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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3658 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3658

 To strengthen implementation of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the 
               Poor Act of 2005, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 14, 2011

Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Payne, Mr. Burton of 
Indiana, Mr. Carnahan, Mr. Sires, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Berman, Mr. McGovern, 
  Mr. Conyers, Ms. Bass of California, Ms. Lee of California, and Mr. 
Smith of Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                  to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To strengthen implementation of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the 
               Poor Act of 2005, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Senator Paul Simon Water for the 
World Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 
        (Public Law 109-121)--
                    (A) makes access to safe water and sanitation for 
                developing countries a specific policy objective of 
                United States foreign assistance programs;
                    (B) requires the Secretary of State to--
                            (i) develop a strategy to elevate the role 
                        of water and sanitation policy; and
                            (ii) improve the effectiveness of United 
                        States assistance programs undertaken in 
                        support of that strategy;
                    (C) codifies Target 10 of the United Nations 
                Millennium Development Goals; and
                    (D) seeks to reduce by half between 1990 (the 
                baseline year) and 2015--
                            (i) the proportion of people who are unable 
                        to reach or afford safe drinking water; and
                            (ii) the proportion of people without 
                        access to basic sanitation.
            (2) For maximum effectiveness of assistance, safe drinking 
        water, sanitation, and hygiene must be coordinated with and 
        integrated into programs and strategies for food security, 
        global health, environment, education, and gender equality.
            (3) On August 1, 2008, Congress passed H. Con. Res. 318, 
        which--
                    (A) supports the goals and ideals of the 
                International Year of Sanitation; and
                    (B) recognizes the importance of sanitation on 
                public health, poverty reduction, economic and social 
                development, and the environment.
            (4) While progress is being made on safe water and 
        sanitation efforts--
                    (A) more than 884,000,000 people throughout the 
                world lack access to safe drinking water; and
                    (B) 2 of every 5 people in the world do not have 
                access to basic sanitation services.
            (5) The health consequences of unsafe drinking water and 
        poor sanitation are significant--
                    (A) at any given time, half of the world's hospital 
                beds are occupied by patients suffering from diseases 
                associated with lack of access to safe drinking water, 
                inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene;
                    (B) more than 3,575,000 people die each year from 
                water-related disease; and
                    (C) chronic or acute diarrhea can lead to cognitive 
                delays, with severe repercussions for economic 
                development.
            (6) Clean water and sanitation are among the most powerful 
        drivers for human development. They extend opportunity, enhance 
        dignity, and help create a virtuous cycle of improving health 
        and rising wealth.
            (7) Diseases linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation, as 
        well as the time and energy women often devote to collecting 
        water, significantly reduce economic productivity in less 
        developed countries and promote lifecycles of disadvantage.
            (8) Expanding access to clean water and sanitation is 
        essential for reducing the global burden of disease, advancing 
