I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2952

To prohibit the application of certain restrictive eligibility requirements to 

foreign nongovernmental organizations with respect to the provision of 

assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2003

Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Mr. GREENWOOD, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. SHAYS, Mrs. 

MALONEY, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. HOLT, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. 

ENGEL, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. TOWNS, 

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. 

DELAHUNT, Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. SOLIS, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. OLVER, Mr. 

HOEFFEL, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 

MATSUI, Ms. BERKLEY, Ms. LEE, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER

of California, Mr. NADLER, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. MILLENDERMCDONALD, Mr. FILNER, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, 

Mr. FROST, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BACA, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. 

RANGEL, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 

BLUMENAUER, Mr. KIRK, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. 

LEVIN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. WEXLER) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

A BILL

To prohibit the application of certain restrictive eligibility 

requirements to foreign nongovernmental organizations 

with respect to the provision of assistance under part 

I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Democracy Pro3 motion Act of 2003’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 The Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) It is a fundamental principle of American 

7 medical ethics and practice that health care pro8 viders should, at all times, deal honestly and openly 

9 with patients. Any attempt to subvert the private 

10 and sensitive physician-patient relationship would be 

11 intolerable in the United States and is an unjustifi12 able intrusion into the practices of health care pro13 viders when attempted in other countries. 

14 (2) Freedom of speech is a fundamental Amer15 ican value. The ability to exercise the right to free 

16 speech, which includes the ‘‘right of the people 

17 peaceably to assemble, and to petition the govern18 ment for a redress of grievances’’ is essential to a 

19 thriving democracy and is protected under the 

20 United States Constitution. 

21 (3) The promotion of democracy is a principal 

22 goal of United States foreign policy and critical to 

23 achieving sustainable development. It is enhanced 

24 through the encouragement of democratic institu25 tions and the promotion of an independent and po26 litically active civil society in developing countries. 
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1 (4) Limiting eligibility for United States devel2 opment and humanitarian assistance upon the will3 ingness of a foreign nongovernmental organization 

4 to forgo its right to use its own funds to address, 

5 within the democratic process, a particular issue af6 fecting the citizens of its own country directly under7 mines a key goal of United States foreign policy and 

8 would violate the United States Constitution if ap9 plied to United States-based organizations. 

10 (5) Similarly, limiting the eligibility for United 

11 States assistance on a foreign nongovernmental or12 ganization’s willingness to forgo its right to provide, 

13 with its own funds, medical services that are legal in 

14 its own country and would be legal if provided in the 

15 United States constitutes unjustifiable interference 

16 with the ability of independent organizations to serve 

17 the critical health needs of their fellow citizens and 

18 demonstrates a disregard and disrespect for the laws 

19 of sovereign nations as well as for the laws of the 

20 United States. 

21 SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR FOREIGN NONGOVERNMENTAL 

22 ORGANIZATIONS UNDER PART I OF THE FOR23 EIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961. 

24 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, regula25 tion, or policy, in determining eligibility for assistance au-
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1 thorized under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

2 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), foreign nongovernmental 

3 organizations—

4 (1) shall not be ineligible for such assistance 

5 solely on the basis of health or medical services in6 cluding counseling and referral services, provided by 

7 such organizations with non-United States Govern8 ment funds if such services do not violate the laws 

9 of the country in which they are being provided and 

10 would not violate United States Federal law if pro11 vided in the United States; and 

12 (2) shall not be subject to requirements relating 

13 to the use of non-United States Government funds 

14 for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those 

15 that apply to United States nongovernmental organi16 zations receiving assistance under part I of such 

17 Act.

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