International Development and Food Assistance Act of 1978

Summary

International Development and Food Assistance Act - Title I: Development Assistance - Amends the Congressional policy statement of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to development assistance. Authorizes the President to furnish development assistance through certain types of agencies, using grant or loan assistance. Authorizes the President to determine the interest rates on development loans. Limits the amount of development assistance available to research and development institutions in the United States. Authorizes the President to use funds made available under this chapter to pay certain transportation costs of foreign assistance shipments by certain voluntary agencies, under specified procedures. Repeals other development assistance provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to (1) the Development Loan Fund (except for regional development in Africa and multilateral and regional programs), (2) the technical cooperation and development grants (except for American schools and hospitals abroad and a prototype desalting plant in Israel), (3) the Alliance for Progress, (4) the evaluation of programs procedures, and (5) the Southeast Asia multilateral and regional programs. Makes certain technical amendments to reflect this repeal. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish agricultural, rural development, and food assistance. Authorizes appropriations for such purposes. Sets forth policies with respect to furnishing and coordinating such assistance. Redefines certain terms regarding agricultural assistance to include aquaculture and fishery, throughout such Act. Amends the Congressional policy statement of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to population and health assistance. Authorizes appropriations for population assistance. Sets forth policies with respect to furnishing such assistance. Prohibits funds appropriated for such purpose from being used for abortions or involuntary sterilizations. Authorizes appropriations for health assistance. Sets forth policies with respect to furnishing such assistance. Repeals the authorization for those population assistance which are a part of development assistance programs. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for education and human resources assistance and technical assistance, energy, research, reconstruction, and selected development programs under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Amends such Act with respect to the policies under which intermediate technology is furnished. Authorizes certain funds to be used to encourage the participation of women in the development process of developing countries. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1979 to promote human rights. Requires the President to take environmental consequences into considering development actions. Requires the President to study major environmental problems in developing countries. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for American schools and hospitals abroad. Limits the number of institutions in any one country which may receive such assistance. Amends the Congressional policy statement with respect to housing assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Expands the authority of the President to issue housing investment guaranties to world-wide housing, rather than in Latin America only. Continues the authority of the agricultural and productive credit and self-help community development programs for one year. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for international organizations and programs, of which a specified amount shall be for the United Nations Trust Fund on South Africa. Prohibits such funds from being used for the United Nations Institute for Namibia unless the President determines that such funds will not be used to support the military activities of the Southwest African Peoples Organization. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1969 for international disaster assistance. Authorizes the President to furnish assistance for African refugees. Authorizes appropriations for 1979 for such purpose. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to use an increased amount of funds to carry out such Act for "reimbursable development" programs. Title II: Food for Peace - Sets forth Congressional policy with respect to assistance for basic food needs under the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954. Amends such Act to permit the Commodity Credit Corporation to pay the transportation costs of food for development programs. Deems the proceeds of the sale of food for development commodities to be payments of obligations incurred by the selling country under that Act. Title III: Economic Assistance - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to furnish assistance to promote economic or political stability, under a program to be administered by the Secretary of State. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for economic assistance, with a minimum amount available to Cyprus. Prohibits economic assistance funds from being used for military purposes. Authorizes specific authorizations for fiscal year 1979 for economic assistance to (1) Egypt, (2) Israel, (3) Jordan, (4) Syria, (5) the Maquarin Dam regional project, and (6) private voluntary agency development projects, according to specified procedures. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for economic assistance to the countries of southern Africa. Repeals the authority for security supporting assistance programs, and assistance for Middle East peace. Makes certain technical amendments in accordance with the replacement of security supporting assistance by economic assistance. Title IV: Administrative Provisions - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct development programs to be carried out through competitive selection procedures. Requires the Chair of the Development Coordinating Committee to submit an annual report to Congress reviewing United States foreign assistance. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to repeal previous specified reporting requirements, and (1) the authorization of appropriations for the Sahel development program, and (2) the suspension of foreign assistance (military, economic, agricultural, and arms sale licenses) to Pakistan. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to the use of funds appropriated under such Act for the purchase of motor vehicles. Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for operating expenses under such Act. Amends such Act to repeal provisions relating to (1) the minimum contribution to the United Nations Children's Fund, (2) the additional contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the training of Arab refugees, (3) the minimum contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency, (4) the limitations on contributions to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, (5) a sense of Congress regarding United Nations peacekeeping forces, (6) the authorization for appropriations for the drought-stricken nations of Africa, (7) the authority of the President to furnish earthquake relief assistance to Guatemala, (8) the use of receipts from the settlement of postwar economic assistance to Japan, (9) a statement of policy regarding assistance to newly independent countries, (10) the authorization of appropriations for development assistance administrative expenses, (11) the limitation on the aggregate amount of foreign assistance, (12) the limitation on assistance to Cambodia, (13) the limitations of the use of foreign assistance funds pending the release of certain appropriations impounded in 1971, (14) assistance priorities for funds to countries having agrarian economies, and (15) the authority of the President to conclude agreements with less developed countries to establish Joint Commissions on Rural Development. Title V: Coordination and Administration of the Development-Related Programs and Policies of the United States - Directs the President to coordinate those United States economic policies which affect the developing nations, and to establish an International Development Coordination Administration (superseding the Agency for International Development) to coordinate international development activities. Requires the President to submit a report to Congress on implementation of this title.

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3 official files

• Public Law (PDF)

  Public Law · EN · 7 October 1978

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• Conference report filed in House

  summary · EN · 7 September 1978

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 19 April 1978

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