African Famine Relief and Recovery Act of 1985
PL 99-8 (S.689), enacted 04/02/1985

PUBLIC LAW 99-8—APR. 2, 1985 
99 STAT. 21 
Public Law 99-8 
99th Congress 
An Act 
To authorize appropriations for famine relief and recovery in Africa. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "African Famine Relief and Recovery 
Act of 1985". 
SEC. 2. INTERNATIONAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE. 
Chapter 9 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2292-2292p) is amended by adding at the end thereof the foUov/ing 
new section: 
"SEC. 495K. AFRICAN FAMINE ASSISTANCE. 
"(a) AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE.—The President is authorized 
to provide assistance for famine relief, rehabilitation, and recovery 
in Africa. Assistance under this section shall be provided for 
humanitarian purposes and shall be provided on a grant basis. Such 
assistance shall include— 
"(1) relief, rehabilitation, and recovery projects to benefit the 
poorest people, including the furnishing of seeds for planting, 
fertilizer, pesticides, farm implements, farm animals and vac-
cine and veterinary services to protect livestock upon which 
people depend, blankets, clothing, and shelter, disease preven-
tion and health care projects, water projects (including water 
purification and well-drilling), small-scale agricultural projects, 
and food protection and preservation projects; and 
"(2) projects to meet emergency health needs, including 
vaccinations. 
"(b) USES OF FUNDS.— 
"(1) PRIVATE AND VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS AND iNirsR-
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.—Funds authorized to be appro-
priated by this section shall be used primarily for grants to 
private 
and 
voluntary 
organizations 
and 
international 
organizations. 
"(2) EMERGENCY HEALTH PROJECTS.—A significant portion of 
the funds authorized to be appropriated by this section shall be 
used for emergency health projects pursuant to subsection (a)(2). 
"(3) MANAGEMENT SUPPORT ACTIVITIES.—Of the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated by this section, $2,500,000 shall be 
transferred to the 'Operating Expenses of the Agency for Inter-
national Development' account. These funds shall be used for 
management support activities associated with the planning, 
monitoring, and supervision of emergency food and disaster 
assistance provided in those countries in Africa described in 
section 5(a) of the African Famine Relief and Recovery Act of 
1985. 
Apr. 2, 1985 
[S. 689] 
African Famine 
Relief and 
Recovery Act of 
1985. 
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note. 
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Grants. 
Post, p. 22. 
99 STAT. 22 
PUBLIC LAW 99-8—APR. 2, 1985 
22 use 2292. 
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note. 
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note. 
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note. 
"(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addition to the 
amounts otherwise available for such purpose, there are authorized 
to be appropriated $137,500,000 for the fiscal year 1985 for use in 
providing assistance under this section. 
"(d) PouciES AND AUTHORITIES TO BE APPLIED.—Assistance under 
this section shall be furnished in accordance with the policies and 
general authorities contained in section 491.". 
SEC. 3. MIGRATION AND REFUGEE ASSISTANCE. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addition to amounts 
otherwise available for such purpose, there are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Department of State for "Migration and Refugee 
Assistance" for the fiscal year 1985, $37,500,000 for assisting refu-
gees and displaced persons in Africa. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) PROJECTS FOR IMMEDIATE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS.—Up to 54 
percent of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this 
section may be made available to the United Nations Office of 
Emergency Operations in Africa for projects such as those 
proposed at the second International Conference on Assistance 
to Refugees in Africa (ICARA II) to address the immediate 
development needs created by refugees and displaced persons in 
Africa. 
(2) EMERGENCY REUEF AND RECOVERY EFFORTS.—The remain-
ing funds authorized to be appropriated by this section shall be 
used by the Bureau for Refugee Programs of the Department of 
State for emergency relief and recovery efforts in Africa. 
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ASSISTANCE. 
(a) SPECIAL RULE ON REIMBURSEMENT.—If the Department of De-
fense furnishes goods or services for African supplemental famine 
assistance activities, the Department of Defense shall be reimbursed 
for not more than the costs which it incurs in providing those goods 
or services. These costs do not include military pay and allowances, 
amortization and depreciation, and fixed facility costs. 
