I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4674 
To support the sustainable recovery and rebuilding of Nepal following the 
recent, devastating earthquakes near Kathmandu. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 2, 2016 
Ms. MENG (for herself, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SHER-
MAN, Mr. CROWLEY, and Mr. POLIS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To support the sustainable recovery and rebuilding of Nepal 
following the recent, devastating earthquakes near 
Kathmandu. 
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 ‘‘Nepal Recovery Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development. 
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(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate; 
(B) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate; 
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives; and 
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives. 
(3) 
INTERNATIONAL
FINANCIAL
INSTITU-
TION.—The term ‘‘international financial institu-
tion’’ means— 
(A) each of the institutions listed in sec-
tion 1701(c)(2) of the International Financial 
Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(2)); and 
(B) the International Fund for Agricul-
tural Development. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) On April 25, 2015, an earthquake meas-
uring 7.8 on the Richter scale and a subsequent 
earthquake on May 12 measuring 7.3 on the Richter 
scale and numerous aftershocks— 
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(A) devastated Kathmandu, Nepal, and the 
surrounding areas; 
(B) killed more than 8,700 people; 
(C) injured hundreds of thousands addi-
tional people; 
(D) destroyed or damaged more than 
770,000 homes, leaving the families who had 
been living in those homes without shelter; 
(E) damaged or destroyed more than 
47,000 classrooms; 
(F) damaged or destroyed over 1,000 
health facilities including primary health care 
centers and birthing centers; 
(G) left many people with newly acquired 
disabilities, including lost limbs and other phys-
ical and mental trauma; 
(H) severely impacted livelihoods and food 
security for millions of people, including the de-
struction of stockpiled grains and the loss of 
more than 17,000 cattle and 40,000 smaller do-
mesticated animals; and 
(I) disrupted social structures and families 
through death, injury, and relocation. 
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(2) The earthquake devastated Nepal’s infra-
structure, including homes, offices, factories, roads, 
bridges, communications, and other facilities. 
(3) American citizens were also killed in the 
widespread destruction caused by the earthquake. 
(4) Six American servicemembers and 2 mem-
bers of the Nepalese Army lost their lives in a heli-
copter accident while working to relieve the suffering 
of the Nepalese people following the earthquake. 
(5) The World Bank and the Government of 
Nepal conducted a post disaster needs assessment 
that estimated almost $6,700,000,000 in sector spe-
cific damage, losses, and recovery needs. 
(6) In Nepal, which is one of the poorest coun-
tries in the world— 
(A) an estimated 25 percent of the popu-
lation lives on less than $1.25 per day; 
(B) there is a 46-percent unemployment 
rate, with the majority of the population en-
gaged in subsistence agriculture; 
(C) only 25 percent of Nepalese participate 
in the formal banking system, with the majority 
of Nepalese severely lacking access to credit 
and financial services, making accessing credit 
for rebuilding difficult; and 
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(D) has one of the slowest economic 
growth rates in the region. 
(7) The geography of Nepal poses a significant 
challenge to relief, reconstruction, and development 
that requires extraordinary efforts and assets to 
overcome. 
(8) The United States Government, the Govern-
ment of Nepal, and civil society organizations have 
invested in disaster risk reduction efforts for nearly 
20 years. Those efforts have reduced suffering and 
prevented greater loss of life and property. 
(9) In recent years, the Government and people 
of Nepal have taken important steps forward to re-
solve civil conflict, reconcile, and promote economic 
growth and development. 
(10) Nepal has qualified for the Millennium 
Challenge Corporation Threshold Program and has 
been selected for a Millennium Challenge Corpora-
tion Compact, based on its performance on key se-
lection criteria. 
(11) The earthquake has significantly increased 
the costs and uncertainty of doing business in 
Nepal. 
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SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States, in partnership 
with the Government of Nepal and in coordination with 
the international community— 
(1) to support the sustainable recovery and re-
building of Nepal in a manner that— 
(A) encourages greater economic growth; 
(B) embraces the independence, resilience, 
and democratic governance of Nepal; 
(C) supports collaboration with the Gov-
ernment of Nepal and consultation with Nepa-
lese and international civil society and including 
the participation of affected communities in 
planning and implementing recovery and recon-
struction; 
(D) ensures that the National Reconstruc-
tion Authority institutes strong internal ac-
counting and accountability measures; 
(E) seeks to reach the most severely af-
fected communities, particularly those who live 
in hard-to-reach areas or who are otherwise 
marginalized; 
(F) seeks to address the vulnerability of 
young girls and boys who are often at much 
higher risk of trafficking, sexual exploitation, 
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child labor, and other forms of abuse during 
emergencies; 
(G) prohibits the participation of the 
United States in any construction effort, which 
uses forced or child labor, unregistered recruit-
ment agencies, or pays wages through means 
other than directly to the laborer or to their 
bank account; 
(H) promotes compliance with Nepalese 
labor law and internationally recognized core 
labor standards, as set forth in the Inter-
national Labor Organization Declaration on 
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work 
and its followup; 
(I) harnesses the energy of youth, who 
make up 33 percent of Nepal’s population, to 
rebuild Nepal; 
(J) includes regulatory reforms that im-
prove the environment for investors; 
(K) supports the role of women in the re-
construction and recovery effort; 
(L) rebuilds in ways that foster resilience 
to future earthquakes, landslides, and other 
natural disasters that threaten Nepal; 
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(M) enables a rapid return to school for 
children, including the rapid construction and 
effective utilization of medium-term temporary 
school structures; and 
(N) coordinates activities with the Millen-
nium Challenge Corporation and other agencies 
to assure the optimal efficiency and effective-
