II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2946 

To provide improved water, sanitation, and hygiene programs for high priority 

developing countries, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 19, 2014 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. CORKER, Mr. COONS, and Mr. FLAKE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To provide improved water, sanitation, and hygiene programs 

for high priority developing countries, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Senator Paul Simon 

5 Water for the World Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that— 

8 (1) water and sanitation are critically important 

9 resources that impact many other aspects of human 

10 life; 

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1 (2) the United States should be a global leader 

2 in helping provide sustainable access to clean water 

3 and sanitation for the world’s most vulnerable popu4 lations; and 

5 (3) the ‘‘USAID Water and Development Strat6 egy, 2013–2018’’, which was released by the United 

7 States Agency for International Development in May 

8 2013— 

9 (A) improves USAID’s capacity to provide 

10 sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene as11 sistance; 

12 (B) advances implementation of portions of 

13 the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act 

14 of 2005 (Public Law 109–121; 119 Stat. 

15 2533), and 

16 (C) should inform the Global Water Strat17 egy required under section 136(j) of the For18 eign Assistance Act of 1961, as added by sec19 tion 6 of this Act. 

20 SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION OF ASSISTANCE TO PROVIDE SAFE 

21 WATER AND SANITATION TO INCLUDE HY22 GIENE. 

23 Chapter 1 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act 

24 of 1961 is amended— 

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1 (1) by redesignating section 135 (22 U.S.C. 

2 2152h), as added by section 5(a) of the Senator 

3 Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (Public 

4 Law 109–121; 22 U.S.C. 2152h note), as section 

5 136; and 

6 (2) in section 136, as redesignated— 

7 (A) in the section heading, by striking 

8 ‘‘AND SANITATION’’ and inserting ‘‘, SANITA9 TION, AND HYGIENE’’; and 

10 (B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘and 

11 sanitation’’ and inserting ‘‘, sanitation, and hy12 giene’’. 

13 SEC. 4. IMPROVING COORDINATION AND OVERSIGHT OF 

14 SAFE WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE 

15 PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES. 

16 Section 136 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 

17 as redesignated and amended by this Act, is further 

18 amended by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(e) COORDINATION AND OVERSIGHT.— 

20 ‘‘(1) USAID GLOBAL WATER COORDINATOR.— 

21 ‘‘(A) DESIGNATION.—The Administrator 

22 of the United States Agency for International 

23 Development (referred to in this paragraph as 

24 ‘USAID’) or the Administrator’s designee, who 

25 shall be a current USAID employee serving in 

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1 a career or non-career position in the Senior 

2 Executive Service or at the level of a Deputy 

3 Assistant Administrator or higher, shall serve 

4 concurrently as the USAID Global Water Coor5 dinator (referred to in this subsection as the 

6 ‘Coordinator’). 

7 ‘‘(B) SPECIFIC DUTIES.—The Coordinator 

8 shall— 

9 ‘‘(i) provide direction and guidance to, 

10 coordinate, and oversee the projects and 

11 programs of USAID authorized under this 

12 section; 

13 ‘‘(ii) lead the implementation and re14 vision, not less frequently than once every 

15 5 years, of USAID’s portion of the Global 

16 Water Strategy required under subsection 

17 (j); 

18 ‘‘(iii) seek— 

19 ‘‘(I) to expand the capacity of 

20 USAID, subject to the availability of 

21 appropriations, including through the 

22 designation of a lead subject matter 

23 expert selected from among USAID 

24 staff in each high priority country 

25 designated pursuant to subsection (h); 

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1 ‘‘(II) to implement such pro2 grams and activities; 

3 ‘‘(III) to take advantage of 

4 economies of scale; and 

5 ‘‘(IV) to conduct more efficient 

6 and effective projects and programs; 

7 ‘‘(iv) coordinate with the Department 

8 of State and USAID staff in each high pri9 ority country designated pursuant to sub10 section (h) to ensure that USAID activities 

11 and projects, USAID program planning 

12 and budgeting documents, and USAID 

13 country development strategies reflect and 

14 seek to implement— 

15 ‘‘(I) the safe water, sanitation, 

16 and hygiene objectives established in 

17 the strategy required under subsection 

18 (j), including objectives relating to the 

19 management of water resources; and 

20 ‘‘(II) international best practices 

21 relating to— 

22 ‘‘(aa) increasing access to 

23 safe water and sanitation; 

24 ‘‘(bb) conducting hygiene-re25 lated activities; and 

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1 ‘‘(cc) ensuring appropriate 

2 management of water resources; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(v) develop appropriate benchmarks, 

5 measurable goals, performance metrics, 

6 and monitoring and evaluation plans for 

7 USAID projects and programs authorized 

8 under this section. 

