I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3612 
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide assistance to 
expand, improve, support, and promote primary and secondary education 
for displaced children, including girls, from areas designated by the 
Department of State as areas of conflict. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2017 
Mr. PAYNE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide 
assistance to expand, improve, support, and promote pri-
mary and secondary education for displaced children, 
including girls, from areas designated by the Department 
of State as areas of conflict. 
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 ‘‘Prioritizing Education 
in Conflict Zones Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE PRIMARY AND SEC-
ONDARY EDUCATION FOR DISPLACED CHIL-
DREN FROM AREAS OF CONFLICT. 
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is amended by 
inserting after section 105 (22 U.S.C. 2151c) the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘SEC. 105A. ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE PRIMARY AND SEC-
ONDARY EDUCATION FOR DISPLACED CHIL-
DREN FROM AREAS OF CONFLICT. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of State and 
Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development, acting through the Director of Ref-
ugee Educational Assistance designated pursuant to sub-
section (c), is authorized to provide long-term assistance 
to expand, improve, support, and promote primary and 
secondary education for displaced children from areas of 
conflict. 
‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.—Assistance provided 
under subsection (a) shall, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, be used to— 
‘‘(1) build the capacity for private sector and 
civil society organizations with a stated purpose of 
educating children, including girls, in the areas of— 
‘‘(A) development and strengthening of 
primary and secondary curricula; 
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‘‘(B) coordination with educational facili-
ties of host countries; and 
‘‘(C) technical capacities and expertise, in-
cluding strategies for cost-effective procurement 
of science and technology equipment; 
‘‘(2) establish, expand, and promote linkages 
and partnerships between host countries’ educational 
facilities, private sector and civil organizations, and 
United States colleges and universities education 
programs; and 
‘‘(3) assist with efforts to educate women and 
girls. 
‘‘(c) DIRECTOR OF REFUGEE EDUCATIONAL ASSIST-
ANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Ad-
ministrator of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development shall designate a Director of 
Refugee Educational Assistance, who shall report di-
rectly to the Administrator, and who shall carry out 
the responsibilities described in paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The responsibilities 
referred to in paragraph (1) include— 
‘‘(A) ongoing consultations with and the 
provision of technical advice to host country 
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governments, particularly ministries of edu-
cation, regional organizations, and public ter-
tiary and related educational institutions, and 
education and educators’ organizations with re-
spect to carrying out the activities described in 
subsection (b); 
‘‘(B) coordination and administration of 
long-term assistance authorized under sub-
section (a) in support of the activities described 
in subsection (b); and 
‘‘(C) coordinating with other bureaus with-
in the United States Agency for International 
Development, with other relevant United States 
Government agencies, with the United States 
and international private sectors, with the pri-
mary and secondary education community and 
relevant research organizations in the United 
States and host countries, and with other bilat-
eral and multilateral development partners to 
maximize the gains and impact of activities car-
ried out under subsection (b)(1). 
‘‘(d) PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.—The Direc-
tor of Refugee Educational Assistance shall seek, to the 
extent practicable, to use any funding appropriated for the 
purpose of carrying out the duties, goals, and functions 
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described in this section to leverage equal or greater 
sources of private sector funding for such purposes, and 
shall undertake and prioritize efforts to identify such 
sources of private sector funding. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘edu-
cation’ means primary and secondary academic training. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro-
priated $970,000,000 for fiscal year 2018 and such sums 
as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2028.’’. 
Æ 
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