(b) DEFINITION OF AFRICAN SUPPLEMENTAL FAMINE ASSISTANCE 
ACTIVITIES.—For purposes of this section, the term "African supple-
mental famine assistance activities" means the provision of the 
following fiscal year 1985 supplemental assistance for Africa: 
(1) Famine assistance pursuant to section 2 of this Act. 
(2) Migration and refugee assistance pursuant to section 3 of 
this Act. 
(3) Assistance pursuant to supplemental appropriations for 
title II of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance 
Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1721-1726). 
(4) Assistance with funds appropriated during fiscal year 1985 
for the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund (22 
U.S.C. 2601(c)). 
SEC. 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO ASSISTANCE. 
(a) COUNTRIES TO BE ASSISTED.—Amounts authorized to be appro-
priated by this Act shall be available only for assistance in those 
countries in Africa which have suffered during calendar years 1984 
and 1985 from exceptional food supply problems due to drought and 
other calamities. 
(b) "HICKENLOOPER AMENDMENT".—Assistance may be provided 
with funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act without regard 
PUBLIC LAW 99-8—APR. 2, 1985 
99 STAT. 23 
to section 620(e)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2370(e)(1)). 
(c) ENSURING THAT ASSISTANCE REACHES INTENDED RECIPIENTS.— 
The President shall ensure that adequate procedures have been 
established so that assistance pursuant to this Act is provided to the 
famine victims for whom it is intended. 
SEC. 6. REPORTS ON AFRICAN FAMINE ASSISTANCE. 
(a) REPORT ON UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTION TO MEET EMERGENCY 
NEEDS.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT.—Not later than June 30, 1985, 
the President shall report to the Congress with respect to the 
United States contribution to meet emergency needs, including 
food needs, for African famine assistance. 
(2) INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORT.—The report re-
quired by this subsection shall describe— 
(A) the emergency needs, including food needs, for Afri-
can famine assistance that are identified by the President's 
Interagency Task Force on the African Food Emergency, 
private voluntary and organizations active in famine relief, 
the United Nations Office for Emergency Operations in 
Africa, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organiza-
tion, the World Food Program, and such other organiza-
tions as the President considers appropriate; and 
(B) the projected fiscal year 1985 contribution by the 
United States Government to meet an appropriate share of 
those needs referred to in subparagraph (A). 
(b) REPORT ON ASSISTANCE PROVIDED PURSUANT TO THIS ACT.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT.—Not later than September 30, 
1985, the President shall report to the Congress on the assist-
ance provided pursuant to this Act. 
(2) INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORT.— 
(A) USE OF FUNDS.—The report pursuant to this subsec-
tion shall describe the uses, by the Agency for International 
Development and by the Department of State, of the funds 
authorized to be appropriated by this Act, including— 
(i) a description of each project or program supported 
with any of those funds, and the amount allocated to it; 
(ii) the identity of each private and volunt;ary 
organization or international organization receiving 
any of those funds, and the amount of funds each 
received; 
(iii) the amount of those funds used for assistance to 
each country; 
(iv) the amount of those funds, if any, which will not 
have been obligated as of September 30, 1985; and 
(v) a list of any projects or programs supported with 
those funds which are not expected to be completed as 
ofDecemberSl, 1985. 
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note. 
President of U.S. 
President of U.S. 
99 STAT. 24 
PUBLIC LAW 99-8—APR. 2, 1985 
(B) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ASSISTANCE.—The report 
pursuant to this subsection shall describe any goods or 
services provided by the Department of Defense with re-
spect to which the special rule set forth in section 4 of this 
Act were applied. 
(C) NEED FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.—The report pursu-
ant to this subsection shall assess the need for additional 
assistance to meet the short-term emergency resulting from 
the food supply problem in Africa. 
: 
Approved April 2, 1985. 
^-.,, 
i 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 689: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 131 (1985): 
Mar. 19, considered and passed Senate. 
Mar. 21, considered and passed House.