#aadth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #hjb ,,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 #bjae4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,according to the ,united ,states ,census ,bureau's #bjac international figures1 #a person in #ab1 or close to #ijj1jjj1jjj people1 is a girl or young woman age #aj through #bd4 7#b7 ,the ,census ,bureau's data also illustrates 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 four out of ten babies born in #bjab were not registered worldwide4 ,moreover1 an estimated #cf percent of children under the age of five worldwide 7about #bcj1jjj1jjj children7 do not possess a birth certificate4 7#d7 ,a nationally recognized proof of birth system is important to determining a child's citizenship1 nationality1 place of birth1 parentage1 and age4 ,without such a system1 a passport1 driver's license1 or other identification card is difficult to obtain4 ,the lack of such documentation can prevent girls and women 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 can exacerbate the disproportionate vulnerability of women 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 what1 in many places1 amounts to an already reduced ability to seek employment1 participate in civil society1 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 are difficult to gauge4 7#i7 ,to help ensure that women and girls are considered in ,united ,states foreign assistance policies and programs1 that their needs are addressed in the design1 implementation1 and evaluation of foreign assistance programs1 and that women and girls have the opportunity to succeed1 it is important that girls 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 support the rule of law and ensure girls and boys of all ages are able to fully participate in society1 including by providing birth certifications and other official documentation2 7#b7 enhance training and capacity-building in key developing countries1 local nongovernmental organizations1 and other civil society organizations1 including faith-based organizations and organizations representing children and families in the design1 implementation1 and monitoring of programs under this ,act1 to effectively address the needs of birth registries in countries where girls are systematically undercounted2 and 7#c7 incorporate into the design1 implementation1 and evaluation of policies and programs measures to evaluate the impact that such policies and programs 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 prioritize and advance ongoing efforts 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 registration2 7#b7 support programs that build the capacity of developing countries' national and local legal and policy frameworks to prevent discrimination against girls in gaining access to birth certificates1 particularly where this may help prevent exploitation1 violence1 and other abuse2 and 7#c7 support programs and key ministries1 including1 interior1 youth1 and education ministries1 to help increase property rights1 social security1 home ownership1 land tenure security1 inheritance rights1 access to education1 and economic and entrepreneurial opportunities1 particularly for women and girls4 7b7 ,coordination with multilateral organizations ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator are authorized to coordinate with the ,world ,bank1 relevant ,united ,nations agencies and programs1 and other relevant organizations to encourage and work with countries to enact1 implement1 and enforce laws that specifically collect data on girls and establish registration programs to ensure girls are appropriately counted and have the opportunity to be active participants in the social1 legal1 and political sectors of society in their countries4 7c7 ,coordination with private sector and civil society organizations ,the ,secretary and the ,administrator are authorized to work with the ,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 countries1 in order to help prevent exploitation1 violence1 and other abuses and to help provide economic and social opportunities4 #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 a breakdown of ,united ,states foreign assistance beneficiaries by age1 gender1 marital status1 location1 and school enrollment status4 7#b7 ,a description1 as appropriate1 of how ,united ,states foreign assistance benefits girls4 7#c7 ,specific information1 as appropriate1 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 five years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 ,passed the ,senate ,may #bc 7legislative day1 ,may #bb71 #bjae4,secretary