I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1462
To authorize assistance for individuals with disabilities in foreign countries, 
including victims of warfare and civil strife, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 27, 2003
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. SMITH of New 
Jersey, Mr. EVANS, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PITTS, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. QUINN, 
Mr. WEXLER, Mr. CASE, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. WOOL-
SEY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. SCHIFF, 
Mr. OLVER, Mr. HOEFFEL, Ms. MCCOLLUM, and Mr. LANGEVIN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Inter-
national Relations 
A BILL 
To authorize assistance for individuals with disabilities in 
foreign countries, including victims of warfare and civil 
strife, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Dis-
ability and Victims of Warfare and Civil Strife Assistance 
Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ing: 
(1)(A) According to the International Com-
mittee of the Red Cross, there are tens of millions 
of landmines in over 60 countries around the world, 
and it has estimated that as many as 24,000 people 
are maimed or killed each year by landmines, mostly 
civilians, resulting in amputations and disabilities of 
various kinds. 
(B) While the United States Government in-
vests more than $100,000,000 in mine action pro-
grams annually, including funding for mine aware-
ness and demining training programs, only about 
ten percent of these funds go to directly aid land-
mine victims. 
(C) The Patrick Leahy War Victims Fund, ad-
ministered by the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development, has provided essential pros-
thetics and rehabilitation for landmine and other 
war victims in developing countries who are disabled 
and has provided long-term sustainable improve-
ments in quality of life for victims of civil strife and 
warfare, addressing such issues as barrier-free acces-
sibility, reduction of social stigmatization, and in-
creasing economic opportunities.
(D) Enhanced coordination is needed among 
Federal agencies that carry out assistance programs 
in foreign countries for victims of landmines and 
other victims of civil strife and warfare to make bet-
ter use of interagency expertise and resources. 
(2) According to a review of Poverty and Dis-
ability commissioned by the World Bank, ‘‘disabled 
people have lower education and income levels than 
the rest of the population. They are more likely to 
have incomes below poverty level than the non-dis-
abled population, and they are less likely to have 
savings and other assets . . . [t]he links between 
poverty and disability go two ways—not only does 
disability add to the risk of poverty, but conditions 
of poverty add to the risk of disability.’’. 
(3) Numerous international human rights con-
ventions and declarations recognize the need to pro-
tect the rights of individuals regardless of their sta-
tus, including those individuals with disabilities, 
through the principles of equality and non-discrimi-
nation. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to author-
ize assistance for individuals with disabilities, including 
victims of landmines and other victims of civil strife and 
warfare.
SEC. 3. INTERNATIONAL DISABILITIES AND WAR VICTIMS 
ASSISTANCE. 
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 134 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 135. INTERNATIONAL DISABILITIES AND WAR VIC-
TIMS ASSISTANCE. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The President is authorized 
to furnish assistance to individuals with disabilities, in-
cluding victims of civil strife and warfare, in foreign coun-
tries. 
‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—The programs established pursu-
ant to subsection (a) may include programs, projects, and 
activities such as the following: 
‘‘(1) Development of local capacity to provide 
medical and rehabilitation services for individuals 
with disabilities, including victims of civil strife and 
warfare, in foreign countries, such as—
‘‘(A) support for and training of medical 
professionals, including surgeons, nurses, and 
physical therapists, to provide effective emer-
gency and other medical care and for the devel-
opment of training manuals relating to first aid 
and other medical treatment; 
‘‘(B) support for sustainable prosthetic 
and orthotic services; and
‘‘(C) psychological and social rehabilitation 
of such individuals, together with their families 
as appropriate, for the reintegration of such in-
dividuals into local communities. 
‘‘(2) Support for policy reform and educational 
efforts related to the needs and abilities of individ-
uals with disabilities, including victims of civil strife 
and warfare. 
‘‘(3) Coordination of programs established pur-
suant to subsection (a) with existing programs for 
individuals with disabilities, including victims of civil 
strife and warfare, in foreign countries. 
‘‘(4) Support for establishment of appropriate 
entities in foreign countries to coordinate programs, 
projects, and activities related to assistance for indi-
viduals with disabilities, including victims of civil 
strife and warfare. 
