#aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#aehj  ,,an ,,act  ,to enhance the      
transparency1 improve the coordination1 
and intensify the impact of assistance  
to support access to primary and        
secondary education for displaced       
children and persons1 including women   
and girls1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,protecting ,girls' ,access to      
,education in ,vulnerable ,settings     
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3  7#a7 ,as of ,june #bjah1   
more than #fh1jjj1jjj people have been  
displaced by disasters and conflicts    
around the world1 the highest number    
recorded since the end of ,world ,war   
,,ii1 of which more than #be1jjj1jjj    
people are refugees4  7#b7 ,more than   
half of the population of refugees are  
children and1 according to the ,united  
,nations ,high ,commissioner for        
,refugees1 nearly #d1jjj1jjj school-aged
 refugee children lack access to primary
 education4  7#c7 ,education offers     

socioeconomic opportunities1            
psychological stability1 and physical   
protection for displaced people1        
particularly for women and girls1 who   
might otherwise be vulnerable to severe 
forms of trafficking in persons 7as such
 term is defined in section #ajc7i7 of  
the ,trafficking ,victims ,protection   
,act of #bjjj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gajb7i771 
child marriage1 sexual exploitation1 or 
economic disenfranchisement4  7#d7      
,displaced children face considerable   
barriers to accessing educational       
services and1 because the duration of   
such displacement is1 on average1 #bf   
years1 such children may spend the      
entirety of their childhood without     
access to such services4  7#e7 ,despite 
the rising need for educational         
services1 as of #bjaf1 less than two    
percent of humanitarian aid was directed
 toward educational services4  #c4      
,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of 
,congress that-- 7#a7 it is critical to 
ensure that children1 particularly      

girls1 displaced by conflicts overseas  
are able to access educational services 
because such access can combat extremism
 and reduce exploitation and poverty2   
and  7#b7 the educational needs of      
vulnerable women and girls should be    
considered in the design1               
implementation1 and evaluation of       
related ,united ,states foreign         
assistance policies and programs4  #d4  
,statement of policy ,it is the policy  
of the ,united ,states to-- 7#a7 partner
 with and encourage other countries1    
public and private multilateral         
institutions1 and nongovernmental and   
civil society organizations1 including  
faith-based organizations and           
organizations representing parents and  
children1 to support efforts to ensure  
that displaced children have access to  
safe primary and secondary education2   
7#b7 work with donors to enhance        
training and capacity-building for the  
governments of countries hosting        
significant numbers of displaced people 

to design1 implement1 and monitor       
programs to effectively address barriers
 to such education2 and  7#c7 coordinate
 with the governments of countries      
hosting significant numbers of displaced
 people to-- 7,a7 promote the inclusion 
of displaced children into the          
educational systems of such countries2  
and  7,b7 in circumstances in which such
 inclusion is difficult1 develop        
innovative approaches to providing safe 
primary and secondary educational       
opportunities1 such as encouraging      
schools to permit children to be        
educated by extending the hours of      
schooling or expanding the number of    
teachers4  #e4 ,united ,states          
assistance to support educational       
services for displaced children  7a7 ,in
 general ,the ,secretary of ,state and  
the ,administrator of the ,united       
,states ,agency for ,international      
,development are authorized to          
prioritize and advance ongoing efforts  
to support programs that--  7#a7 provide

 safe primary and secondary education   
for displaced children2  7#b7 build the 
capacity of institutions in countries   
hosting displaced people to prevent     
discrimination against displaced        
children1 especially displaced girls1   
who seek access to such education2 and  
7#c7 help increase the access of        
displaced children1 especially displaced
 girls1 to educational1 economic1 and   
entrepreneurial opportunities1 including
 through the governmental authorities   
responsible for educational or youth    
services in such host countries4  7b7   
,coordination with multilateral         
organizations ,the ,secretary and the   
,administrator are authorized to        
coordinate with the ,world ,bank1       
appropriate agencies of the ,united     
,nations1 and other relevant            
multilateral organizations to work with 
governments in other countries to       
collect relevant data1 disaggregated by 
age and gender1 on the ability of       
displaced people to access education and

 participate in economic activity1 in   
order to improve the targeting1         
monitoring1 and evaluation of related   
assistance efforts4  7c7 ,coordination  
with private sector and civil society   
organizations ,the ,secretary and the   
,administrator are authorized to work   
with private sector and civil society   
organizations to promote safe primary   
and secondary education for displaced   
children4  #f4 ,report ,the ,secretary  
and the ,administrator shall include in 
the report required under section #g of 
the ,,read ,act 7division ,a of ,public 
,law #aae-ef2 #bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea;c     
note7 a description of any primary or   
secondary educational services supported
 by programs for natural or manmade     
disaster relief or response that        
specifically address the needs of       
displaced girls4  ,passed the ,senate   
,december #ab1 #bjah4,secretary