HR 2536 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

Women and Children in Conflict Protection Act of 2003

Introduced Jun 19, 2003 Originated House Sponsor Nita M. Lowey D-NY

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Jun 19, 2003 Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJun 19, 2003
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Women and Children in Conflict Protection Act of 2003 - Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) develop a strategy for the protection of women and children who are affected by a complex humanitarian emergency (a situation occurring outside the United States and caused by armed conflict, natural disaster, food shortage, or state-sponsored harassment or persecution, which results in a significant number of refugees, internally displaced persons, or other civilians requiring urgent basic humanitarian assistance) (emergency); and (2) designate coordinators to implement such strategy.

Requires such coordinators to: (1) maintain and disseminate a database of information on gender-based violence or exploitation of children during an emergency; (2) assist embassies and consular posts in responding to such risks; and (3) establish a gender-based violence or exploitation reporting and monitoring system for U.S. diplomatic missions and consular posts.

Prohibits any State Department refugee or migration assistance from being provided to an organization that has failed to adopt a code of conduct regarding the protection of beneficiaries of humanitarian assistance that incorporates six core principles (established herein) against sexual exploitation and abuse as recommended by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Requests all national, multilateral, and nongovernmental agencies to review and revise their administrative, management, and employment practices in refugee and displaced persons camps.

Requires each coordinator to: (1) ensure that U.S.-funded organizations that respond to an emergency have the necessary resources to address the specific health needs of women affected by the emergency; and (2) identify an organization or individual to facilitate the coordination and implementation of such activities.

Directs the Secretary to urge the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to work with nongovernmental organizations to design and implement a model whistleblower system under which humanitarian workers, refugees, and internally displaced persons can report instances of gender-based violence or exploitation of children.

Requires: (1) the State Department to work with certain entities to ensure that, in situations of long-term displacement, refugees and internally displaced persons are granted work permits and other documentation to enable them to generate legitimate income; and (2) a report from the Secretary on the development of protection initiatives for the prevention of gender-based violence and exploitation of children.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and implement programs to assist communities that have been affected by an emergency and former combatants (women or children affiliated with an armed group); and (2) report on all current programs to assist nations to reconstitute civilian police authority and capability following an emergency.

Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance to promote the security of, provide equal access to basic services for, and safeguard the human rights and dignity of civilian women and children who are refugees, displaced persons, or inhabitants of areas affected by an emergency.

Cosponsors 47

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 19, 2003 to Sep 9, 2004; 17 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-CAAnna G. EshooOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-CABarbara LeeOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-MNBetty McCollumOriginalJun 19, 2003
R-NCCass BallengerOriginalJun 19, 2003
R-CTChristopher ShaysOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-FLCorrine BrownOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-NJDonald M. PayneOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-NYGregory W. MeeksOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-CAHoward L. BermanOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskyOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-WAJim McDermottOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-CALynn C. WoolseyOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-NYMajor R. OwensOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-ARMarion BerryOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-FLRobert WexlerOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-CTRosa L. DeLauroOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-CATom LantosOriginalJun 19, 2003
D-OHDennis J. KucinichJul 25, 2003
D-OHMarcy KapturJul 25, 2003
D-CAHenry A. WaxmanSep 3, 2003
D-NJRobert E. AndrewsNov 4, 2003
D-CAZoe LofgrenNov 4, 2003
D-CADennis A. CardozaMar 11, 2004
D-OHSherrod BrownMar 11, 2004
R-NYAmo HoughtonMar 16, 2004
D-VIDonna M. ChristensenMar 16, 2004
D-DCEleanor Holmes NortonMar 16, 2004
D-OHStephanie Tubbs JonesMar 16, 2004
D-FLAlcee L. HastingsMar 29, 2004
D-MAJames P. McGovernMar 29, 2004
D-ILLane EvansMar 29, 2004
D-ILLuis V. GutierrezMar 29, 2004
D-NYMaurice D. HincheyMar 29, 2004
D-MDSteny H. HoyerMar 29, 2004
D-AZRaúl M. GrijalvaApr 22, 2004
D-NCDavid E. PriceMay 4, 2004
R-CTRob SimmonsMay 18, 2004
D-MABill DelahuntJun 15, 2004
D-AZEd PastorJun 15, 2004
D-WABrian BairdJun 24, 2004
D-NYJoseph CrowleyJun 24, 2004
R-NYSherwood BoehlertJun 24, 2004
D-MDChris Van HollenJul 20, 2004
D-TNHarold E. Ford Jr.Jul 20, 2004
D-NYEliot L. EngelSep 9, 2004
D-NYJose E. SerranoSep 9, 2004
D-NCMike McIntyreSep 9, 2004

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseForeign Affairs Committee
Referred Jun 19, 2003

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jun 19, 2003Introduced in House
  2. Jun 19, 2003Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 1001Women and Children in Conflict Protection Act of 2003Related billMay 6, 2003

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To make the protection of women and children who are affected by a complex humanitarian emergency a priority of the United States Government, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Women and Children in Conflict Protection Act of 2003

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jun 19, 2003Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.