HR 1359 RFS
(d) USAID.—The Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development (USAID) 
should advance the policy articulated in this Act and sup-
port expanded Internet connectivity worldwide, as appro-
priate, by— 
(1) supporting efforts to expand secure Internet 
infrastructure and improve digital literacy, and other 
appropriate 
measures 
to 
improve 
Internet 
connectivity and usage, in close coordination with 
the Secretary of State; 
(2) encouraging public and private investment 
in Internet infrastructure and services of developing 
countries that takes into consideration the data se-
curity and integrity risks attendant to the products 
and services of vendors likely to be subject to 
extrajudicial direction from a foreign government; 
(3) integrating efforts to expand Internet ac-
cess, develop appropriate, sustainable, and equitable 
technologies, and enhance digital literacy and the 
availability of relevant local content across develop-
ment sectors, such as USAID health, education, ag-
riculture, and economic development programs; 
(4) expanding the utilization of information and 
communications technologies in humanitarian aid 
and disaster relief responses and United States oper-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:07 May 21, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1359.RFS
H1359
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 1359 RFS
ations involving reconstruction and stabilization to 
improve donor coordination, reduce duplication and 
waste, capture and share lessons learned, and aug-
ment disaster preparedness and risk mitigation 
strategies; 
(5) establishing and promoting guidelines for 
the protection of personal information of individuals 
served by humanitarian, disaster, and development 
programs directly through the United States Gov-
ernment, and through contracts funded by the 
United States Government and by international or-
ganizations; and 
(6) establishing programs that directly address 
and seek to close gaps in access, adoption, and use 
of the Internet and other information and commu-
nications technologies by women, minorities, and 
other marginalized groups. 
(e) PEACE CORPS.—Section 3 of the Peace Corps Act 
(22 U.S.C. 2502) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub-
section (e); and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) It is the sense of Congress that access to the 
Internet can transform agriculture, community economic 
development, education, environment, health, and youth 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:07 May 21, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1359.RFS
H1359
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 1359 RFS
development, which are the sectors in which Peace Corps 
develops positions for volunteers. 
‘‘(g) In giving attention to the programs, projects, 
training, and other activities referred to in subsection (f), 
the Peace Corps should develop positions for volunteers 
that include leveraging the Internet, as appropriate, for 
development, education, and social and economic mobil-
ity.’’. 
(f) LEVERAGING
INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORT.—In 
pursuing the policy described in this Act, the President 
should direct United States representatives to appropriate 
international bodies to use the influence of the United 
States, consistent with the broad development goals of the 
United States, to advocate that each such body— 
(1) commit to increase efforts and coordination 
to promote affordable, open, and gender-equitable 
Internet access, in partnership with stakeholders and 
consistent with host countries’ absorptive capacity; 
(2) integrate affordable and gender-equitable 
Internet access data into existing economic and busi-
ness assessments, evaluations, and indexes such as 
the Millennium Challenge Corporation constraints 
analysis, the Doing Business reports, International 
Monetary Fund Article IV assessments and country 
reports, and the Affordability Drivers Index; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:07 May 21, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1359.RFS
H1359
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 1359 RFS
(3) standardize the inclusion of broadband con-
duit as part of highway or comparable construction 
projects in developing countries, in consultation with 
telecommunications providers, unless— 
(A) such inclusion would create an undue 
burden; 
(B) such inclusion is not necessary based 
on the availability of existing broadband infra-
structure; 
(C) such inclusion would require the incor-
poration of the hardware, software, or mainte-
nance of vendors likely to be subject to 
extrajudicial direction from a foreign govern-
ment; or 
(D) a cost-benefit analysis determines that 
the cost of such inclusion outweighs the bene-
fits; 
(4) provide technical assistance to the regu-
latory authorities in developing countries to remove 
unnecessary barriers to investment and develop reg-
ulations to support market growth and development; 
(5) utilize clear, accountable, and metric-based 
targets, including targets with gender-disaggregated 
data, to measure the effectiveness of efforts to pro-
mote Internet access; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:07 May 21, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1359.RFS
H1359
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 1359 RFS
(6) promote and protect human rights online, 
such as the freedoms of expression, religion, belief, 
assembly, and association, through resolutions, pub-
lic statements, projects, and initiatives, and advo-
cating that member states of such bodies are held 
accountable for violations. 
(g) REPORTING REQUIREMENT ON IMPLEMENTATION 
EFFORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on efforts 
to implement the policy described in this Act and, to the 
extent practicable, describe efforts by the United States 
Government to— 
(1) provide technical and regulatory assistance 
to promote Internet access in developing countries; 
(2) strengthen and support development of reg-
ulations that incentivize market growth that contrib-
utes to increased Internet access in developing coun-
tries; 
(3) encourage public and private investment in 
Internet infrastructure, including broadband net-
works and services, in developing countries; 
(4) increase gender-equitable Internet access 
and close gender gaps in Internet and other infor-
mation and communications technology adoption and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:07 May 21, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1359.RFS
H1359
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS