#aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ccih ,,an ,,act ,to authorize the ,secretary of ,state and the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development to provide assistance to support the rights of women and girls in developing countries1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,girls ,count ,act of #bjad4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,according to the ,united ,states ,census ,bureau's #bjac international figures1 #a person in #ab--or close to #ijj1jjj1jjj people--is a girl or young woman age #aj through #bd4 7#b7 ,the data also asserts that young people are the fastest growing segment of the population in developing countries4 7#c7 ,even though most countries do have birth registration laws1 nearly one-third of all children under the age of #e worldwide have never had their births registered4 ,moreover1 an estimated #de percent of children under the age of #e worldwide 7about #bij million children7 do not possess a birth certificate4 7#d7 ,a nationally recognized proof of birth is the key to determining a child's citizenship1 nationality1 place of birth1 parentage and age1 without which a passport1 drivers license1 or national identification card are impossible to obtain4 ,those who lack such documentation are often prevented from officially participating in and benefitting from the formal economic1 legal1 and political sectors in their countries4 7#e7 ,the lack of birth registration among girls worldwide is particularly concerning as it exacerbates their disproportionate vulnerability to trafficking1 child marriage1 and lack of access to health and education services4 7#f7 ,a lack of birth registration among women and girls can also aggravate what in many places amounts to an already reduced ability to seek employment1 participate in civil society or purchase or inherit land and other assets4 7#g7 ,girls undertake much of the domestic labor needed for poor families to survive3 carrying water1 harvesting crops1 tending livestock1 caring for younger children1 and doing chores4 7#h7 ,accurate assessments of access to education1 poverty levels1 and overall census activities are hampered by the lack of official information on women and girls4 ,without this rudimentary information1 assessments of foreign assistance and domestic social welfare programs cannot be accurately gauged4 7#i7 ,to ensure that women and girls are fully integrated into ,united ,states foreign assistance policies and programs1 that the specific needs of girls are1 to the maximum extent possible1 addressed in the design1 implementation1 and evaluation of development assistance programs1 and that women and girls have the power to affect the decisions that affect their lives1 all girls should be counted and have access to birth certificates and other official documentation4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states to-- 7#a7 encourage countries to uphold the ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights and enact laws that ensure girls and boys of all ages are full participants in society1 including requiring birth certifications and some type of national identity card to ensure that all citizens1 including girls1 are counted2 7#b7 enhance training and capacity-building to developing countries1 local nongovernmental organizations1 and other civil society organizations to effectively address the needs of birth registries in countries where girls are undercounted2 7#c7 include organizations representing children and families in the design1 implementation1 and monitoring of programs under this ,act2 and 7#d7 mainstream into the design1 implementation1 and evaluation of policies and programs at all levels an understanding of the distinctive impact that such policies and programs may have on girls4 #d4 ,united ,states assistance to support counting of girls in the developing world 7a7 ,authorization ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator are authorized to-- 7#a7 support programs that will contribute to improved and sustainable ,civil ,registration and ,vital ,statistics ,systems 7,,crvs7 with a focus on birth registration as the first and most important life event to be registered2 7#b7 promote programs that build the capacity of developing countries' national and local legal and policy frameworks to prevent discrimination against girls2 7#c7 support programs to help increase property rights1 social security1 and home ownership1 land tenure security1 and inheritance rights for women2 and 7#d7 assist key ministries in the governments of developing countries1 including health1 interior1 youth1 and education ministries1 to ensure that girls from poor households obtain equitable access to social programs4 7b7 ,coordination with multilateral organizations ,the ,secretary shall coordinate with the ,world ,bank1 relevant ,united ,nations agencies and programs1 and other relevant organizations to urge and work with countries to enact1 implement1 and enforce laws that specifically collect data on girls and establish registration and identification laws to ensure girls are active participants in the social1 economic1 legal and political sectors of society in their countries4 7c7 ,coordination with private sector and civil society organizations ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator should work with ,united ,states1 international1 and local private sector and civil society organizations to advocate for the registration and documentation of all girls and boys in developing countries to prevent exploitation1 violence1 and other abuses4 #e4 ,report ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator shall include in relevant evaluations and reports to ,congress the following information3 7#a7 ,to the extent practicable1 ,united ,states foreign assistance and development assistance beneficiaries by age1 gender1 marital status1 location1 and school enrollment status4 7#b7 ,a description of how ,united ,states foreign assistance and development assistance benefits girls4 7#c7 ,specific information on programs that address the particular needs of girls4 #f4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development4 7#b7 ,foreign assistance ,the term foreign assistance has the meaning given the term in section #fcd7;b7 of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcid7;b774 7#c7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,state4 #g4 ,sunset ,this ,act shall expire on the date that is #e years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 ,passed the ,house of ,representatives ,november #ai1 #bjad4;,clerk4