PUBLIC LAW 113–162—AUG. 8, 2014 

ASSESSING PROGRESS IN HAITI ACT OF 2014 


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128 STAT. 1858 PUBLIC LAW 113–162—AUG. 8, 2014 

Public Law 113–162 

113th Congress 

An Act 

To measure the progress of recovery and development efforts in Haiti following 

the earthquake of January 12, 2010, 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 ‘‘Assessing Progress in Haiti 

Act of 2014’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress makes the following findings: 

(1) On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake struck 

near the Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince, leaving an estimated 220,000 people dead, including 103 United States citizens, 101 United Nations personnel, and nearly 18 percent 

of the nation’s civil service, as well as 300,000 injured, 115,000 

homes destroyed, and 1,500,000 people displaced. 

(2) According to the Post Disaster Needs Assessment conducted by the Government of Haiti, with technical assistance 

from the United Nations, the World Bank, the Inter-American 

Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Latin 

America and the Caribbean, and the European Commission, 

an estimated 15 percent of the population was directly affected 

by the disaster and related damages and economic losses totaled 

$7,804,000,000. 

(3) Even before the earthquake, Haiti had some of the 

lowest socioeconomic indicators and the second highest rate 

of income disparity in the world, conditions that have further 

complicated post-earthquake recovery efforts and, according to 

the World Bank, have significantly reduced the prospects of 

addressing poverty reduction through economic growth. 

(4) According to the World Food Programme, more than 

6,700,000 people in Haiti (out of a population of about 

10,000,000) are considered food insecure. 

(5) In October 2010, an unprecedented outbreak of cholera 

in Haiti resulted in over 500,000 reported cases and over 8,000 

deaths to date, further straining the capacity of Haiti’s public 

health sector and increasing the urgency of resettlement and 

water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) efforts. 

(6) The international community, led by the United States 

and the United Nations, mounted an unprecedented humanitarian response in Haiti, with donors pledging approximately 

$10,400,000,000 for humanitarian relief and recovery efforts, 

including debt relief, supplemented by $3,100,000,000 in private 

Assessing 

Progress in Haiti 

Act of 2014. 

22 USC 2151 

note. 

Aug. 8, 2014 

[S. 1104] 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–162—AUG. 8, 2014 128 STAT. 1859 

charitable contributions, of which approximately $6,400,000,000 

has been disbursed and an additional $3,800,000,000 has been 

committed as of September 30, 2013. 

(7) The emergency response of the men and women of 

the United States Government, led by the United States Agency 

for International Development (USAID) and the United States 

Southern Command, as well as of cities, towns, individuals, 

businesses, and philanthropic organizations across the United 

States, was particularly swift and resolute. 

(8) Since 2010, a total of $1,300,000,000 in United States 

assistance has been allocated for humanitarian relief and 

$2,300,000,000 has been allocated for recovery, reconstruction, 

and development assistance in Haiti, including $1,140,000,000 

in emergency appropriations and $95,000,000 that has been 

obligated specifically to respond to the cholera epidemic. 

(9) Of the $3,600,000,000 in United States assistance allocated for Haiti, $651,000,000 was apportioned to USAID to 

support an ambitious recovery plan, including the construction 

of a power plant to provide electricity for the new Caracol 

Industrial Park (CIP) in northern Haiti, a new port near the 

CIP, and permanent housing in new settlements in the Portau-Prince, St-Marc, and Cap-Haı ̈tien areas. 

(10) According to a recent report of the Government 

Accountability Office, as of June 30, 2013, USAID had disbursed 

31 percent of its reconstruction funds in Haiti, the port project 

was 2 years behind schedule and USAID funding will be insufficient to cover a majority of the projected costs, the housing 

project has been reduced by 80 percent, and the sustainability 

of the power plant, the port, and the housing projects were 

all at risk. 

(11) GAO further found that Congress has not been provided with sufficient information to ensure that it is able to 

conduct effective oversight at a time when most funding 

remains to be disbursed, and specifically recommends that a 

periodic reporting mechanism be instituted to fill this information gap. 

(12) Donors have encountered significant challenges in 

implementing recovery programs, and nearly 4 years after the 

earthquake, an estimated 171,974 people remain displaced in 

camps, unemployment remains high, corruption is rampant, 

land rights remain elusive, allegations of wage violations are 

widespread, the business climate is unfavorable, and government capacity remains weak. 