ness of United States efforts; 
(2) to encourage all international donors to con-
tribute and coordinate in a transparent manner and 
report all contributions through international mecha-
nisms to enable the most efficient allocation of all 
reconstruction resources; 
(3) to ensure that ongoing development invest-
ments in health, education, economic growth, food 
security, and other areas continue, where appro-
priate, and are not diverted to other purposes; 
(4) to affirm and build a long-term partnership 
with Nepal in support of providing a foundation for 
economic growth and sustainability through invest-
ments— 
(A) in essential infrastructure, including 
transport, financial services, and energy; 
(B) to rebuild Nepal’s competitiveness and 
private sector in order to foster employment 
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generation, including policies to encourage in-
vestment and open world consumer markets to 
Nepalese exports; 
(C) in food security and rural and agricul-
tural development, particularly of food staples 
and other crops that provide economic growth 
and build lasting food security; and 
(D) that recognize and address how obsta-
cles related to gender limit, hinder, or suppress 
the economic productivity and gain of women; 
(5) to ensure, with the Government of Nepal, 
that affected children are protected from potential 
violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation and have 
the ability to access child protection services, includ-
ing psychosocial support; 
(6) to support, in coordination with other do-
nors— 
(A) the institutional development and ca-
pacity building of the Government of Nepal at 
the national, local, and community levels so 
that the Government of Nepal can ensure basic 
services for its population, including health 
care, education, and other basic social services; 
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(B) contributions to a multilateral trust 
fund that will be established to enhance the re-
construction and rebuilding of Nepal; 
(C) the Government and people of Nepal to 
lead the vision for reconstruction and rebuilding 
of Nepal; and 
(D) communities to fully participate in the 
recovery and reconstruction process, by employ-
ing local labor, as appropriate, and consulting 
local leaders, affected communities, and civil so-
ciety for their experience and vision; and 
(7) to address the stateless populations in 
Nepal, including Tibetan communities, who— 
(A) are least likely to receive support 
through the regular government systems; and 
(B) may have particularly greater or dif-
ferent needs. 
SEC. 5. TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of 
funds, the President may provide technical and financial 
assistance for programs that— 
(1) improve Nepal’s basic infrastructure fol-
lowing the earthquakes in affected communities; 
(2) support economic growth, including through 
agriculture and small-scale enterprise opportunities; 
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(3) promote health and basic education pro-
grams; and 
(4) support democracy programs that promote 
political reforms, as appropriate, including strength-
ening democratic institutions and rule of law. 
(b) FAST-TRACK OF INVESTMENT FEASIBILITY AND 
ASSESSMENT STUDIES.—The Director of the United 
States Trade and Development Agency may proactively 
explore and provide accelerated response in Nepal for— 
(1) project identification and investment anal-
yses; 
(2) trade capacity building and sector develop-
ment activities, including technical assistance and 
feasibility studies that support investments in infra-
structure that contribute to overseas development; 
and 
(3) trade capacity building and sector develop-
ment assistance supporting the establishment of in-
dustry standards, rules, regulations, market liberal-
ization, and other policy reform, with a particular 
focus on engineering and construction. 
SEC. 6. REPORTS. 
(a) REPORT ON IMPACT OF DISASTER RISK REDUC-
TION EFFORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
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a report to the appropriate congressional committees 
that— 
(1) assesses the effectiveness of United States 
investments in Nepal in disaster risk reduction and 
earthquake resilience during the 20-year period end-
ing on the date of the enactment of this Act; and 
(2) includes a set of recommendations for how 
the efficiency and effectiveness of disaster risk and 
recovery programs can be improved in Nepal and 
other countries with substantial disaster risk and re-
covery programming. 
(b) REPORT ON HUMANITARIAN RELIEF EFFORTS.— 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Defense, shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees that— 
(1) describes the cost, effectiveness, timeliness, 
and impact of the international humanitarian and 
reconstruction assistance provided to Nepal; and 
(2) includes an assessment of the efforts of the 
United States to prevent corruption during the hu-
manitarian response and reconstruction work. 
(c) REPORT ON IMPEDIMENTS TO NEPAL’S RECOV-
ERY.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination 
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with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development and the heads of other appro-
priate departments and agencies, shall submit a report to 
the appropriate congressional committees that includes— 
(1) a description of the impediments to Nepal’s 
recovery efforts, including the flow of goods and 
services to and from Nepal; 
(2) a strategy to address and mitigate political, 
diplomatic, and economic challenges to reconstruc-
tion efforts, including ensuring the efficient use, and 
timely distribution, of United States Government as-
sistance; 
(3) an assessment of the impact of any impedi-
ments to energy resources, tourism, medical care, 
educational institutions, and the housing sector; 
(4) an assessment of the effects of these im-
pediments to ongoing United States Government as-
sistance programs throughout Nepal, including those 
not directly related to earthquake recovery activities; 
and 
(5) a detailed summary of any United States 
Government bilateral and multilateral efforts to en-
list bilateral or multilateral support to mitigate polit-
ical, diplomatic, and economic challenges to Nepal’s 
recovery. 
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(d) QUARTERLY
BRIEFINGS.—The Secretary of 
State, in coordination with the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development and 
the heads of any other appropriate departments and agen-
cies, shall provide quarterly briefings through the end of 
fiscal year 2018 to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees on the efforts of the United States Government to 
ensure the efficient and effective distribution of United 
States assistance to contribute to Nepal’s recovery and to 
carry out the objectives of this Act. 
Æ 
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