        economic and social development, protecting basic human rights, 
        prevention of violence against women, and mitigating sources of 
        conflict.
            (9) Nearly 1,000,000,000 people across the globe still 
        suffer from chronic hunger. Water scarcity and poor water 
        management reduce agricultural productivity and threaten food 
        security.
            (10) Approximately half the world's population lives in 
        cities, often in slums characterized by unsafe water, poor 
        sanitation, lack of basic services, overcrowding, inferior 
        construction and insecure tenure.
            (11) According to the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 
        commissioned by the United Nations, more than \1/5\ of the 
        world population relies on freshwater that is either polluted 
        or excessively withdrawn.
            (12) According to the United Nations, women make up 70 
        percent of the world's poor. Yet, the time they spend 
        collecting water prevents them from undertaking other 
        activities, such as generating income or attending school.
            (13) A lack of access to safe water and improved sanitation 
        close to home and at school can impact girls' educational 
        attainment and retention, limiting their ability to break the 
        cycle of poverty. Research has found increases in girls' school 
        enrollment when clean water points were installed closer to 
        home, and increases in girls' school attendance when separate 
        latrines for boys and girls were provided on site. Meeting the 
        water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development 
        Goals would provide an estimated 272,000,000 additional school 
        days per year.
            (14) A lack of water points close to home or safe, private 
        latrines can put women and girls in isolated situations, making 
        them more vulnerable to sexual and physical violence. Violence 
        against women and girls has consequences ranging from 
        psychosocial trauma to heightened risk of HIV/AIDS.
            (15) Faith communities across the United States contribute 
        significantly to the improvement of water, sanitation, and 
        hygiene in developing countries. By applying their expertise, 
        providing services, building the capacity of local 
        organizations, establishing long-term partnerships with local 
        communities, empowering marginalized groups, and serving as a 
        voice for the poor, faith-based and nonprofit organizations 
        complement and leverage assistance provided by the United 
        States Government.
            (16) United States businesses have developed key 
        technologies, donated goods and services, partnered with 
        private and public sector entities, and invested their capital 
        to improve water and sanitation in many developing countries.
            (17) Implementation of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the 
        Poor Act of 2005 must be significantly strengthened if the 
        purposes of section 136 of the Foreign Assistance Act, as 
        redesignated and amended by section 4 of this Act, are to be 
        met.
            (18) The monitoring and evaluation of the performance of 
        United States foreign assistance programs and their 
        contribution to policy, strategies, projects, program goals, 
        and priorities undertaken by the Federal Government is 
        essential to improving aid effectiveness.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act and the amendments made by this Act is to 
strengthen implementation of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor 
Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-121) by--
            (1) improving coordination and oversight of water, 
        sanitation, and hygiene programs within and between United 
        States Government agencies;
            (2) increasing the sustainability of United States 
        Government-supported water, sanitation, and hygiene programs;
            (3) enhancing water, sanitation, and hygiene expertise 
        within the United States Agency for International Development; 
        and
            (4) integrating water and sanitation into programs and 
        strategies for food security, global health, environment, 
        education, and gender equality.

