Microenterprise Results and Accountability Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-3027
Sponsor: Sen. DeWine, Mike [R-OH]
Introduced: 2004-11-20 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Business education
Charities
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional reporting requirements
Cooperative societies
Credit
Credit unions
Crime and Law Enforcement
Crimes against women
Developing countries
Development credit institutions
Economic assistance
Economic development
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic government information
Entrepreneurs
Executive reorganization
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial services
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign banks and banking
Foreign loans
Government Operations and Politics
Government publicity
Human rights
Loans
Nongovernmental organizations
Nonprofit organizations
Performance measurement
Poverty
Prostitution
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Public-private partnerships
Saving and investment
Science, Technology, Communications
Slavery
Small business
Social Welfare
Sustainable development
U.S. Agency for International Development
Victims of crimes
Women
Women in business

Summary:
action_date: 2004-11-20
text: 
Microenterprise Results and Accountability Act of 2004 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to repeal existing microenterprise development grant authority and reestablish and revise it as a separate title, title VI - Microenterprise Development Assistance, which shall be administered by an Office of Microenterprise Development (established by this Act) within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

action_date: 2004-11-21
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
Microenterprise Results and Accountability Act of 2004 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to repeal existing microenterprise development grant authority and reestablish and revise it as a separate title, title VI - Microenterprise Development Assistance.
 
Authorizes microenterprise development grant assistance in developing countries for: (1) expanding credit, savings, and other financial services; (2) training, technical assistance, and business development services; (3) capacity-building; and (4) policy and regulatory programs at the country level that improve the environment for microenterprise institutions serving the poor and very poor.
 
Establishes the Office of Microenterprise Development within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which shall provide assistance through: (1) partner organizations (obligates minimum fiscal year funding for such programs); and (2) direct central funding, including assistance to microenterprise and microfinance networks.
 
Targets 50 percent of microenterprise assistance for very poor clients, with required use of such funds through September 30, 2006, for: (1) financial and credit services to very poor clients; and (2) demand-driven business development programs to clients holding poverty loans.
 
Directs the Office to establish an assistance monitoring system which shall provide for: (1) performance goals and indicators; and (2) poverty assessment tools.
 
Directs the Office by April 1, 2005, to develop and certify for use at least two poverty measurement methods for partner organization use, which shall be used by such organizations no later than October 1, 2006.
 
Authorizes microenterprise development funds under any provision of law to be used to further the purposes of this title. 
 
(Sec. 4) Transfers to this title authority for the microenterprise and small enterprise development credit program. Authorizes microenterprise development appropriations through FY 2009.
 
(Sec. 5) Transfers to this title authority for the United States Microfinance Loan Facility. Authorizes Facility appropriations through FY 2009.
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the Administrator of USAID, acting through the Office, to report annually on implementation of this title.
 
Defines specified terms.
 
(Sec. 7) Expresses the sense of Congress that the Administrator, with respect to microenterprise assistance, should: (1) seek non-U.S. Government matching funds; (2) ensure that recipient administrative expenses are reasonable; (3) not use recipients to carry out critical USAID management functions; and (4) consult with the appropriate congressional committees.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-11-24
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2004-11-24
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2004-11-24
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2004-11-21
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR 11/20/2004 S11836-11839; text as passed Senate: CR 11/20/2004 S11836-11839)
action_date: 2004-11-21
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR 11/20/2004 S11836-11839; text as passed Senate: CR 11/20/2004 S11836-11839)
action_date: 2004-11-20
text: Introduced in the Senate, read twice.
action_date: 2004-11-20
text: Introduced in Senate