#aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #aajd ,,an ,,act ,to measure the progress of recovery and development efforts in ,haiti following the earthquake of ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,assessing ,progress in ,haiti ,act of #bjad4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,on ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 a massive earthquake struck near the ,haitian capital city of ,port-au-,prince1 leaving an estimated #bbj1jjj people dead1 including #ajc ,united ,states citizens1 #aja ,united ,nations personnel1 and nearly #ah percent of the nation's civil service1 as well as #cjj1jjj injured1 #aae1jjj homes destroyed1 and #a1ejj1jjj people displaced4 7#b7 ,according to the ,post ,disaster ,needs ,assessment conducted by the ,government of ,haiti1 with technical assistance from the ,united ,nations1 the ,world ,bank1 the ,inter-,american ,development ,bank1 the ,economic ,commission for ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean1 and the ,european ,commission1 an estimated #ae percent of the population was directly affected by the disaster and related damages and economic losses totaled #g1hjd1jjj1jjj4 7#c7 ,even before the earthquake1 ,haiti had some of the lowest socioeconomic indicators and the second highest rate of income disparity in the world1 conditions that have further complicated post-earthquake recovery efforts and1 according to the ,world ,bank1 have significantly reduced the prospects of addressing poverty reduction through economic growth4 7#d7 ,according to the ,world ,food ,programme1 more than #f1gjj1jjj people in ,haiti 7out of a population of about #aj1jjj1jjj7 are considered food insecure4 7#e7 ,in ,october #bjaj1 an unprecedented outbreak of cholera in ,haiti resulted in over #ejj1jjj reported cases and over #h1jjj deaths to date1 further straining the capacity of ,haiti's public health sector and increasing the urgency of resettlement and water1 sanitation1 and hygiene 7,,wash7 efforts4 7#f7 ,the international community1 led by the ,united ,states and the ,united ,nations1 mounted an unprecedented humanitarian response in ,haiti1 with donors pledging approximately #aj1djj1jjj1jjj for humanitarian relief and recovery efforts1 including debt relief1 supplemented by #c1ajj1jjj1jjj in private charitable contributions1 of which approximately #f1djj1jjj1jjj has been disbursed and an additional #c1hjj1jjj1jjj has been committed as of ,september #cj1 #bjac4 7#g7 ,the emergency response of the men and women of the ,united ,states ,government1 led by the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development 7,,usaid7 and the ,united ,states ,southern ,command1 as well as of cities1 towns1 individuals1 businesses1 and philanthropic organizations across the ,united ,states1 was particularly swift and resolute4 7#h7 ,since #bjaj1 a total of #a1cjj1jjj1jjj in ,united ,states assistance has been allocated for humanitarian relief and #b1cjj1jjj1jjj has been allocated for recovery1 reconstruction1 and development assistance in ,haiti1 including #a1adj1jjj1jjj in emergency appropriations and #ie1jjj1jjj that has been obligated specifically to respond to the cholera epidemic4 7#i7 ,of the #c1fjj1jjj1jjj in ,united ,states assistance allocated for ,haiti1 #fea1jjj1jjj was apportioned to ,,usaid to support an ambitious recovery plan1 including the construction of a power plant to provide electricity for the new ,caracol ,industrial ,park 7,,cip7 in northern ,haiti1 a new port near the ,,cip1 and permanent housing in new settlements in the ,port-au-,prince1 ,st-,marc1 and ,cap-,hatien areas4 7#aj7 ,according to a recent report of the ,government ,accountability ,office1 as of ,june #cj1 #bjac1 ,,usaid had disbursed #ca percent of its reconstruction funds in ,haiti1 the port project was #b years behind schedule and ,,usaid funding will be insufficient to cover a majority of the projected costs1 the housing project has been reduced by #hj percent1 and the sustainability of the power plant1 the port1 and the housing projects were all at risk4 7#aa7 ,,gao further found that ,congress has not been provided with sufficient information to ensure that it is able to conduct effective oversight at a time when most funding remains to be disbursed1 and specifically recommends that a periodic reporting mechanism be instituted to fill this information gap4 7#ab7 ,donors have encountered significant challenges in implementing recovery programs1 and nearly #d years after the earthquake1 an estimated #aga1igd people remain displaced in camps1 unemployment remains high1 corruption is rampant1 land rights remain elusive1 allegations of wage violations are widespread1 the business climate is unfavorable1 and government capacity remains weak4 7#ac7 ,for ,haiti to achieve stability and long term economic growth1 donor assistance will have to be carefully coordinated with a commitment by the ,government of ,haiti to transparency1 a market economy1 rule of law1 and democracy4 7#ad7 ,the legal environment in ,haiti remains