(13) For Haiti to achieve stability and long term economic 

growth, donor assistance will have to be carefully coordinated 

with a commitment by the Government of Haiti to transparency, a market economy, rule of law, and democracy. 

(14) The legal environment in Haiti remains a challenge 

to achieving the goals supported by the international community. 

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

It is the policy of the United States to support the sustainable 

rebuilding and development of Haiti in a manner that— 

(1) promotes efforts that are led by and support the people 

and Government of Haiti at all levels so that Haitians lead 

the course of reconstruction and development of Haiti; 


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128 STAT. 1860 PUBLIC LAW 113–162—AUG. 8, 2014 

(2) builds the long term capacity of the Government of 

Haiti and civil society in Haiti; 

(3) reflects the priorities and particular needs of both 

women and men so they may participate equally and to their 

maximum capacity; 

(4) respects and helps restore Haiti’s natural resources, 

as well as builds community-level resilience to environmental 

and weather-related impacts; 

(5) provides timely and comprehensive reporting on goals 

and progress, as well as transparent post program evaluations 

and contracting data; 

(6) prioritizes the local procurement of goods and services 

in Haiti where appropriate; and 

(7) promotes the holding of free, fair, and timely elections 

in accordance with democratic principles and the Haitian Constitution. 

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

It is the sense of Congress that transparency, accountability, 

democracy, and good governance are integral factors in any congressional decision regarding United States assistance, including assistance to Haiti. 

SEC. 5. REPORT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 31, 2014, and 

annually thereafter through December 31, 2017, the Secretary of 

State shall submit to Congress a report on the status of postearthquake recovery and development efforts in Haiti. 

(b) CONTENTS.—The report required by subsection (a) shall 

include— 

(1) a summary of ‘‘Post-Earthquake USG Haiti Strategy: 

Toward Renewal and Economic Opportunity’’, including any 

significant changes to the strategy over the reporting period 

and an explanation thereof; 

(2) a breakdown of the work that the United States Government agencies other than USAID and the Department of State 

are conducting in the Haiti recovery effort, and the cost of 

that assistance; 

(3) an assessment of the progress of United States efforts 

to advance the objectives of the ‘‘Post-Earthquake USG Haiti 

Strategy: Toward Renewal and Economic Opportunity’’ produced by the Department of State, compared to what remains 

to be achieved to meet specific goals, including— 

(A) a description of any significant changes to the 

Strategy over the reporting period and an explanation 

thereof; 

(B) an assessment of progress, or lack thereof, over 

the reporting period toward meeting the goals and objectives, benchmarks, and timeframes specified in the 

Strategy, including— 

(i) a description of progress toward designing and 

implementing a coordinated and sustainable housing 

reconstruction strategy that addresses land ownership, 

secure land tenure, water and sanitation, and the 

unique concerns of vulnerable populations such as 

women and children, as well as neighborhood and 

community revitalization, housing finance, and 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–162—AUG. 8, 2014 128 STAT. 1861 

capacity building for the Government of Haiti to implement an effective housing policy; 

(ii) a description of United States Government 

efforts to construct and sustain the proposed port, as 

well as an assessment of the current projected timeline 

and cost for completion; and 

(iii) a description of United States Government 

efforts to attract and leverage the investments of private sector partners to the CIP, including by 

addressing any policy impediments; 

(C) a description of the quantitative and qualitative 

indicators used to evaluate the progress toward meeting 

the goals and objectives, benchmarks, and timeframes 

specified in the Strategy at the program level; 

(D) the amounts committed, obligated, and expended 

on programs and activities to implement the Strategy, by 

sector and by implementing partner at the prime and 

subprime levels (in amounts of not less than $25,000); 

and 

(E) a description of the risk mitigation measures put 

in place to limit the exposure of United States assistance 

provided under the Strategy to waste, fraud, and abuse; 

(4) a description of measures taken to strengthen, and 

United States Government efforts to improve, Haitian governmental and nongovernmental organizational capacity to undertake and sustain United States-supported recovery programs; 

(5) as appropriate, a description of United States efforts 

to consult and engage with Government of Haiti ministries 

and local authorities on the establishment of goals and timeframes, and on the design and implementation of new programs 

under the Post-Earthquake USG Haiti Strategy: Toward 

Renewal and Economic Opportunity; 