SEC. 4. IMPROVING COORDINATION AND OVERSIGHT OF SAFE WATER, SANITATION, 
              AND HYGIENE PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act 
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 135, as added by section 5(a) 
        of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 
        (Public Law 109-121; 119 Stat. 2536), as section 136; and
            (2) in section 136, as redesignated by paragraph (1) of 
        this section--
                    (A) in the section heading, by striking ``and 
                sanitation'' and inserting ``, sanitation, and 
                hygiene'';
                    (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``and 
                sanitation'' and inserting ``, sanitation, and 
                hygiene''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Global Water Coordinator.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator of the United States 
        Agency for International Development (USAID) shall designate a 
        senior advisor to coordinate and oversee water, sanitation, and 
        hygiene assistance, who shall be known as the `Global Water 
        Coordinator', and who shall report directly to the 
        Administrator and the Assistant Administrator overseeing water 
        programs.
            ``(2) Duties.--The Global Water Coordinator shall--
                    ``(A) oversee implementation of this section and 
                the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 
                (Public Law 109-121);
                    ``(B) lead the development of the safe water and 
                sanitation strategy required under section 6 of the 
                Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005;
                    ``(C) assist and monitor the development of 
                country-specific water strategies in coordination with 
                relevant USAID Mission Directors and other appropriate 
                personnel;
                    ``(D) integrate water, sanitation, and hygiene 
                activities into global and country-specific strategies 
                and programs, including those relating to food 
                security, global health, environment, education, and 
                gender equality;
                    ``(E) develop appropriate benchmarks, indicators, 
                and guidelines for monitoring and evaluation of water 
                and sanitation programs as required under section 8 of 
                the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2012; 
                and
                    ``(F) foster the development, dissemination, and 
                increased and consistent use of low-cost and 
                sustainable technologies, public and private 
                partnerships, credit guarantees and other financing 
                arrangements that leverage non-Federal funds for impact 
                on water, sanitation, and hygiene services that benefit 
                the poor.
            ``(3) Staff.--The Administrator shall ensure that a 
        sufficient number of employees of USAID with appropriate 
        experience are assigned to assist the Global Water Coordinator 
        in carrying out the duties of paragraph (2).
    ``(f) Special Advisor for Water Resources.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall designate a 
        senior advisor to coordinate and oversee policy relating to 
        water and sanitation assistance, who shall be known as the 
        `Special Advisor for Water Resources', and who shall report 
        directly to the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary 
        overseeing water programs.
            ``(2) Duties.--The Special Advisor for Water Resources 
        shall--
                    ``(A) oversee and coordinate the diplomatic policy 
                of the United States Government with respect to global 
                freshwater issues, including--
                            ``(i) working with partner countries and 
                        other stakeholders to develop and sustain 
                        political commitment to improving access to 
                        water, sanitation, and hygiene over the long 
                        term, and mitigating cross-border conflict;
                            ``(ii) assisting and encouraging other 
                        countries and international organizations to 
                        plan and manage water resources in an 
                        efficient, transparent, equitable, inclusive, 
                        and environmentally sustainable manner;
                            ``(iii) fostering regional and cross-border 
                        cooperation for integrated river basin and 
                        watershed management;
                            ``(iv) mitigating transboundary conflict 
                        over water resources;
                            ``(v) fostering integrated river basin and 
                        watershed management; and
                            ``(vi) fostering agricultural and urban 
                        productivity of water resources; and
                    ``(B) promote United States policy relating to 
                international freshwater issues in key diplomatic and 
                scientific forums.
            ``(3) Staff.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that a 
        sufficient number of employees of the Department of State with 
        appropriate experience are assigned to assist the Special 
        Advisor for Water Resources in carrying out the duties of 
        paragraph (2).''.
    (b) Interagency Consultation and Coordination.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States 
        Agency for International Development and the Secretary of State 
        shall develop and implement a process to ensure regular 
        consultation and coordination between the Global Water 
        Coordinator and the Special Advisor for Water Resources so that 
        their efforts are complimentary and in support of the safe 
        water and sanitation strategy.
            (2) Matters to be included.--This process required under 
        paragraph (1) should include jointly convened meetings with any 
        Federal department or agency administering United States water, 
        sanitation, and hygiene programs to evaluate progress in 
        carrying out the safe water and sanitation strategy.
            (3) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    (A) the term ``Global Water Coordinator'' means the 
                Global Water Coordinator designated under section 
                136(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as added 
                by subsection (a)(2) of this section;
                    (B) the term ``Special Advisor for Water 
                Resources'' means the Special Advisor for Water 
                Resources designated under section 136(f) of the 
                Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as added by subsection 
                (a)(2) of this section; and
                    (C) the term ``safe water and sanitation strategy'' 
                means the strategy required under section 6 of the 
                Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005.