‘‘(5) Support for primary, secondary, and voca-
tional education, public awareness and training pro-
grams and other activities that help prevent war-re-
lated injuries and assist individuals with disabilities, 
including victims of civil strife and warfare, with 
their reintegration into society and their ability to 
make sustained social and economic contributions to 
society.
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—To the maximum extent feasible, as-
sistance under this section shall be provided through non-
governmental organizations, and, as appropriate, through 
governments to establish appropriate norms, standards, 
and policies related to rehabilitation and issues affecting 
individuals with disabilities, including victims of civil strife 
and warfare. 
‘‘(d) FUNDING.—Amounts made available to carry 
out the other provisions of this part (including chapter 4 
of part II of this Act) and the Support for East European 
Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989 are authorized to be 
made available to carry out this section and are authorized 
to be provided notwithstanding any other provision of 
law.’’. 
SEC. 4. RESEARCH, PREVENTION, AND ASSISTANCE RE-
LATED 
TO 
INTERNATIONAL 
DISABILITIES 
AND LANDMINE AND OTHER WAR VICTIMS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is au-
thorized—
(A) to conduct programs in foreign coun-
tries related to individuals with disabilities, in-
cluding victims of landmines and other victims 
of civil strife and warfare; 
(B) to provide grants to nongovernmental 
organizations for the purpose of carrying out 
research, prevention, public awareness and as-
sistance programs in foreign countries related 
to individuals with disabilities, including victims 
of landmines and other victims of civil strife 
and warfare. 
(2) APPROVAL OF SECRETARY OF STATE.—Ac-
tivities under programs established pursuant to 
paragraph (1) may be carried out in foreign coun-
tries only in coordination with the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Develop-
ment, and upon approval for such activities in such 
countries by the Secretary of State. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—Programs established pursuant to 
subsection (a) may include the following activities: 
(1) Research on trauma, physical, psychological, 
and social rehabilitation, and continuing medical 
care related to individuals with disabilities, including 
victims of landmines and other victims of civil strife 
and warfare, including—
(A) conducting research on psychological 
and social factors that lead to successful recov-
ery; 
(B) developing, testing, and evaluating 
model interventions that reduce post-traumatic 
stress and promote health and well-being; 
(C) developing basic instruction tools for 
initial medical response to traumatic injuries; 
and 
(D) developing basic instruction manuals 
for patients and healthcare providers, including 
for emergency and follow-up care, proper ampu-
tation procedures, and reconstructive surgery. 
(2) Facilitation of peer support networks for in-
dividuals with disabilities, including victims of land-
mines and other victims of civil strife and warfare, 
in foreign countries, including—
(A) establishment of organizations at the 
local level, administered by such individuals, to 
assess and address the physical, psychological, 
economic and social rehabilitation and other 
needs of such individuals, together with their 
families as appropriate, for the purpose of eco-
nomic and social reintegration into local com-
munities; and
(B) training related to the implementation 
of such peer support networks, including train-
ing of outreach workers to assist in the estab-
lishment of organizations such as those de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) and assistance to 
facilitate the use of the networks by such indi-
viduals. 
(3) Sharing of expertise from limb-loss and dis-
ability research centers in the United States with 
similar centers and facilities in war-affected coun-
tries, including promoting increased health for indi-
viduals with limb loss and limb deficiency and epide-
miological research on secondary medical conditions 
related to limb loss and limb deficiency. 
(4) Developing a database of best practices to 
address the needs of the war-related disabled 
through comprehensive examination of support ac-
tivities related to such disability and access to med-
ical care and supplies. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to carry out this section such 
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2003 
through 2004.
SEC. 5. EXPERTISE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS. 
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is authorized—
(1) to provide advice and expertise on pros-
thetics, orthotics, physical and psychological rehabili-
tation and treatment, and disability assistance to 
other Federal departments and agencies, including 
providing for temporary assignment on a non-reim-
bursable basis of appropriate Department of Vet-
erans Affairs personnel, with respect to the imple-
mentation of programs to provide assistance to vic-
tims of landmines and other victims of civil strife 
and warfare in foreign countries and landmine re-
search and health-related programs, including pro-
grams established pursuant to section 135 of the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as added by section 
3 of this Act) and programs established pursuant to 
section 4 of this Act; and 
(2) to provide technical assistance to private 
voluntary organizations on a reimbursable basis with 
respect to the planning, development, operation, and 
evaluation of such landmine assistance, research, 
and prevention programs.
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