9 ‘‘(2) DEPARTMENT OF STATE SPECIAL COORDI10 NATOR FOR WATER RESOURCES.— 

11 ‘‘(A) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary of 

12 State or the Secretary’s designee, who shall be 

13 a current employee of the Department of State 

14 serving in a career or non-career position in the 

15 Senior Executive Service or at the level of a 

16 Deputy Assistant Secretary or higher, shall 

17 serve concurrently as the Department of State 

18 Special Advisor for Water Resources (referred 

19 to in this paragraph as the ‘Special Advisor’). 

20 ‘‘(B) SPECIFIC DUTIES.—The Special Ad21 visor shall— 

22 ‘‘(i) provide direction and guidance to, 

23 coordinate, and oversee the projects and 

24 programs of the Department of State au25 thorized under this section; 

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1 ‘‘(ii) lead the implementation and re2 vision, not less than every 5 years, of the 

3 Department of State’s portion of the Glob4 al Water Strategy required under sub5 section (j); 

6 ‘‘(iii) prioritize and coordinate the De7 partment of State’s international engage8 ment on the allocation, distribution, and 

9 access to global fresh water resources and 

10 policies related to such matters; 

11 ‘‘(iv) coordinate with United States 

12 Agency for International Development and 

13 Department of State staff in each high pri14 ority country designated pursuant to sub15 section (h) to ensure that United States 

16 diplomatic efforts related to safe water, 

17 sanitation, and hygiene, including efforts 

18 related to management of water resources 

19 and watersheds and the resolution of intra20 and trans-boundary conflicts over water re21 sources, are consistent with United States 

22 national interests; and 

23 ‘‘(v) represent the views of the United 

24 States Government on the allocation, dis25 tribution, and access to global fresh water 

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1 resources and policies related to such mat2 ters in key international fora, including 

3 key diplomatic, development-related, and 

4 scientific organizations. 

5 ‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL NATURE OF DUTIES AND RE6 STRICTION ON ADDITIONAL OR SUPPLEMENTAL COM7 PENSATION.—The responsibilities and specific duties 

8 of the Administrator of the United States Agency 

9 for International Development (or the Administra10 tor’s designee) and the Secretary of State (or the 

11 Secretary’s designee) under paragraph (2) or (3), re12 spectively, shall be in addition to any other respon13 sibilities or specific duties assigned to such individ14 uals. Such individuals shall receive no additional or 

15 supplemental compensation as a result of carrying 

16 out such responsibilities and specific duties under 

17 such paragraphs.’’. 

18 SEC. 5. PROMOTING THE MAXIMUM IMPACT AND LONG19 TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF USAID SAFE 

20 WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE-RELATED 

21 PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. 

22 Section 136 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 

23 as redesignated and amended by this Act, is further 

24 amended by adding at the end the following: 

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1 ‘‘(f) PRIORITIES AND CRITERIA FOR MAXIMUM IM2 PACT AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.—The Adminis3 trator of the United States Agency for International De4 velopment shall ensure that the Agency for International 

5 Development’s projects and programs authorized under 

6 this section are designed to achieve maximum impact and 

7 long-term sustainability by— 

8 ‘‘(1) prioritizing countries on the basis of the 

9 following clearly defined criteria and indicators, to 

10 the extent sufficient data are available— 

11 ‘‘(A) the proportion of the population 

12 using an unimproved drinking water source; 

13 ‘‘(B) the total population using an unim14 proved drinking water source; 

15 ‘‘(C) the proportion of the population with16 out piped water access; 

