S.Amdt. 292

SA 292. Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Moran)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S.
2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title XII, insert the
following:

Subtitle __--International Children With Disabilities Protection

SEC. _1. SHORT TITLE.

This subtitle may be cited as the ``International Children
with Disabilities Protection Act of 2023''.

SEC. _2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) stigma and discrimination against children with
disabilities, particularly intellectual and other
developmental disabilities, and lack of support for community
inclusion have left people with disabilities and their
families economically and socially marginalized;
(2) organizations of persons with disabilities and family
members of persons with disabilities are often too small to
apply for or obtain funds from domestic or international
sources or ineligible to receive funds from such sources;
(3) as a result of the factors described in paragraphs (1)
and (2), key stakeholders have often been left out of public
policymaking on matters that affect children with
disabilities; and
(4) financial support, technical assistance, and active
engagement of persons with disabilities and their families is
needed to ensure the development of effective policies that
protect families, ensure the full inclusion in society of
children with disabilities, and promote the ability of
persons with disabilities to live in the community with
choices equal to others.

SEC. _3. DEFINITIONS.

In this subtitle:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of State.
(2) Eligible implementing partner.--The term ``eligible
implementing partner'' means a nongovernmental organization
or other civil society organization that--
(A) has the capacity to administer grants directly or
through subgrants that can be effectively used by local
organizations of persons with disabilities; and
(B) has international expertise in the rights of persons
with disabilities, including children with disabilities and
their families.
(3) Organization of persons with disabilities.--The term
``organization of persons with disabilities'' means a
nongovernmental civil society organization run by and for
persons with disabilities and families of children with
disabilities.

SEC. _4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States to--
(1) assist partner countries in developing policies and
programs that recognize, support, and protect the civil and
political rights of and enjoyment of fundamental freedoms by
persons with disabilities, including children, such that the
latter may grow and thrive in supportive family environments
and make the transition to independent living as adults;
(2) promote the development of advocacy and leadership
skills among persons with disabilities and their families in
a manner that

[[Page S2487]]

enables effective civic engagement, including at the local,
national, and regional levels, and promote policy reforms and
programs that support full economic and civic inclusion of
persons with disabilities and their families;
(3) promote the development of laws and policies that--
(A) strengthen families and protect against the unnecessary
institutionalization of children with disabilities; and
(B) create opportunities for children and youth with
disabilities to access the resources and support needed to
achieve their full potential to live independently in the
community with choices equal to others;
(4) promote the participation of persons with disabilities
and their families in advocacy efforts and legal frameworks
to recognize, support, and protect the civil and political
rights of and enjoyment of fundamental freedoms by persons
with disabilities; and
(5) promote the sustainable action needed to bring about
changes in law, policy, and programs to ensure full family
inclusion of children with disabilities and the transition of
children with disabilities to independent living as adults.

SEC. _5. INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES PROTECTION
PROGRAM AND CAPACITY BUILDING.

(a) International Children With Disabilities Protection
Program.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be established
within the Department of State a program to be known as the
``International Children with Disabilities Protection
Program'' (in this section referred to as the ``Program'') to
carry out the policy described in [section _4].
(2) Criteria.--In carrying out the Program under this
section, the Secretary of State, in consultation with leading
civil society groups with expertise in the protection of
civil and political rights of and enjoyment of fundamental
freedoms by persons with disabilities, may establish criteria
for priority activities under the Program in selected
countries.
(3) Disability inclusion grants.--The Secretary of State
may award grants to eligible implementing partners to
administer grant amounts directly or through subgrants.
(4) Subgrants.--An eligible implementing partner that
receives a grant under paragraph (3) should provide subgrants
and, in doing so, shall prioritize local organizations of
persons with disabilities working within a focus country or
region to advance the policy described in [section _4].
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--Of funds made available in fiscal years
2024 through 2029 to carry out the purposes of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq), there are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subtitle
amounts as follows:
(A) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.
(B) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
(2) Capacity-building and technical assistance programs.--
Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by paragraph
(1), not less than $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024
through 2029 should be available for capacity-building and
technical assistance programs to--
(A) develop the leadership skills of persons with
disabilities, legislators, policymakers, and service
providers in the planning and implementation of programs to
advance the policy described in [section _4];
(B) increase awareness of successful models of the
promotion of civil and political rights and fundamental
freedoms, family support, and economic and civic inclusion
among organizations of persons with disabilities and allied
civil society advocates, attorneys, and professionals to
advance the policy described in [section _4]; and
(C) create online programs to train policymakers,
advocates, and other individuals on successful models to
advance reforms, services, and protection measures that
enable children with disabilities to live within supportive
family environments and become full participants in society,
which--
(i) are available globally;
(ii) offer low-cost or no-cost training accessible to
persons with disabilities, family members of such persons,
and other individuals with potential to offer future
leadership in the advancement of the goals of family
inclusion, transition to independent living as adults, and
protection measures for children with disabilities; and
(iii) should be targeted to government policymakers,
advocates, and other potential allies and supporters among
civil society groups.

SEC. _6. ANNUAL REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION.

(a) Annual Report Required.--
(1) In general.--Not less frequently than annually through
fiscal year 2029, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign
Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives a report on--
(A) the programs and activities carried out to advance the
policy described in [section _4]; and
(B) any broader work of the Department in advancing that
policy.
(2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall
include, with respect to each program carried out under
[section _5]--
(A) the rationale for the country and program selection;
(B) the goals and objectives of the program, and the kinds
of participants in the activities and programs supported;
(C) a description of the types of technical assistance and
capacity building provided; and
(D) an identification of any gaps in funding or support
needed to ensure full participation of organizations of
persons with disabilities or inclusion of children with
disabilities in the program.
(3) Consultation.--In preparing each report required by
paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall consult with
organizations of persons with disabilities.

SEC. _7. PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.

(a) Sense of Congress on Programming and Programs.--It is
the sense of Congress that--
(1) all programming of the Department and the United States
Agency for International Development related to health
systems strengthening, primary and secondary education, and
the protection of civil and political rights of persons with
disabilities should seek to be consistent with the policy
described in [section _4]; and
(2) programs of the Department and the United States Agency
for International Development related to children, global
health, and education--
(A) should--
(i) engage organizations of persons with disabilities in
policymaking and program implementation; and
(ii) support full inclusion of children with disabilities
in families; and
(B) should aim to avoid support for residential
institutions for children with disabilities except in
situations of conflict or emergency in a manner that protects
family connections as described in subsection (b).
(b) Sense of Congress on Conflict and Emergencies.--It is
the sense of Congress that--
(1) programs of the Department and the United States Agency
for International Development serving children in situations
of conflict or emergency, among displaced or refugee
populations, or in natural disasters should seek to ensure
that children with and without disabilities can maintain
family ties; and
(2) in situations of emergency, if children are separated
from parents or have no family, every effort should be made
to ensure that children are placed with extended family, in
kinship care, or in an adoptive or foster family.
______