SEC. 5. INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY OF SAFE WATER, SANITATION, AND 
              HYGIENE PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Principles.--In order to ensure that water, sanitation, and 
hygiene projects and activities carried out under the authorities of 
section 136 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as redesignated and 
amended by section 4 of this Act, and the Senator Paul Simon Water for 
the Poor Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-121) achieve maximum impact and 
continue to deliver lasting benefits after completion, such projects 
and activities shall be carried out in accordance with the following 
principles:
            (1) Projects and activities should be targeted to the 
        poorest and most vulnerable countries and communities, 
        including women and girls, displaced persons and refugees, and 
        other marginalized populations.
            (2) Projects and activities should be designed in 
        consultation with a broad range of local and national 
        stakeholders, including communities directly affected by a lack 
        of access to clean water, sanitation or hygiene, 
        nongovernmental organizations, cooperatives, foundations, 
        universities, private sector entities, and women-focused 
        organizations.
            (3) Projects and activities should be designed wherever 
        possible to be commercially viable over the long term, and 
        undertaken in conjunction with private enterprise.
            (4) Governments of countries in which projects and 
        activities are carried out should identify revenue streams 
        sufficient to cover the costs of maintaining public equipment 
        and services with respect to such projects and activities over 
        the long term.
            (5) Projects and activities should provide for a 
        functioning management and maintenance system comprising tools, 
        supply chains, transport, equipment, training and individuals 
        or institutions with clear responsibilities for achieving 
        sustainability.
            (6) With respect to projects and activities that are 
        managed by communities or institutions, effective external 
        support should be provided to such communities or institutions.
            (7) Projects should be designed to foster sustainable water 
        management in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of 
        each such project and to mitigate any negative environmental 
        impacts.
            (8) Access to water and sanitation should be expanded in an 
        equitable manner and on the basis of need, without regard to 
        race, gender, religion, or ethnic origin.
    (b) Local Ownership.--The Administrator of the United States Agency 
for International Development shall establish guidelines and procedures 
to ensure that--
            (1) a broad range of local and national stakeholders is 
        consulted in the development of any country-specific water 
        strategy;
            (2) any water, sanitation, and hygiene projects and 
        activities authorized under each such strategy are designed to 
        address the specific needs of women and girls; and
            (3) local civil society organizations, including nonprofit 
        organizations as well as businesses, are full participants in 
        the selection and design, implementation, monitoring, and 
        evaluation of water, sanitation, and hygiene projects and 
        activities.
    (c) Local Procurement.--
            (1) Authority.--In providing assistance under the 
        authorities of section 136 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
        1961, as redesignated and amended by section 4 of this Act, the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development is authorized to award contracts and other 
        acquisition instruments on a non-competitive basis to local 
        entities in high priority countries to carry out safe water, 
        sanitation, and hygiene projects and activities in such 
        countries.
            (2) Limitation.--A contract or other instrument described 
        in paragraph (1) may not have a value that exceeds $5,000,000.
            (3) Supersedes other laws.--The Administrator of the United 
        States Agency for International Development may exercise the 
        authority of paragraph (1) notwithstanding any other provision 
        of law.
            (4) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    (A) the term ``high priority country'' means a 
                country designated pursuant to section 6 of the Senator 
                Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005; and
                    (B) the term ``local entity'' means an individual, 
                corporation, or other entity that--
                            (i) is organized under the laws of the high 
                        priority country;
                            (ii) has its principal place of business or 
                        operations in such country; and
                            (iii) is owned or controlled by citizens of 
                        such country.
            (5) Funding.--Funds made available to carry out the Senator 
        Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 for any fiscal year 
        are authorized to be made available to carry out this 
        subsection.
    (d) Retention of Interest.--
            (1) Authority.--In providing assistance under the 
        authorities of section 136 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
        1961, as redesignated and amended by section 4 of this Act, the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development is authorized to enter into agreements with 
        indigenous local private or public groups, associations, or 
        other entities in high priority countries to provide for the 
        retention by such group, association, or other entity, without 
        deposit in the Treasury of the United States and without 
        further appropriation by law, of interest earned on such 
        assistance so provided.
            (2) Limitation.--An agreement described in paragraph (1) 
        may not have a value that exceeds $5,000,000.
            (3) Use of interest.--Any interest earned on the advance of 
        funds under an agreement authorized under paragraph (1) may be 
        used only for the purposes for which the agreement is made.
            (4) Audits.--The Administrator shall, on a regular and 
        recurring basis, audit interest earned on advance funds under 
        an agreement authorized under paragraph (1) to ensure that the 
        requirements of paragraph (3) are met.
            (5) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``high 
        priority country'' means a country designated pursuant to 
        section 6 of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 
        2005.

