H.R. 1055House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act

Introduced February 7, 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:31 AM UTC

The Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act would stop the United States from denying foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) eligibility for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act simply because they provide health or medical services funded by non‑U.S. sources, as long as those services obey local and U.S. law. It also removes the requirement that foreign NGOs follow the same rules on using non‑U.S. funds for advocacy and lobbying that apply to U.S. NGOs. The bill mainly affects foreign NGOs that receive U.S. foreign assistance.

Key Provisions

  • Foreign NGOs cannot be excluded from assistance solely for offering health or medical services (including counseling and referrals) funded with non‑U.S. money, provided the services comply with the host country’s laws and would not break U.S. law if offered domestically.
  • Foreign NGOs are not subject to the same restrictions on using non‑U.S. funds for advocacy or lobbying activities that apply to U.S. NGOs receiving assistance under the same program.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

February 7, 2019

View full timeline
HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 7, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

February 7, 2019

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 1055 on the floor

1 Democrat
Nita M. Lowey
Rep. Nita M. LoweyD-NY-17 · Apr 8, 2019

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the following Member be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1055: Mr. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania.

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Introduced in HouseIssued February 7, 2019

I

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1055

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 7, 2019

Mrs. Lowey (for herself, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Connolly, Miss Rice of New York, Mr. Engel, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Norton, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. DelBene, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Keating, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Foster, Mr. Moulton, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Rush, Ms. Meng, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Jayapal, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Schneider, Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. McEachin, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Bera, Mr. Schrader, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Sires, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Matsui, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Moore, Mr. Payne, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Frankel, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Yarmuth, Ms. Titus, Mr. Soto, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Shalala, Mr. Deutch, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr. Hastings, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Crist, Mr. Peters, Ms. Brownley of California, Ms. Omar, Mr. Welch, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Rose of New York, Mrs. Lawrence, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Takano, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Higgins of New York, Mr. Gomez, Mr. Cummings, Mrs. Demings, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Luján, Mr. Pascrell, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Speier, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Velázquez, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Pallone, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Loebsack, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Ms. Bass, Mr. Heck, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mr. Pappas, Mrs. Davis of California, Ms. Haaland, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Ruppersberger, Ms. Dean, Mr. Kind, Ms. Fudge, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mrs. Fletcher, Ms. Waters, Mr. Himes, Ms. Wild, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Sánchez, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Trone, Ms. Hill of California, Ms. Slotkin, Mr. Visclosky, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Neguse, Ms. Wexton, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Morelle, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. Schrier, and Mr. Perlmutter) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To prohibit the application of certain restrictive eligibility requirements to foreign nongovernmental organizations with respect to the provision of assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act.

2.

Assistance for foreign nongovernmental organizations under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, regulation, or policy, in determining eligibility for assistance authorized under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), foreign nongovernmental organizations—

(1)

shall not be ineligible for such assistance solely on the basis of health or medical services, including counseling and referral services, provided by such organizations with non-United States Government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided and would not violate United States Federal law if provided in the United States; and

(2)

shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-United States Government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to United States nongovernmental organizations receiving assistance under part I of such Act.