Girls Count Act of 2014

3/14/2024, 12:48 PM

Girls Count Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to:

  • support programs that will contribute to improved civil registration and vital statistics systems with a focus on birth registration;
  • promote programs that build the capacity of developing countries' national and local legal and policy frameworks to prevent discrimination against girls, and help increase property rights, social security, land tenure, and inheritance rights for women; and
  • assist government ministries of developing countries to ensure that poor girls obtain equitable access to social programs.

Directs the Secretary to coordinate with multilateral organizations to work with countries to enact laws that collect data on girls and establish registration and identification laws to ensure that girls participate in the social, economic, legal and political sectors of their countries.

Urges the Secretary and the Administrator to work with U.S., international, and local private sector and civil society organizations to advocate for the registration and documentation of all girls and boys in developing countries to prevent exploitation, violence, and other abuses.

Directs the Secretary and the Administrator to include in reports to Congress information regarding: (1) U.S. foreign and development assistance beneficiaries by age, gender, marital status, location, and school enrollment status; and (2) how U.S. foreign and development assistance benefits girls.

Sunsets this Act five years after its enactment.

Congress
113

Number
HR - 3398

Introduced on
2013-10-30

# Amendments
0

Sponsors
+5

Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

11/20/2014

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
Passed in House
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Girls Count Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to:

  • support programs that will contribute to improved civil registration and vital statistics systems with a focus on birth registration;
  • promote programs that build the capacity of developing countries' national and local legal and policy frameworks to prevent discrimination against girls, and help increase property rights, social security, land tenure, and inheritance rights for women; and
  • assist government ministries of developing countries to ensure that poor girls obtain equitable access to social programs.

Directs the Secretary to coordinate with multilateral organizations to work with countries to enact laws that collect data on girls and establish registration and identification laws to ensure that girls participate in the social, economic, legal and political sectors of their countries.

Urges the Secretary and the Administrator to work with U.S., international, and local private sector and civil society organizations to advocate for the registration and documentation of all girls and boys in developing countries to prevent exploitation, violence, and other abuses.

Directs the Secretary and the Administrator to include in reports to Congress information regarding: (1) U.S. foreign and development assistance beneficiaries by age, gender, marital status, location, and school enrollment status; and (2) how U.S. foreign and development assistance benefits girls.

Sunsets this Act five years after its enactment.

Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedTo authorize the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls in developing countries, and for other purposes.

Policy Areas
International Affairs

Potential Impact
Census and government statistics•
Child safety and welfare•
Congressional oversight•
Crimes against children•
Foreign aid and international relief•
Foreign loans and debt•
Health information and medical records•
Human rights•
International organizations and cooperation•
Multilateral development programs•
Property rights•
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination•
United Nations•
Women's education•
Women's rights

Comments

Recent Activity

Latest Summary11/25/2014

Girls Count Act of 2014 - Authorizes the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to:

  • support programs that will contribute to improved civil registration and vital statistics...

Latest Action11/20/2014
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.