(6) a description of efforts by Haiti’s legislative and executive branches to consult and engage with Haitian civil society 

and grassroots organizations on the establishment of goals and 

timeframes, and on the design and implementation of new 

donor-financed programs, as well as efforts to coordinate with 

and engage the Haitian diaspora; 

(7) consistent with the Government of Haiti’s ratification 

of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, a 

description of efforts of the Governments of the United States 

and Haiti to strengthen Government of Haiti institutions established to address corruption, as well as related efforts to promote public accountability, meet public outreach and disclosure 

obligations, and support civil society participation in anticorruption efforts; 

(8) a description of efforts to leverage public-private partnerships and increase the involvement of the private sector 

in Haiti in recovery and development activities and coordinate 

programs with the private sector and other donors; 

(9) a description of efforts to address the particular needs 

of vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons, women, children, orphans, and persons with disabilities, 

in the design and implementation of new programs and infrastructure; 

(10) a description of the impact that agriculture and infrastructure programs are having on the food security, livelihoods, 


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128 STAT. 1862 PUBLIC LAW 113–162—AUG. 8, 2014 

and land tenure security of smallholder farmers, particularly 

women; 

(11) a description of mechanisms for communicating the 

progress of recovery and development efforts to the people 

of Haiti, including a description of efforts to provide documentation, reporting and procurement information in Haitian Creole; 

(12) a description of the steps the Government of Haiti 

is taking to strengthen its capacity to receive individuals who 

are removed, excluded, or deported from the United States; 

and 

(13) an assessment of actions necessary to be taken by 

the Government of Haiti to assist in fulfilling the objectives 

of the Strategy. 

SEC. 6. STRATEGY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 

the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, acting through 

the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, 

shall coordinate and transmit to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and 

the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a three-year Haiti strategy 

based on rigorous assessments that— 

(1) identifies and addresses constraints to sustainable, 

broad-based economic growth and to the consolidation of responsive, democratic government institutions; 

(2) includes an action plan that outlines policy tools, technical assistance, and anticipated resources for addressing the 

highest-priority constraints to economic growth and the consolidation of democracy, as well as a specific description of mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating progress; and 

(3) identifies specific steps and verifiable benchmarks 

appropriate to provide direct bilateral assistance to the Government of Haiti. 

(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under subsection (a) 

should address the following elements: 

(1) A plan to engage the Government of Haiti on shared 

priorities to build long-term capacity, including the development 

of a professional civil service, to assume increasing responsibility for governance and budgetary sustainment of governmental institutions. 

(2) A plan to assist the Government of Haiti in holding 

free, fair and timely elections in accordance with democratic 

principles. 

(3) Specific goals for future United States support for efforts 

to build the capacity of the Government of Haiti, including 

to– 

(A) reduce corruption; 

(B) consolidate the rule of law and an independent 

judiciary; 

(C) strengthen the civilian police force; 

(D) develop sustainable housing, including ensuring 

appropriate titling and land ownership rights; 

(E) expand port capacity to support economic growth; 

(F) attract and leverage the investments of private 

sector partners, including to the Caracol Industrial Park; 

Deadline. 


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PUBLIC LAW 113–162—AUG. 8, 2014 128 STAT. 1863 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1104: 

SENATE REPORTS: No. 113–201 (Comm. on Foreign Relations). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 160 (2014): 

July 10, considered and passed Senate. 

July 25, considered and passed House. 

Æ 

(G) promote large and small scale agricultural development in a manner that reduces food insecurity and contributes to economic growth; 

(H) improve access to potable water, expand public 

sanitation services, reduce the spread of infectious diseases, 

and address public health crises; 

(I) restore the natural resources of Haiti, including 

enhancing reforestation efforts throughout the country; and 

(J) gain access to safe, secure, and affordable supplies 

of energy in order to strengthen economic growth and 

energy security. 

(c) CONSULTATION.—In devising the strategy required under 

subsection (a), the Secretary should— 

(1) coordinate with all United States Government departments and agencies carrying out work in Haiti; 

(2) consult with the Government of Haiti, including the 

National Assembly of Haiti, and representatives of private and 

nongovernmental sectors in Haiti; and 

(3) consult with relevant multilateral organizations, multilateral development banks, private sector institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and foreign governments present 

in Haiti. 

(d) BRIEFINGS.—The Secretary of State, at the request of the 

Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, shall provide 

a quarterly briefing that reviews progress of the implementation 

of the strategy required under subsection (a). 

Approved August 8, 2014. 


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