Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014

3/14/2024, 12:48 PM

(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.

Congress
113

Number
HR - 2901

Introduced on
2013-08-01

# Amendments
1

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
Passed in House
Introduced to Senate
Passed in Senate
To President
Signed by President
Became Public Law

Purpose and Summary

(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.

Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedTo strengthen implementation of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 by improving the capacity of the United States Government to implement, leverage, and monitor and evaluate programs to provide first-time or improved access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene to the world's poorest on an equitable and sustainable basis, and for other purposes.

Policy Areas
International Affairs

Potential Impact
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

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary2/2/2015

(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 th...


Latest Action12/19/2014
Became Public Law No: 113-289.