health and social support systems to limit potential increases in unmet need for family planning, gender based violence, female genital mutilation, and child marriage.

SEC.

3.

STATEMENT OF POLICY.


It is the policy of the United States as follows: (1) Improving the status of women around the world is a critical component of the United States foreign policy and development strategies.

(2) The right of every person to determine free- ly whether, when, and with whom to have children, and to attain the highest standard of sexual and re- productive health, is a basic human right.
(3) Access to voluntary contraception and re- productive health care is necessary to improving the status of women and ensuring this basic human right.
(4) UNFPA is a key partner in improving the status of women and expanding access to voluntary family planning and reproductive health care serv- ices throughout the world.

(5) UNFPA helps ensure that family planning and reproductive health programs are voluntary and centered on protecting human rights.
(6) Financial support for UNFPA is a crucial part of the United States commitment to global health, development, and human rights, and the Government of the United States is committed to providing core, development, and humanitarian fund- ing to UNFPA.

SEC.

4.

AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.


There is authorized to be appropriated an annual contribution for each of the five fiscal years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act to support the core functions and programs of the United Nations Popu- lation Fund (UNFPA), which may include the following: (1) Ending preventable maternal deaths.
(2) Ending the unmet need for contraceptives and promoting a human-rights-based approach to family planning.

(3) Ending gender-based violence.


(4) Ending other harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.

(5) Supporting 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 con- flict, or other humanitarian emergencies.