Legislative Watch
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Legislative Watch reports on pending U.S. legislation
relevant to human rights and humanitarian law. This list is not meant
to be comprehensive.
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Global
AIDS Prevention Act of 2000, S. 2026
Major Sponsor: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on February
2, 2000, then to the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs on February
24, 2000.
Substance: This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
It declares the expectation of Congress that the U.S. Agency for International
Development make HIV/AIDS prevention and care a priority. As part of its effort,
the agency should devote resources to primary prevention and education, voluntary
testing and counseling, medications to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS
from mother to child, and care for those already infected. The bill also authorizes
appropriations for carrying out this mandate, beginning with $300,000,000 for
fiscal year 2001 and increasing $50,000,000 on a yearly basis until fiscal year
2005. Each year, at least half of these funds must be made available to combat
the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sierra Leone Peace Support Act of 2000, H.R. 3879
Major Sponsor: Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D-TX)
Status: Referred to the House Committee on International Relations
and to the House Judiciary Committee on March 9, 2000. Referred to the House
Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims on March 21, 2000.
Substance: This bill urges the President to vigorously promote
efforts to end further degradation of conditions in the Republic of Sierra Leone,
to dramatically increase United States' assistance to demobilization, demilitarization,
and reintegration (DDR) efforts and humanitarian initiatives, to assist in the
collection of documentation about human rights abuses by all parties, and to
engage in diplomatic initiatives aimed at consolidating the peace and protecting
human rights. This bill authorizes $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 to be appropriated
to the President under Part II, Chapter 4 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(22 U.S.C. 2221 et seq.) for assistance to the Sierra Leone DDR Trust Fund of
the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. This bill also authorizes
the President to provide assistance for the establishment and support of a Truth
and Reconciliation Commission that will seek accountability for human rights
abuses in the Republic of Sierra Leone. Ex-combatants of the civil war cannot
receive stipends authorized under this bill and assistance may be provided only
to political parties whose leaders and members cooperate with the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and the proposed Truth and Reconciliation
Commission. Furthermore, the President shall submit to the House a report providing
information concerning illicit sales of Sierra Leonean gold and diamonds through
Liberia.
Debt Relief for Poverty Reduction Act of 1999, H.R. 1095
Major Sponsor: Rep. James A. Leach (R-IA)
Status: Referred to House Committee on International Relations
and House Committee on Banking and Financial Services on March 11, 1999. The
latter committee then referred the bill to the Subcommittee on Domestic and
International Monetary Policy on March 31, 1999. On November 3, 1999, the House
Committee on Banking and Financial Services passed the act by a bipartisan majority
of 23 to16.
Substance: This bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
by directing the President, subject to appropriation authorization, to cancel
or reduce all debt that heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs) owed to the
United States as a result of loans made, guarantees issued, or credits extended
prior to January 1, 1996. The bill provides cancellation or reduction only for
those HIPCs that have not spent excessive government funds on military expenditures;
have not repeatedly supported international terrorism; and have not engaged
in gross human rights violations. In addition, the eligible countries must have
cooperated on international narcotics control matters and have established specific
institutions and mechanisms for addressing poverty. This bill would not reduce
any amounts that would otherwise be provided by the United States for development
aid or other debt relief. Moreover, the bill calls for the President to accelerate
multilateral debt relief by commencing diplomatic efforts encouraging other
creditors to make modifications to the HPIC Initiative, which is designed to
provide debt relief for HPICs.
The Protection of Women in Prisons Act of 1999, H.R. 3920
Major Sponsor: Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Status: Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary on March
14, 2000, and then to the House Subcommittee on Crime on March 21, 2000.
Substance: This bill will require facilities that receive federal
funding to improve their ability to address the health needs of female inmates.
This bill will prohibit the routine use of restraints on pregnant women and
women in labor, limit the role of male staff, and require mechanisms to enhance
awareness of inmates' rights. Finally, it will provide special protections to
female inmates who report violations of their rights.
The proper citation for this article in the Human Rights Brief Volume 7, Issue 3, beginning at page 33 is: 7 No. 3 Hum. Rts. Brief 33 (2000).