17 ‘‘(D) the proportion of the population 

18 using shared or other unimproved sanitation fa19 cilities; 

20 ‘‘(E) the total population using shared or 

21 other unimproved sanitation facilities; 

22 ‘‘(F) the proportion of the population prac23 ticing open defecation; 

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1 ‘‘(G) the total number of children younger 

2 than 5 years of age who died from diarrheal 

3 disease; 

4 ‘‘(H) the proportion of all deaths of chil5 dren younger than 5 years of age resulting from 

6 diarrheal disease; 

7 ‘‘(I) the national government’s capacity, 

8 capability, and commitment to work with the 

9 United States to improve access to safe water, 

10 sanitation, and hygiene, including— 

11 ‘‘(i) the government’s capacity and 

12 commitment to developing the indigenous 

13 capacity to provide safe water and sanita14 tion without the assistance of outside do15 nors; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) the degree to which such govern17 ment— 

18 ‘‘(I) identifies such efforts as a 

19 priority; and 

20 ‘‘(II) allocates resources to such 

21 efforts; 

22 ‘‘(J) the availability of opportunities to le23 verage existing public, private, or other donor 

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1 giene sectors, including investments in the man2 agement of water resources; and 

3 ‘‘(K) the likelihood of making significant 

4 improvements on a per capita basis on the 

5 health and educational opportunities available 

6 to women as a result of increased access to safe 

7 water, sanitation, and hygiene, including access 

8 to appropriate facilities at primary and sec9 ondary educational institutions seeking to en10 sure that communities benefitting from such 

11 projects and activities develop the indigenous 

12 capacity to provide safe water and sanitation 

13 without the assistance of outside donors; 

14 ‘‘(2) prioritizing and measuring, including 

15 through rigorous monitoring and evaluating mecha16 nisms, the extent to which such project or pro17 gram— 

18 ‘‘(A) furthers significant improvements 

19 in— 

20 ‘‘(i) the criteria set forth in subpara21 graphs (A) through (H) of paragraph (1); 

22 ‘‘(ii) the health and educational op23 portunities available to women as a result 

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1 propriate facilities at primary and sec2 ondary educational institutions; and 

3 ‘‘(iii) the indigenous capacity of the 

4 host nation or community to provide safe 

5 water and sanitation without the assistance 

6 of outside donors; 

7 ‘‘(B) is designed, as part of the provision 

8 of safe water and sanitation to the local com9 munity— 

10 ‘‘(i) to be financially independent over 

11 the long term, focusing on local ownership 

12 and sustainability; 

13 ‘‘(ii) to be undertaken in conjunction 

14 with relevant public institutions or private 

15 enterprises; 

16 ‘‘(iii) to identify and empower local in17 dividuals or institutions to be responsible 

18 for the effective management and mainte19 nance of such project or program; and 

20 ‘‘(iv) to provide safe water or exper21 tise or capacity building to those identified 

22 parties or institutions for the purposes of 

23 developing a plan and clear responsibilities 

24 for the effective management and mainte25 nance of such project or program; 

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1 ‘‘(C) leverages existing public, private, or 

2 other donor investments in the water, sanita3 tion, and hygiene sectors, including investments 

4 in the management of water resources; 

5 ‘‘(D) avoids duplication of efforts with 

6 other United States Government agencies or de7 partments or those of other nations or non8 governmental organizations; 

9 ‘‘(E) coordinates such efforts with the ef10 forts of other United States Government agen11 cies or departments or those of other nations or 

12 nongovernmental organizations directed at as13 sisting refugees and other displaced individuals; 

14 and 

15 ‘‘(F) involves consultation with appropriate 

16 stakeholders, including communities directly af17 fected by the lack of access to clean water, sani18 tation or hygiene, and other appropriate non19 governmental organizations; 

20 ‘‘(3) seeking to further the ‘USAID Water and 

21 Development Strategy, 2013–2018’ through 2018; 

22 and 

23 ‘‘(4) seeking to further the strategy required 

24 under subsection (j) after 2018. 