SEC. 6. SAFE WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE STRATEGY.

    Section 6 of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 
(22 U.S.C. 2152h note) is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``and sanitation'' 
        and inserting ``, sanitation, and hygiene'';
            (2) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``Secretary of State'' and 
                inserting ``Administrator of the United States Agency 
                for International Development'';
                    (B) by striking ``shall develop a strategy'' and 
                inserting ``shall, not later than January 1, 2013, and 
                every four years thereafter, develop a strategy for the 
                next four years'';
                    (C) by striking ``and sanitation'' and inserting 
                ``, sanitation, and hygiene''; and
                    (D) by striking ``section 135 of the Foreign 
                Assistance Act of 1961, as added by section 5(a) of 
                this Act'' and inserting ``section 136 of the Foreign 
                Assistance Act of 1961, as amended by the Senator Paul 
                Simon Water for the World Act of 2012'';
            (3) in subsection (b), by striking ``Administrator of the 
        United States Agency for International Development'' and 
        inserting ``Secretary of State'';
            (4) in subsection (c), by striking ``Secretary of State'' 
        and inserting ``President'';
            (5) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) by striking ``and sanitation'' each place it 
                appears and inserting ``, sanitation, and hygiene'';
                    (B) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) best practices for mobilizing and leveraging the 
        financial and technical capacity of multilateral institutions, 
        business, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and 
        civil society in forming public-private partnerships that 
        measurably increase access to safe and affordable drinking 
        water, sanitation, and hygiene;
            ``(8) the number, types, and level of specialists and 
        generalists currently employed and projected to be needed in 
        each functional and geographic area, including support, 
        management, and administrative functions, to carry out the 
        strategy; and
            ``(9) the assumptions regarding program and policy 
        priorities and budget levels on which the strategy is based.'';
            (6) in subsection (f) to read as follows:
    ``(f) Designation of High Priority Countries.--
            ``(1) Designation.--The strategy required by subsection (a) 
        shall further include the designation of high priority 
        countries for assistance under section 136 of the Foreign 
        Assistance Act of 1961, as amended by the Senator Paul Simon 
        Water for the World Act of 2012.
            ``(2) Criteria.--Each designation of a high priority 
        country described in paragraph (1) shall be made on the basis 
        of--
                    ``(A) countries and communities in countries in 
                which the need for increased access to safe water, 
                sanitation, and hygiene is greatest; and
                    ``(B) countries and communities in countries in 
                which assistance under such section can be expected to 
                make the greatest difference in promoting good health, 
                economic development, poverty reduction, women's 
                empowerment, conflict prevention, and environmental 
                sustainability.
            ``(3) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        each designation of a high priority country described in 
        paragraph (1) should conform to the goals and objectives in the 
        country's multi-year development strategy.'';
            (7) by striking subsection (g); and
            (8) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g) Actions With Respect to High Priority Countries.--For each 
country that is designated as a high priority country, the United 
States Agency for International Development's Mission Director for such 
country shall--
            ``(1) designate sustainably increasing access to safe 
        drinking water and sanitation as a strategic objective, 
        reflected in country-specific strategies that incorporate 
        sustainable water management goals and targets; and
            ``(2) integrate, where appropriate, investments in water, 
        sanitation, and hygiene with investments in food security, 
        global health, environment and sustainable water management, 
        education, and gender equality.''.

SEC. 7. TRANSPARENCY AND MONITORING AND EVALUATION.

    Section 7 of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 
(22 U.S.C. 2152h note) is amended by striking section 7 and inserting 
the following:

``SEC. 7. TRANSPARENCY AND MONITORING AND EVALUATION.