a challenge to achieving the goals supported by the international community4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states to support the sustainable rebuilding and development of ,haiti in a manner that-- 7#a7 promotes efforts that are led by and support the people and ,government of ,haiti at all levels so that ,haitians lead the course of reconstruction and development of ,haiti2 7#b7 builds the long term capacity of the ,government of ,haiti and civil society in ,haiti2 7#c7 reflects the priorities and particular needs of both women and men so they may participate equally and to their maximum capacity2 7#d7 respects and helps restore ,haiti's natural resources1 as well as builds community-level resilience to environmental and weather-related impacts2 7#e7 provides timely and comprehensive reporting on goals and progress1 as well as transparent post program evaluations and contracting data2 7#f7 prioritizes the local procurement of goods and services in ,haiti where appropriate2 and 7#g7 promotes the holding of free1 fair1 and timely elections in accordance with democratic principles and the ,haitian ,constitution4 #d4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that transparency1 accountability1 democracy1 and good governance are integral factors in any congressional decision regarding ,united ,states assistance1 including assistance to ,haiti4 #e4 ,report 7a7 ,in general ,not later than ,december #ca1 #bjad1 and annually thereafter through ,december #ca1 #bjag1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to ,congress a report on the status of post-earthquake recovery and development efforts in ,haiti4 7b7 ,contents ,the report required by subsection 7a7 shall include-- 7#a7 a summary of ,post-,earthquake ,,usg ,haiti ,strategy3 ,toward ,renewal and ,economic ,opportunity1 including any significant changes to the strategy over the reporting period and an explanation thereof2 7#b7 a breakdown of the work that the ,united ,states ,government agencies other than ,,usaid and the ,department of ,state are conducting in the ,haiti recovery effort1 and the cost of that assistance2 7#c7 an assessment of the progress of ,united ,states efforts to advance the objectives of the ,post-,earthquake ,,usg ,haiti ,strategy3 ,toward ,renewal and ,economic ,opportunity produced by the ,department of ,state1 compared to what remains to be achieved to meet specific goals1 including-- 7,a7 a description of any significant changes to the ,strategy over the reporting period and an explanation thereof2 7,b7 an assessment of progress1 or lack thereof1 over the reporting period toward meeting the goals and objectives1 benchmarks1 and timeframes specified in the ,strategy1 including-- 7i7 a description of progress toward designing and implementing a coordinated and sustainable housing reconstruction strategy that addresses land ownership1 secure land tenure1 water and sanitation1 and the unique concerns of vulnerable populations such as women and children1 as well as neighborhood and community revitalization1 housing finance1 and capacity building for the ,government of ,haiti to implement an effective housing policy2 7ii7 a description of ,united ,states ,government efforts to construct and sustain the proposed port1 as well as an assessment of the current projected timeline and cost for completion2 and 7iii7 a description of ,united ,states ,government efforts to attract and leverage the investments of private sector partners to the ,,cip1 including by addressing any policy impediments2 7,c7 a description of the quantitative and qualitative indicators used to evaluate the progress toward meeting the goals and objectives1 benchmarks1 and timeframes specified in the ,strategy at the program level2 7,d7 the amounts committed1 obligated1 and expended on programs and activities to implement the ,strategy1 by sector and by implementing partner at the prime and subprime levels 7in amounts of not less than #be1jjj72 and 7,e7 a description of the risk mitigation measures put in place to limit the exposure of ,united ,states assistance provided under the ,strategy to waste1 fraud1 and abuse2 7#d7 a description of measures taken to strengthen1 and ,united ,states ,government efforts to improve1 ,haitian governmental and nongovernmental organizational capacity to undertake and sustain ,united ,states-supported recovery programs2 7#e7 as appropriate1 a description of ,united ,states efforts to consult and engage with ,government of ,haiti ministries and local authorities on the establishment of goals and timeframes1 and on the design and implementation of new programs under the ,post-,earthquake ,,usg ,haiti ,strategy3 ,toward ,renewal and ,economic ,opportunity2 7#f7 a description of efforts by ,haiti's legislative and executive branches to consult and engage with ,haitian civil society and grassroots organizations on the establishment of goals and timeframes1 and on the design and implementation of new donor-financed programs1 as well as efforts to coordinate with and engage the ,haitian