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1 ‘‘(g) USE OF IMPROVED DATA COLLECTION AND RE2 VIEW OF NEW STANDARDIZED INDICATORS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

4 United States Agency for International Development 

5 is authorized to use improved data collection— 

6 ‘‘(A) to meet the health-based 

7 prioritization criteria established pursuant to 

8 subsection (f)(1); and 

9 ‘‘(B) to review new standardized indicators 

10 in evaluating progress towards meeting such 

11 criteria. 

12 ‘‘(2) CONSULTATION AND NOTICE.—The Ad13 ministrator shall— 

14 ‘‘(A) regularly consult with the appropriate 

15 congressional committees; and 

16 ‘‘(B) notify such committees not later 30 

17 days before using improved data collection and 

18 review of new standardized indicators under 

19 paragraph (1) for the purposes of carrying out 

20 this section. 

21 ‘‘(h) DESIGNATION OF HIGH PRIORITY COUN22 TRIES.— 

23 ‘‘(1) INITIAL DESIGNATION.—Not later than 

24 October 1, 2015, the President shall— 

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1 ‘‘(A) designate, on the basis of the criteria 

2 set forth in subsection (f)(1) and in furtherance 

3 of the ‘USAID Water and Development Strat4 egy, 2013–2018’, not fewer than 10 countries 

5 as high priority countries to be the primary re6 cipients of United States Government assist7 ance authorized under this section during fiscal 

8 year 2016; and 

9 ‘‘(B) notify the appropriate congressional 

10 committees of such designations. 

11 ‘‘(2) ANNUAL DESIGNATIONS.— 

12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

13 subparagraph (B), the President shall annually 

14 make new designations pursuant to the criteria 

15 set forth in paragraph (1). 

16 ‘‘(B) DESIGNATIONS AFTER FISCAL YEAR

17 2018.—Beginning with fiscal year 2019, des18 ignations under paragraph (1) shall be made— 

19 ‘‘(i) based upon the criteria set forth 

20 in subsection (f)(1); and 

21 ‘‘(ii) in furtherance of the strategy re22 quired under subsection (j). 

23 ‘‘(i) TARGETING OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS TO

24 AREAS OF GREATEST NEED.— 

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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 15 days be2 fore the obligation of any funds for water, sanita3 tion, or hygiene projects or programs pursuant to 

4 this section in countries that are not ranked in the 

5 top 50 countries based upon the WASH Needs 

6 Index, the Administrator of the United States Agen7 cy for International Development shall notify the ap8 propriate congressional committees of the planned 

9 obligation of such funds. 

10 ‘‘(2) DEFINED TERM.—In this subsection and 

11 in subsection (j), the term ‘WASH Needs Index’ 

12 means the needs index for water, sanitation, or hy13 giene projects or programs authorized under this 

14 section that has been developed using the criteria 

15 and indicators described in subparagraphs (A) 

16 through (H) of subsection (f)(1).’’. 

17 SEC. 6. UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO INCREASE APPRO18 PRIATE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND 

19 ACCESS TO SAFE WATER, SANITATION, AND 

20 HYGIENE. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 136 of the Foreign Assist22 ance Act of 1961, as redesignated and amended by this 

23 Act, is further amended by adding at the end the fol24 lowing: 

25 ‘‘(j) GLOBAL WATER STRATEGY.— 

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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than October 1, 

2 2017, and every 5 years thereafter, the President, 

3 acting through the Secretary of State, the Adminis4 trator of the United States Agency for International 

5 Development, and the heads of other Federal depart6 ments and agencies, as appropriate, shall submit a 

7 single government-wide Global Water Strategy to the 

8 appropriate congressional committees that provides a 

9 detailed description of how the United States in10 tends— 

11 ‘‘(A) to increase access to safe water, sani12 tation, and hygiene in high priority countries 

13 designated pursuant to subsection (h), including 

14 a summary of the WASH Needs Index and the 

15 specific weighting of data and other assump16 tions used to develop and rank countries on the 

17 WASH Needs Index; 

18 ‘‘(B) to improve the management of water 

19 resources and watersheds in such countries; and 

20 ‘‘(C) to work to prevent and resolve, to the 

21 greatest degree possible, both intra- and trans22 boundary conflicts over water resources in such 

23 countries. 

