69–010 

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 

R E P O R T 

[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. 

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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. 

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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, 

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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 onbudget 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. 

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