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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2439 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2439
To authorize contributions to the United Nations Population Fund, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2025
Ms. Houlahan (for herself, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Norton, Mr.
Connolly, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Carson, Mr. Case,
Ms. Omar, Mr. Peters, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Tokuda, Mrs. Hayes, Mr.
McGovern, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Jacobs, Mr.
Crow, Ms. Titus, Mrs. Fletcher, Ms. Brown, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Pingree,
Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Bell, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Matsui, Ms.
Meng, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Moulton, Ms.
Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Auchincloss, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Costa,
Mr. Veasey, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Cohen, Ms. DeGette, and Ms.
Velazquez) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize contributions to the United Nations Population Fund, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Support UNFPA Funding Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the
United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.
(2) UNFPA was founded with the bipartisan leadership of the
United States and advances United States strategic interests to
promote peace and stability overseas by working in more than
150 countries to end preventable maternal deaths, the unmet
need for contraception, and gender-based violence and other
harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and
child marriage.
(3) The Multilateral Organization Performance Assessment
Network, also known as MOPAN, of which the United States is a
member, conducted a thorough evaluation of UNFPA's
organizational performance, effectiveness, and results. The
evaluation, released in January 2025, concluded that UNFPA is a
highly relevant and effective organization that is successfully
delivering on its mandate. UNFPA has been an excellent steward
and partner to the United States, ensuring that all United
States financial contributions are kept in a segregated account
and in compliance with United States legal restrictions. UNFPA
does not fund abortion or promote abortion as a method of
family planning. UNFPA opposes all forms of coercion and
involuntary sterilization.
(4) All UNFPA programming is guided by principles adopted
by 179 governments, including the United States, at the 1994
International Conference for Population and Development. The
principles include that ``reproductive health care programs
should provide the widest range of services without any form of
coercion. All couples and individuals have the basic right to
decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their
children and to have the information, education, and means to
do so.''.
(5) UNFPA extends and supports the United States investment
in global safety, stability, and security by reaching women and
girls in politically unstable regions. UNFPA also plays a
pivotal role in meeting protection and health care needs in
countries experiencing complex humanitarian emergencies.
(6) UNFPA ensures access to health care and essential
supplies for women and families affected by humanitarian
crises, including those arising from natural disasters, armed
conflicts, and other emergencies.
(7) The termination of funding for several UNFPA programs
restricts UNFPA's critical work, endangering lives across the
world. Without reversal, UNFPA cannot continue addressing the
needs of the following:
(A) The nearly 800 women and adolescent girls who
die each day from preventable causes related to
pregnancy and childbirth, most of which occur in
developing countries and more than half of which occur
in fragile and humanitarian settings.
(B) The more than 226,000,000 women of reproductive
age in low- and middle-income countries who want to
avoid pregnancy and are not using a modern
contraceptive method.
(C) The estimated 1 in 3 women who experience
gender-based violence.
(D) The estimated 230,000,000 women who have
survived some form of female genital mutilation.
(E) The estimated 12,000,000 girls who are forcibly
married before the age of 18 each year.
(8) Voluntary family planning is central to global health,
equality and women's empowerment, and it is a key factor in
poverty reduction, enabling individuals and families to make
informed decisions about their reproductive health and economic
well-being. Providing access to family planning reduces the
need for abortion as it helps prevent unintended pregnancies.
(9) In March 2025, thousands of Americans, representing all
50 States, expressed their support for the lifesaving work of
UNFPA.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States as follows:
(1) Improving the status of women around the world is a
strategic priority for United States foreign policy and
development efforts, contributing to global stability and
economic growth.
(2) The ability of individuals to freely determine whether,
when, and with whom to have children, and to attain the highest
standard of health, supports both human rights and sustainable
development, fostering more stable and prosperous societies.
(3) Access to voluntary contraception and reproductive
health care is a cost-effective intervention that enhances
women's economic participation, reduces poverty, and
strengthens communities--advancing United States strategic
interests.
(4) UNFPA is a key partner in advancing global health,
stability, and economic development by improving the status of
women and expanding access to voluntary family planning and
reproductive health care.
(5) UNFPA plays a vital role in ensuring that family
planning and reproductive health programs are voluntary,
rights-based, and aligned with international standards--helping
to prevent instability and improve health outcomes in
vulnerable regions.
(6) Financial support for UNFPA aligns with United States
interests by promoting global health, reducing maternal
mortality, and fostering development in ways that contribute to
more stable and self-sufficient nations. The United States
Government remains committed to providing targeted, cost-
effective funding to support these efforts.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
President, in addition to funds otherwise made available, not less than
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and not less than $55,000,000 for
fiscal year 2027 to support the core functions and programs of the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which may include the
following:
(1) Ending preventable maternal deaths.
(2) Ending the unmet need for contraceptives and promoting
a voluntary approach to family planning.
(3) Ending gender-based violence.
(4) Ending other harmful practices, such as child marriage
and female genital mutilation.
(5) Supporting United States national security and
humanitarian efforts by operating in areas where medical
infrastructure or services have been destroyed or limited by
natural disasters, armed conflict, or other humanitarian
emergencies.
(b) Availability.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated under
subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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