diaspora2 7#g7 consistent with the ,government of ,haiti's ratification of the ,united ,nations ,convention ,against ,corruption1 a description of efforts of the ,governments of the ,united ,states and ,haiti to strengthen ,government of ,haiti institutions established to address corruption1 as well as related efforts to promote public accountability1 meet public outreach and disclosure obligations1 and support civil society participation in anti-corruption efforts2 7#h7 a description of efforts to leverage public-private partnerships and increase the involvement of the private sector in ,haiti in recovery and development activities and coordinate programs with the private sector and other donors2 7#i7 a description of efforts to address the particular needs of vulnerable populations1 including internally displaced persons1 women1 children1 orphans1 and persons with disabilities1 in the design and implementation of new programs and infrastructure2 7#aj7 a description of the impact that agriculture and infrastructure programs are having on the food security1 livelihoods1 and land tenure security of smallholder farmers1 particularly women2 7#aa7 a description of mechanisms for communicating the progress of recovery and development efforts to the people of ,haiti1 including a description of efforts to provide documentation1 reporting and procurement information in ,haitian ,creole2 7#ab7 a description of the steps the ,government of ,haiti is taking to strengthen its capacity to receive individuals who are removed1 excluded1 or deported from the ,united ,states2 and 7#ac7 an assessment of actions necessary to be taken by the ,government of ,haiti to assist in fulfilling the objectives of the ,strategy4 #f4 ,strategy 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,assistant ,secretary of ,state for ,western ,hemisphere ,affairs1 shall coordinate and transmit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives a three-year ,haiti strategy based on rigorous assessments that-- 7#a7 identifies and addresses constraints to sustainable1 broad-based economic growth and to the consolidation of responsive1 democratic government institutions2 7#b7 includes an action plan that outlines policy tools1 technical assistance1 and anticipated resources for addressing the highest-priority constraints to economic growth and the consolidation of democracy1 as well as a specific description of mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating progress2 and 7#c7 identifies specific steps and verifiable benchmarks appropriate to provide direct bilateral assistance to the ,government of ,haiti4 7b7 ,elements ,the strategy required under subsection 7a7 should address the following elements3 7#a7 ,a plan to engage the ,government of ,haiti on shared priorities to build long-term capacity1 including the development of a professional civil service1 to assume increasing responsibility for governance and budgetary sustainment of governmental institutions4 7#b7 ,a plan to assist the ,government of ,haiti in holding free1 fair and timely elections in accordance with democratic principles4 7#c7 ,specific goals for future ,united ,states support for efforts to build the capacity of the ,government of ,haiti1 including to- 7,a7 reduce corruption2 7,b7 consolidate the rule of law and an independent judiciary2 7,c7 strengthen the civilian police force2 7,d7 develop sustainable housing1 including ensuring appropriate titling and land ownership rights2 7,e7 expand port capacity to support economic growth2 7,f7 attract and leverage the investments of private sector partners1 including to the ,caracol ,industrial ,park2 7,g7 promote large and small scale agricultural development in a manner that reduces food insecurity and contributes to economic growth2 7,h7 improve access to potable water1 expand public sanitation services1 reduce the spread of infectious diseases1 and address public health crises2 7,i7 restore the natural resources of ,haiti1 including enhancing reforestation efforts throughout the country2 and 7,j7 gain access to safe1 secure1 and affordable supplies of energy in order to strengthen economic growth and energy security4 7c7 ,consultation ,in devising the strategy required under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary should-- 7#a7 coordinate with all ,united ,states ,government departments and agencies carrying out work in ,haiti2 7#b7 consult with the ,government of ,haiti1 including the ,national ,assembly of ,haiti1 and representatives of private and nongovernmental sectors in ,haiti2 and 7#c7 consult with relevant multilateral organizations1 multilateral development banks1 private sector institutions1 nongovernmental organizations1 and foreign governments present in ,haiti4 7d7 ,briefings ,the ,secretary of ,state1 at the request of the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives1 shall provide a quarterly briefing that reviews progress of the implementation of the strategy required under subsection 7a74 ,passed the ,senate ,july #aj1 #bjad4,secretary