Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-2946
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2014-11-19 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Department of State
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Elementary and secondary education
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Foreign aid and international relief
Solid waste and recycling
Water quality
Water use and supply
Watersheds
Women's education
Women's health
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2014-11-19
text: 
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014 - 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. 
 
 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.
 
 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.
 
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 (2) make new designations each year.
 
Directs the President, not later than October 1, 2017, and every five years thereafter, 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 the Administrator to develop for each high priority country a plan to increase access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.

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, and every five years thereafter, 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: 2014-12-08
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 625.
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Menendez with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-286.
action_date: 2014-12-08
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Menendez with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-286.
action_date: 2014-12-04
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
action_date: 2014-11-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6154-6156)
action_date: 2014-11-19
text: Introduced in Senate