I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 708 

To restrict assistance to foreign organizations that perform or actively 

promote abortions. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 27, 2009 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. STUPAK, 

and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To restrict assistance to foreign organizations that perform 

or actively promote abortions. 

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

3 SECTION 1. RESTRICTION ON ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGN OR4 GANIZATIONS THAT PERFORM OR ACTIVELY 

5 PROMOTE ABORTIONS. 

6 Section 104 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 

7 (22 U.S.C. 2151b) is amended— 

8 (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub9 section (h); and 


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1 (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(g) RESTRICTION ON ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGN OR4 GANIZATIONS THAT PERFORM OR ACTIVELY PROMOTE

5 ABORTIONS.— 

6 ‘‘(1) PERFORMANCE OF ABORTIONS.—(A) Not7 withstanding any other provision of law, no funds 

8 appropriated for population planning activities or 

9 other population assistance may be made available 

10 for any foreign private, nongovernmental, or multi11 lateral organization until the organization certifies 

12 that it will not, during the period for which the 

13 funds are made available, perform abortions in any 

14 foreign country, except where the life of the mother 

15 would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried 

16 to term or in cases of forcible rape or incest. 

17 ‘‘(B) Subparagraph (A) may not be construed 

18 to apply to the treatment of injuries or illnesses 

19 caused by legal or illegal abortions or to assistance 

20 provided directly to the government of a country. 

21 ‘‘(2) LOBBYING ACTIVITIES.—(A) Notwith22 standing any other provision of law, no funds appro23 priated for population planning activities or other 

24 population assistance may be made available for any 

25 foreign private, nongovernmental, or multilateral orVerDate Nov 24 2008 23:03 Jan 28, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H708.IH H708

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1 ganization until the organization certifies that it will 

2 not, during the period for which the funds are made 

3 available, violate the laws of any foreign country 

4 concerning the circumstances under which abortion 

5 is permitted, regulated, or prohibited, or engage in 

6 any activity or effort to alter the laws or govern7 mental policies of any foreign country concerning the 

8 circumstances under which abortion is permitted, 

9 regulated, or prohibited. 

10 ‘‘(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to ac11 tivities in opposition to coercive abortion or involun12 tary sterilization. 

13 ‘‘(3) APPLICABILITY.—The prohibitions of this 

14 subsection apply to funds made available to a for15 eign organization either directly or as a subcon16 tractor or subgrantee, and the required certifications 

17 apply to activities in which the organization engages 

18 either directly or through a subcontractor or sub19 grantee.’’. 

Æ 


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