Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-2901
Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3]
Introduced: 2013-08-01 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of State
Executive agency funding and structure
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Foreign aid and international relief
Government information and archives
International organizations and cooperation
Performance measurement
Public contracts and procurement
Solid waste and recycling
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Water quality
Water use and supply
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: 
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the initial U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Water and Development Strategy is a significant accomplishment and improves USAID's capacity to provide sustainable and effective water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance; and (2) the Secretary of State, through the Special Advisor for Water Resources, should develop a Global Water Resources Strategy relating to U.S. foreign policy water objectives.
 
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct: (1) the Administrator to designate a Global Water Coordinator to coordinate and oversee water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance; and (2) the Secretary of State to designate a Special Advisor for Water Resources to coordinate and oversee policy relating to water, hygiene, and sanitation assistance. 
 
Sets forth principles to ensure that water, sanitation, and hygiene projects carried out under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 achieve maximum impact. 
 
Amends the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to direct: (1) the President, through the Secretary, to develop a strategy every five years to further the U.S. foreign policy objective to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation in developing countries; and (2) the Administrator, through the Global Water Coordinator, to develop a complementary strategy to further the U.S. foreign assistance objective to provide affordable and equitable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing countries.

action_date: 2014-12-08
text: 
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) water and sanitation are critically important resources that impact many aspects of human life, and (2) the United States should be a global leader in helping provide sustainable access to clean water and sanitation for the world's most vulnerable populations. 
 
(Sec. 3) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as added by the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, to include the provision of safe hygiene among the goals of the program providing assistance for safe water and sanitation.
 
 (Sec. 4) Directs the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), or the Administrator's designee, to serve concurrently as the USAID Global Water Coordinator, and to: 
 
 
oversee USAID water, sanitation, and hygiene programs; 
 
lead the implementation and revision, at least once every five years, of USAID's portion of the Global Water Strategy; and 
 
expand USAID's program capacity in high priority countries. 
 
 
 Directs the Secretary of State, or the Secretary's designee, to serve concurrently as the Department of State Special Advisor for Water Resources, and serve similar functions in the Department of State as the Global Water Coordinator does in USAID.
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to ensure that USAID projects and programs are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term sustainability by prioritizing countries based upon: 
 
 
the population using unimproved drinking water or sanitation sources; 
 
the number of children younger than five years of age who died from diarrheal disease; and 
 
the government's capacity and commitment to work with the United States to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.
 
 
Directs the President to: (1) designate by October 1, 2015, at least 10 countries as high priority countries to be the primary recipients of U.S. government assistance under this Act during FY2016, and notify Congress of such designations; and (2) make new designations each year.
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the President, not later than October 1, 2017, October 1, 2022, and October 1, 2027, through the Secretary, the Administrator, and the heads of other federal departments and agencies, to submit a single government-wide Global Water Strategy to Congress that describes how the United States intends to: 
 
 
increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in high priority countries;
 
 improve the management of water resources and watersheds in such countries; and 
 
 work to prevent and resolve intra- and trans-boundary conflicts over water resources in such countries. 
 
 
Requires: (1) the Global Water Strategy to include plans by USAID and the Department on how each entity carries out its responsibilities under this Act, and (2) the Administrator to develop for each high priority country a plan to increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.

action_date: 2014-12-15
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on December 8, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) water and sanitation are critically important resources that impact many aspects of human life, and (2) the United States should be a global leader in helping provide sustainable access to clean water and sanitation for the world's most vulnerable populations. 
 
(Sec. 3) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as added by the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, to include the provision of safe hygiene among the goals of the program providing assistance for safe water and sanitation.
 
 (Sec. 4) Directs the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), or the Administrator's designee, to serve concurrently as the USAID Global Water Coordinator, and to: 
 
 
oversee USAID water, sanitation, and hygiene programs; 
 
lead the implementation and revision, at least once every five years, of USAID's portion of the Global Water Strategy; and 
 
expand USAID's program capacity in high priority countries. 
 
