S. 368Senate116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act

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Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:27 AM UTC

The Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act aims to remove certain eligibility barriers for foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that receive U.S. foreign assistance. It ensures that foreign NGOs are not denied aid solely because they provide health or medical services using non‑U.S. funds, provided those services comply with local and U.S. law. It also prevents foreign NGOs from being subject to U.S. advocacy and lobbying fund‑use restrictions that apply to U.S. NGOs. The bill affects foreign NGOs seeking assistance under Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

Key Provisions

Foreign NGOs cannot be excluded from assistance solely because they deliver health or medical services funded by non‑U.S. sources, as long as the services obey the laws of the host country and would not violate U.S. law if provided domestically.
Foreign NGOs receiving assistance are not subject to U.S. advocacy or lobbying fund‑use requirements that apply to U.S. NGOs under the same assistance program.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Foreign Relations Committee

February 7, 2019

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 7, 2019

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Foreign Relations Committee

February 7, 2019

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued February 7, 2019

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 368

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 7, 2019

Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Collins, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Harris, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Sinema, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Tester, Mr. Udall, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Warner, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Wyden) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

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.

Short title

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

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.