I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3706 
To implement policies to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths 
globally. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 7, 2015 
Mr. REICHERT (for himself, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. LEE, and Mr. MCCAUL) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on For-
eign Affairs 
A BILL 
To implement policies to end preventable maternal, newborn, 
and child deaths globally. 
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 ‘‘Reach Every Mother 
and Child Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to implement a strategic 
approach for providing foreign assistance in order to end 
preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths globally 
within a generation. 
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development. 
(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives. 
(3) COORDINATOR.—The term ‘‘Coordinator’’ 
means the Child and Maternal Survival Coordinator 
established under section 6. 
(4) TARGET
COUNTRIES.—The term ‘‘target 
countries’’ means specific countries that have the 
greatest need and highest burden of maternal and 
child deaths, taking into consideration countries 
that— 
(A) have high-need communities in fragile 
states or conflict-affected states; 
(B) are low- or middle-income countries; or 
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(C) are located in regions with weak health 
systems. 
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States, in partnership 
with target countries, other donor country governments, 
international financial institutions, nongovernmental orga-
nizations, international organizations, multilateral organi-
zations, and the private sector to establish and implement 
a coordinated, integrated, and comprehensive strategy to 
combat the leading causes of maternal, newborn, and child 
mortality globally and ensure healthy lives by— 
(1) scaling up the most effective, evidence-based 
interventions, including for the most vulnerable pop-
ulations, with a focus on country ownership; 
(2) designing, implementing, monitoring, and 
evaluating programs in a way that enhances trans-
parency and accountability, increases the sustain-
ability, and improves outcomes in target countries; 
(3) supporting the development and scale up of 
innovative tools and approaches to accelerate 
progress toward ending preventable maternal, new-
born, and child deaths; and 
(4) utilizing and expanding the use of innova-
tive public-private financing mechanisms. 
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SEC. 5. STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall es-
tablish and implement a comprehensive five-year, whole- 
of-government strategy to achieve, with target countries 
and donors, the goal of ending preventable maternal, new-
born, and child deaths globally and ensure healthy and 
productive lives within a generation. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy established under sub-
section (a) shall— 
(1) set outcome-based targets to achieve the 
goals of the strategy and ascertain baseline data rel-
evant for each target country and for all areas of 
focus and programming as of the date of the release 
of the strategy; 
(2) building on the evidence outlined in 
USAID’s ‘‘Acting on the Call: Ending Preventable 
Child and Maternal Deaths’’, include specific objec-
tives, programs, and approaches to utilize highest 
impact evidence-based interventions to address the 
leading causes of death among— 
(A) women during pregnancy, childbirth, 
and post delivery; 
(B) newborns in their first 28 days; and 
(C) children under the age of five, particu-
larly among the most vulnerable populations; 
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(3) include development and scale up of new 
technologies and approaches, including those sup-
ported by public-private partnerships for research 
and innovation; 
(4) promote coordination and efficiency within 
and amongst the relevant executive branch agencies 
and initiatives, including the United States Agency 
for International Development, the Department of 
State, the Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices, the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion, the National Institutes of Health, the Millen-
nium Challenge Corporation, the Peace Corps, the 
Department of the Treasury, the Office of the Glob-
al AIDS Coordinator, and the President’s Malaria 
Initiative; 
(5) project general levels of resources needed to 
achieve the strategy’s stated objectives; 
(6) identify strategies for leveraging resources 
in new and innovative ways; 
(7) align with country-driven maternal, new-
born, and child health and survival plans and im-
prove coordination with foreign governments and 
international organizations; and 
(8) outline consultations with governments, 
international financial institutions, nongovernmental 
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organizations, local and international civil society 
groups, multilateral organizations, the private sector, 
and local health workers and professional associa-
tions, as appropriate. 
SEC. 6. ESTABLISHMENT OF CHILD AND MATERNAL SUR-
VIVAL COORDINATOR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 
Administrator, shall designate a current USAID employee 
serving in a career or non-career position in the Senior 
Executive Service or at the level of a Deputy Assistant 
Administrator or higher to serve concurrently as the Child 
and Maternal and Survival Coordinator, who shall be re-
sponsible for— 
(1) overseeing the strategy established under 
section 5; and 
(2) all United States Government funds appro-
priated or used for international maternal and child 
health and nutrition programs. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Coordinator shall— 
(1) have the primary responsibility for the over-
sight and coordination of all resources and inter-
national activities of the United States Government 
appropriated or used for international maternal and 
child health and nutrition programs; 
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(2) direct the budget, planning, and staffing to 
implement international maternal and child health 
and nutrition projects and programs for the purpose 
of achieving reductions in preventable maternal, 
newborn, and child deaths; 
(3) lead implementation and revision, not less 
frequently than once every 5 years, of the strategy 
established under section 5(a); 
(4) coordinate with relevant executive branch 
agencies, governments of partner countries, non-
governmental organizations, local civil society orga-
nizations, and private sector entities to carry out the 
strategy established under section 5(a) and to align 
current and future instruments with high-impact, 
evidence-based interventions to save lives; 
(5) provide direction to the design and oversight 
of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements 
with nongovernmental organizations (including faith- 
based, community-based, and civil society organiza-
tions) and private sector entities for the purpose of 
carrying out the strategy established under section 
5(a); and 
(6) report directly to the Administrator regard-
ing implementation of the strategy established under 
section 5(a). 
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(c) RESTRICTION
ON
ADDITIONAL
OR
SUPPLE-
MENTAL COMPENSATION.—The Coordinator shall receive 
no additional or supplemental compensation as a result of 
carrying out responsibilities and duties under this Act. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORITY TO ASSIST IN IMPLEMENTATION OF 
THE STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall provide as-
sistance to implement the strategy established under sec-
tion 5(a). 
(b) FOCUS ON IMPACT.— 
(1) TARGETS
FOR
INCREASED
IMPLEMENTA-
TION REQUIRED.—USAID grants, contracts, and co-
operative agreements for the purposes of the strat-
egy established under section 5(a) shall be required 
to include targets for increased implementation of 
high-impact, 
evidence-based 
interventions 
and 
strengthening health systems, as appropriate, includ-
ing the establishment of baseline measurements from 
which to quantify progress. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—In exceptional circumstances 
where USAID deems that inclusion of coverage tar-
gets or baseline measures are not reasonable or 
practicable for the grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement, the funding mechanism shall include an 
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explanation of the omission and explicitly how meas-
urable impact will be targeted and tracked. 
SEC. 8. REPORTS. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—The President shall update 
Congress on progress made to achieve the strategy estab-
lished under section 5(a) as well as progress toward the 
goals set forth in USAID’s 2014 ‘‘Acting on the Call: 
Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths’’ report 
by submitting an annual report to the appropriate con-
gressional committees and making all report data publicly 
available. 
(b) INFORMATION INCLUDED IN REPORT.—A report 
submitted under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) Indicators of progress made by United 
States Government programs carried out under 
international maternal and child health and nutri-
tion programs for the purposes of improving mater-
nal, newborn, and child health, particularly among 
the most vulnerable populations, in each target 
country and overall, including— 
(A) number of maternal, newborn, and 
child deaths averted; 
(B) percentage of births attended by 
skilled health personnel; 
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