I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2740 

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 

JUNE 11, 2015 

Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Ms. LEE, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. ENGEL, 

Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. LEVIN, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 

TSONGAS, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 

DEUTCH, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. FARR, Mr. RUSH, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. 

SCHIFF, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. KEATING, Ms. ESTY, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. SPEIER, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. 

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. MOORE, 

Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. 

CROWLEY, Mr. TAKAI, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. 

SMITH of Washington, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. WELCH, Mrs. 

BEATTY, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. BEYER, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. 

QUIGLEY, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. BERA, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. PETERS, 

Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. SEAN PATRICK

MALONEY of New York, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. SCOTT of 

Virginia, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. 

LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. DEGETTE, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. 

ISRAEL, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. TITUS, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. 

POLIS, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. 

MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. KILMER, Mr. GRAYSON, 

Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. EDWARDS, Ms. SINEMA, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. MENG, Mr. NADLER, 

Mr. TONKO, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 

POCAN, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. 

O’ROURKE, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. HECK of Washington, Mr. RUIZ, 

Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. BASS, Mr. CLAY, Mr. SIRES, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS

of Illinois, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. GUTIE ́RREZ, 

Ms. ESHOO, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. HIMES, Mr. COHEN, Mr. PERLMUTTER, 


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and Mr. FOSTER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Democracy Pro5 motion Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) It is a fundamental principle of American 

9 medical ethics and practice that health care pro10 viders should, at all times, deal honestly and openly 

11 with patients. Any attempt to subvert the private 

12 and sensitive physician-patient relationship would be 

13 intolerable in the United States and is an unjustifi14 able intrusion into the practices of health care pro15 viders when attempted in other countries. 

16 (2) Freedom of speech is a fundamental Amer17 ican value. The ability to exercise the right to free 

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


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1 peaceably to assemble, and to petition the govern2 ment for a redress of grievances’’ is essential to a 

3 thriving democracy and is protected under the 

4 United States Constitution. 

5 (3) The promotion of democracy is a principal 

6 goal of United States foreign policy and critical to 

7 achieving sustainable development. It is enhanced 

8 through the encouragement of democratic institu9 tions and the promotion of an independent and po10 litically active civil society in developing countries. 

11 (4) Limiting eligibility for United States devel12 opment and humanitarian assistance upon the will13 ingness of a foreign nongovernmental organization 

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

15 within the democratic process, a particular issue af16 fecting the citizens of its own country directly under17 mines a key goal of United States foreign policy and 

18 would violate the United States Constitution if ap19 plied to United States-based organizations. 

20 (5) Similarly, limiting the eligibility for United 

21 States assistance on a foreign nongovernmental or22 ganization’s willingness to forgo its right to provide, 

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

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

25 United States constitutes unjustifiable interference 


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1 with the ability of independent organizations to serve 

2 the critical health needs of their fellow citizens and 

3 demonstrates a disregard and disrespect for the laws 

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

5 United States. 

6 SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE FOR FOREIGN NONGOVERNMENTAL 

7 ORGANIZATIONS UNDER PART I OF THE FOR8 EIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961. 

9 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, regula10 tion, or policy, in determining eligibility for assistance au11 thorized under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 

12 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), foreign nongovernmental 

13 organizations— 

14 (1) shall not be ineligible for such assistance 

15 solely on the basis of health or medical services, in16 cluding counseling and referral services, provided by 

17 such organizations with non-United States Govern18 ment funds if such services do not violate the laws 

19 of the country in which they are being provided and 

20 would not violate United States Federal law if pro21 vided in the United States; and 

22 (2) shall not be subject to requirements relating 

23 to the use of non-United States Government funds 

24 for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those 

25 that apply to United States nongovernmental organiVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:58 Jun 16, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2740.IH H2740

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1 zations receiving assistance under part I of such 

2 Act. 

Æ 


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