 
 Directs the Secretary of State, or the Secretary's designee, to serve concurrently as the Department of State Special Advisor for Water Resources, and serve similar functions in the Department of State as the Global Water Coordinator does in USAID.
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to ensure that USAID projects and programs are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term sustainability by prioritizing countries based upon: 
 
 
the population using unimproved drinking water or sanitation sources; 
 
the number of children younger than five years of age who died from diarrheal disease; and 
 
the government's capacity and commitment to work with the United States to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.
 
 
Directs the President to: (1) designate by October 1, 2015, at least 10 countries as high priority countries to be the primary recipients of U.S. government assistance under this Act during FY2016, and notify Congress of such designations; and (2) make new designations each year.
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the President, not later than October 1, 2017, October 1, 2022, and October 1, 2027, through the Secretary, the Administrator, and the heads of other federal departments and agencies, to submit a single government-wide Global Water Strategy to Congress that describes how the United States intends to: 
 
 
increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in high priority countries;
 
 improve the management of water resources and watersheds in such countries; and 
 
 work to prevent and resolve intra- and trans-boundary conflicts over water resources in such countries. 
 
 
Requires: (1) the Global Water Strategy to include plans by USAID and the Department on how each entity carries out its responsibilities under this Act, and (2) the Administrator to develop for each high priority country a plan to increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.

action_date: 2014-12-19
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on December 8, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014 - (Sec. 2) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) water and sanitation are critically important resources that impact many aspects of human life, and (2) the United States should be a global leader in helping provide sustainable access to clean water and sanitation for the world's most vulnerable populations. 
 
(Sec. 3) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as added by the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, to include the provision of safe hygiene among the goals of the program providing assistance for safe water and sanitation.
 
 (Sec. 4) Directs the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), or the Administrator's designee, to serve concurrently as the USAID Global Water Coordinator, and to: 
 
 
oversee USAID water, sanitation, and hygiene programs; 
 
lead the implementation and revision, at least once every five years, of USAID's portion of the Global Water Strategy; and 
 
expand USAID's program capacity in high priority countries. 
 
 
 Directs the Secretary of State, or the Secretary's designee, to serve concurrently as the Department of State Special Advisor for Water Resources, and serve similar functions in the Department of State as the Global Water Coordinator does in USAID.
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to ensure that USAID projects and programs are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term sustainability by prioritizing countries based upon: 
 
 
the population using unimproved drinking water or sanitation sources; 
 
the number of children younger than five years of age who died from diarrheal disease; and 
 
the government's capacity and commitment to work with the United States to improve access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.
 
 
Directs the President to: (1) designate by October 1, 2015, at least 10 countries as high priority countries to be the primary recipients of U.S. government assistance under this Act during FY2016, and notify Congress of such designations; and (2) make new designations each year.
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the President, not later than October 1, 2017, October 1, 2022, and October 1, 2027, through the Secretary, the Administrator, and the heads of other federal departments and agencies, to submit a single government-wide Global Water Strategy to Congress that describes how the United States intends to: 
 
 
increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in high priority countries;
 
 improve the management of water resources and watersheds in such countries; and 
 
 work to prevent and resolve intra- and trans-boundary conflicts over water resources in such countries. 
 
 
Requires: (1) the Global Water Strategy to include plans by USAID and the Department on how each entity carries out its responsibilities under this Act, and (2) the Administrator to develop for each high priority country a plan to increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-19
text: Became Public Law No: 113-289.
action_date: 2014-12-19
text: Became Public Law No: 113-289.
action_date: 2014-12-19
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2014-12-19
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2014-12-18
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2014-12-18
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2014-12-16
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2014-12-15
text: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S6867)
action_date: 2014-12-15
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.(consideration: CR S6867)
action_date: 2014-12-09
text: Received in the Senate, read twice.
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: On passage Passed without objection.
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed without objection.
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H884-8856; text as reported in House: CR H8848-8854)
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: Mr. Poe (TX) asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2014-11-20
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H5265-5266, E1186-1187)
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2013-08-01
text: Introduced in House

Enacted as: number: 113-289