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Advocacy Blog
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
House Bill Would Eliminate Global Gag Rule for Family Planning Grantees
Although H.R. 619, the Global Democracy Promotion Act, was filed in January 2007, I just ran across it in my regular searches. It would do away with restrictions on use of private funds by nonprofits with federal family planning grants. According to the Congressional Research Service summary it:
Declares that foreign nongovernmental organizations: (1) shall not be ineligible for assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 solely on the basis of health or medical services (including counseling and referral services) provided by them with non-U.S. government funds if such services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided, and would not violate U.S. federal law if provided in the United States; and (2) shall not be subject to requirements relating to the use of non-U.S. government funds for advocacy and lobbying activities other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations receiving such assistance.
The bill has 57 cosponsors and has been assigned to the House Foreign Affairs committee. For more background see the International Women's Health Coalition website.
Posted by Kay Guinane
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