On June 9, the House International Relations Committee approved, 44-0, the FY2006 State Department authorization bill (H.R. 2601). The Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations Subcommittee approved the measure on May 26 (see The Source, 5/27/05). The Senate began its debate on a similar bill (S. 600) in April, but postponed final consideration until later this year (see The Source, 4/7/05).
Sponsored by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ), H.R. 2601 would authorize $9.93 billion for the State Department in FY2006, a 12.4 percent increase over FY2005 as requested by the administration. The measure also would authorize $955 million for migration and refugee assistance, which includes funding for programs to combat human trafficking.
Under the bill, the State Department would be required to translate the Trafficking in Persons Report, the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, and the Annual Report to Congress on International Religious Freedom into the official language of the applicable country. The State Department also would be required to post the reports on the appropriate State Department and embassy websites within 30 days of the report’s release.
H.R. 2601 would require the State Department to submit a report to Congress concerning the incidence of child marriages throughout the world. In addition, the State Department would be required to submit a report to Congress detailing the number of small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses that provide goods and services to the State Department.
Finally, the measure would include language concerning obstetric fistula and would authorize expanded access to contraception for women at high risk of prolonged or obstructed childbirth.
