I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7228 
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include in the Annual 
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices a section on reproductive 
rights, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 10, 2018 
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts (for herself, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. LEE, 
Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. CLARKE of 
New York, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. MENG, Mr. CARBAJAL, 
Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, 
Mr. COHEN, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. 
MCCOLLUM, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. TITUS, Ms. 
KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. 
SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DANNY K. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 
PALLONE, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Ms. LOFGREN, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. 
ESPAILLAT, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. SHER-
MAN, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Ms. SPEIER, and Mr. POCAN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include 
in the Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Prac-
tices a section on reproductive rights, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reproductive Rights 
are Human Rights Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States has repeatedly agreed to 
international agreements that identify reproductive 
rights as human rights, including in connection with 
the 1994 International Conference on Population 
and Development and the 1995 Beijing World Con-
ference on Women. 
(2) The Department of State’s deletion of the 
reproductive rights subsection from its 2017 Coun-
try Reports on Human Rights Practices dem-
onstrates an alarming level of politicization of 
human rights by the Trump Administration and un-
dermines the human rights of women around the 
world. 
(3) Restrictions on reproductive rights com-
promise entire health systems and communities, as 
when women’s rights are limited, so are their path-
ways to economic, social, and political empowerment. 
(4) Sexual health and reproductive rights are 
essential for sustainable economic development, are 
intrinsically linked to gender equality and women’s 
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well-being, and are critical to maternal, newborn, 
child, adolescent, family, and community health. 
SEC. 3. ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
PRACTICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961 is amended— 
(1) in section 116(d) (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d))— 
(A) in paragraph (11)(C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in paragraph (12)(C)(ii), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(13) the status of reproductive rights in each 
country (as defined in the 1994 International Con-
ference on Population and Development Programme 
of Action, reiterated in the 1995 Beijing Declaration 
and Platform for Action, and expanded upon in Gen-
eral comment No. 36 (2018) on article 6 of the 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 
on the right to life and other authoritative interpre-
tations of binding international human rights obliga-
tions), including— 
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‘‘(A) whether such country has adopted 
policies to— 
‘‘(i) promote access to and prevalence 
of safe, effective, and affordable methods 
of contraception; 
‘‘(ii) promote access to appropriate 
health care services to ensure safe and 
healthy pregnancy and childbirth, including 
safe and effective prenatal, childbirth, and 
postnatal care for both mother and child; 
‘‘(iii) expand or restrict access to safe 
abortion services, in accordance with such 
country’s laws, including post-abortion 
care; 
‘‘(iv) prevent maternal deaths; and 
‘‘(v) promote the prevention, detec-
tion, and treatment of sexually transmitted 
infections, including HIV, and of reproduc-
tive tract infections and of reproductive 
cancers; 
‘‘(B) information relating to the adequacy 
of resources, enforcement, and oversight in such 
country dedicated to the policies specified in 
subparagraph (A); 
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‘‘(C) wherever applicable, a description of 
the rates and causes of maternal deaths in such 
country, including deaths due to unsafe abor-
tions; 
‘‘(D) wherever applicable, a description of 
the nature and extent of instances of discrimi-
nation, coercion, and violence against women 
and girls in health care settings in such coun-
try, and the actions, if any, taken by the gov-
ernment of such country to respond to such dis-
crimination, coercion, and violence; and 
‘‘(E) wherever applicable, a description of 
the nature and extent of instances of denial of 
comprehensive and accurate family planning in-
formation and services in such country, and the 
actions, if any, taken by the government of such 
country to respond to such denials.’’; and 
(2) in section 502B (22 U.S.C. 2304)— 
(A) by redesignating the second subsection 
(i) (relating to child marriage status) as sub-
section (j); and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(k) The report required under subsection (b) shall 
include the status of reproductive rights in each country 
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(as defined in the 1994 International Conference on Popu-
lation and Development Programme of Action, reiterated 
in the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 
and expanded upon in General comment No. 36 (2018) 
on article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and 
Political Rights, on the right to life and other authori-
tative interpretations of binding international human 
rights obligations), including— 
‘‘(1) whether such country has adopted policies 
to— 
‘‘(A) promote access to and prevalence of 
safe, effective, and affordable methods of con-
traception; 
‘‘(B) promote access to appropriate health 
care services to ensure safe and healthy preg-
nancy and childbirth, including safe and effec-
tive prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal care for 
both mother and child; 
‘‘(C) expand or restrict access to safe abor-
tion services, in accordance with such country’s 
laws, including post-abortion care; 
‘‘(D) prevent maternal deaths; and 
‘‘(E) promote the prevention, detection, 
and treatment of sexually transmitted infec-
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Secretary of State, the Assistant Secretary of State for 
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and other relevant 
officials, including human rights officers at United States 
diplomatic and consular posts shall consult with— 
(1) representatives of United States civil society 
and multilateral organizations with demonstrated ex-
perience and expertise in sexual and reproductive 
health and rights or promoting women and girls’ 
human rights, including local civil society organiza-
tions whenever possible; and 
(2) local organizations in all countries included 
in such Reports, including women and girls’ organi-
zations focused on sexual and reproductive health 
and rights. 
Æ 
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