    ``(a) Transparency.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act 
        of 2012, the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development shall, as part of the Agency's 
        Internet Website, establish and maintain a Webpage to make 
        publicly available comprehensive, timely, comparable, and 
        accessible information on United States water, sanitation, and 
        hygiene foreign assistance programs. The head of each Federal 
        department or agency that administers such programs shall on a 
        regular basis publish and update on the Webpage such 
        information with respect to programs of the department or 
        agency.
            ``(2) Matters to be included.--
                    ``(A) In general.--To ensure transparency, 
                accountability, and effectiveness of United States 
                water, sanitation, and hygiene foreign assistance 
                programs, the information required by paragraph (1) 
                shall include--
                            ``(i) the strategy required by section 6;
                            ``(ii) the multi-year development strategy 
                        of each developing country under section 6(a);
                            ``(iii) an identification of each country 
                        designated as a high priority country under 
                        section 6(f), including a fully articulated 
                        rationale of why the country received the 
                        designation;
                            ``(iv) a summary of the guidelines and 
                        procedures as required by section 5(b) of the 
                        Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 
                        2012;
                            ``(v) for each fiscal year, information on 
                        the amount of funds expended in each country or 
                        program, disaggregated by purpose of 
                        assistance, including information on capital 
                        investments, and the source of such funds by 
                        account; and
                            ``(vi) evaluations of water, sanitation, 
                        and hygiene programs, if any.
                    ``(B) Posting requirements.--Such information shall 
                be published on the Webpage not later than 30 days 
                after the date of issuance of the information and shall 
                be continuously updated.
                    ``(C) Report in lieu of inclusion.--If the head of 
                a Federal department or agency described in paragraph 
                (1) makes a determination that the inclusion of a 
                required item of information on the Webpage would 
                jeopardize the health or security of an implementing 
                partner or program beneficiary or would be detrimental 
                to the national interests of the United States, such 
                item of information may be submitted to Congress in a 
                written report in lieu of including it on the Webpage, 
                along with the reasons for not including it on the 
                Webpage.
            ``(3) Database.--The Webpage shall also contain a link to a 
        searchable database available to the public containing such 
        information relating to the current fiscal year and, as 
        available, for each prior fiscal year dating to and including 
        fiscal year 2006.
            ``(4) Form.--Such information shall be published on the 
        Webpage in unclassified form. Any information determined to be 
        classified information may be submitted to Congress in 
        classified form and an unclassified summary of such information 
        shall be published on the Webpage.
    ``(b) Monitoring and Evaluation.--
            ``(1) In general.--The head of each Federal department or 
        agency that administers United States water, sanitation, and 
        hygiene foreign assistance programs shall monitor and evaluate 
        projects and activities carried out under such programs, 
        including carrying out assessments of impact where appropriate, 
        and ensuring results of evaluations are used to inform the 
        design of such projects and activities. Such monitoring and 
        evaluations shall be carried our in accordance with the 
        principles described in section 5(a) of the Senator Paul Simon 
        Water for the World Act of 2012.
            ``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Monitoring.--The term `monitoring' means, 
                with respect to a United States water, sanitation, or 
                hygiene foreign assistance program, a continuing 
                function that uses systematic collection of data on 
                specified indicators to provide management and the main 
                stakeholders of an ongoing development intervention 
                with indications of the extent of progress and 
                achievement of objectives and progress in the use of 
                allocated funds.
                    ``(B) Evaluation.--The term `evaluation' means, 
                with respect to a United States water, sanitation, or 
                hygiene foreign assistance program, the systematic 
                collection and analysis of information about the 
                characteristics and outcomes of the program and 
                projects under the program as a basis for judgments, to 
                improve effectiveness, and to inform decisions about 
                current and future programming, including an 
                explanation of the reasons for or causes of the 
                observed results.''.

SEC. 8. REPORT ON CAPACITY AND EXPERTISE.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a 
report assessing the capacity of United States Government to carry out 
and fully implement this Act, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor 
Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-121), as amended by this Act, and section 
136 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended by this Act. Such 
assessment shall give special focus to--
            (1) evaluating the sufficiency of training programs at both 
        the bureau and mission levels as they relate to providing long-
        term, sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene;
            (2) identifying overall levels of staff expertise on water, 
        sanitation, and hygiene development assistance and where 
        additional expertise may be needed;
            (3) identifying barriers to implementation;
            (4) identifying options for and the estimated costs 
        associated with remedying the problems identified in the 
        report; and
            (5) evaluate the degree to which assistance is targeted 
        towards high priority countries, as defined by section 6(f) of 
        the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-
        121).
                                 <all>
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