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1 ‘‘(2) AGENCY-SPECIFIC PLANS.—The Global 

2 Water Strategy shall include an agency-specific 

3 plan— 

4 ‘‘(A) from the United States Agency for 

5 International Development that describes spe6 cifically how the Agency for International De7 velopment will— 

8 ‘‘(i) carry out the duties and respon9 sibilities assigned to the Global Water Co10 ordinator under subsection (e)(1); 

11 ‘‘(ii) ensure that the Agency for Inter12 national Development’s projects and pro13 grams authorized under this section are 

14 designed to achieve maximum impact and 

15 long-term sustainability, including by im16 plementing the requirements described in 

17 subsection (f); and 

18 ‘‘(iii) increase access to safe water, 

19 sanitation, and hygiene in high priority 

20 countries designated pursuant to sub21 section (h); 

22 ‘‘(B) from the Department of State that 

23 describes specifically how the Department of 

24 State will— 

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1 ‘‘(i) carry out the duties and respon2 sibilities assigned to the Special Coordi3 nator for Water Resources under sub4 section (e)(2); and 

5 ‘‘(ii) ensure that the Department’s ac6 tivities authorized under this section are 

7 designed— 

8 ‘‘(I) to improve management of 

9 water resources and watersheds in 

10 countries designated pursuant to sub11 section (h); and 

12 ‘‘(II) to prevent and resolve, to 

13 the greatest degree possible, both 

14 intra- and trans-boundary conflicts 

15 over water resources in such coun16 tries; and 

17 ‘‘(C) from other Federal departments and 

18 agencies, as appropriate, that describes the con19 tributions of the departments and agencies to 

20 implementing the Global Water Strategy. 

21 ‘‘(3) INDIVIDUALIZED PLANS FOR HIGH PRI22 ORITY COUNTRIES.—For each high priority country 

23 designated pursuant to subsection (h), the Adminis24 trator of the United States Agency for International 

25 Development shall— 

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1 ‘‘(A) develop a costed, evidence-based, and 

2 results-oriented plan that— 

3 ‘‘(i) seeks to achieve the purposes of 

4 this section; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) meets the requirements under 

6 subsection (f); and 

7 ‘‘(B) include such plan in an appendix to 

8 the Global Water Strategy required under para9 graph (1). 

10 ‘‘(4) FIRST TIME ACCESS REPORTING REQUIRE11 MENT.—The Global Water Strategy shall specifically 

12 describe the target percentage of funding for each 

13 fiscal year covered by such strategy to be directed 

14 toward projects aimed at providing first-time access 

15 to safe water and sanitation. 

16 ‘‘(5) PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.—The Global 

17 Water Strategy shall include specific and measurable 

18 goals, benchmarks, performance metrics, timetables, 

19 and monitoring and evaluation plans required to be 

20 developed by the Administrator of the United States 

21 Agency for International Development pursuant to 

22 subsection (e)(1)(B)(v). 

23 ‘‘(6) CONSULTATION AND BEST PRACTICES.— 

24 The Global Water Strategy shall— 

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1 ‘‘(A) be developed in consultation with the 

2 heads of other appropriate Federal departments 

3 and agencies; and 

4 ‘‘(B) incorporate best practices from the 

5 international development community. 

6 ‘‘(k) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘appro7 priate congressional committees’ means— 

8 ‘‘(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 

9 Senate; 

10 ‘‘(2) the Committee on Appropriations of the 

11 Senate; 

12 ‘‘(3) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

13 House of Representatives; and 

14 ‘‘(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the 

15 House of Representatives.’’. 

16 (b) DEPARTMENT OF STATE AGENCY-SPECIFIC

17 PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact18 ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit an 

19 agency-specific plan to the appropriate congressional com20 mittees (as defined in section 136(k) of the Foreign As21 sistance Act of 1961, as added by subsection (a)) that 

22 meets the requirements of section 136(j)(2)(B) of such 

23 Act, as added by subsection (a). 

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1 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 6 of the 

2 Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (Pub3 lic Law 109–121; 22 U.S.C. 2152h note) is repealed. 

Æ 

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