,i #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #deaf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #ag1 #bjbe,mr4 ,meeks 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,lois ,frankel of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,mr4 ,amo1 ,ms4 ,jacobs1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 and ,ms4 ,williams of ,georgia7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,state to ensure that commodities procured for the purpose of foreign assistance are made available to intended beneficiaries before such commodities expire1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,saving ,lives and ,taxpayer ,dollars ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,foreign assistance commodities1 including food1 medicine1 family planning products1 and vaccines1 provide critical support to people who are recovering from the aftermath of natural disasters1 fleeing conflict or war1 residing in refugee camps1 or living in developing communities with limited access to health care4 7#b7 ,united ,states investments in global health bolster economic growth for partner countries1 produce returns on investment for the ,united ,states economy1 create an estimated #fjj1jjj jobs in the ,united ,states1 and generated an estimated #ajd1jjj1jjj1jjj in economic activity during the #ae-year period between #bjjg and #bjbb4 7#c7 ,reliable access to vaccines and medications1 including pre-exposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral drugs to prevent the spread of ,,hiv and vaccines to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases such as polio and drug-resistant tuberculosis1 makes everyone safer4 7#d7 ,united ,states food assistance benefits ,united ,states farmers1 ranchers1 and agribusinesses1 while addressing global food insecurity4 ,united ,states farmers annually supply an estimated #dj percent of all international food assistance1 which is valued at approximately #b1jjj1jjj1jjj4 7#e7 ,greater access to family planning products and services has the potential to prevent up to #cj percent of the #bie1jjj annual maternal deaths and save the lives of approximately #a1djj1jjj children who are younger than #e years old4 7#f7 ,the voluntary destruction of foreign assistance commodities intended for beneficiaries at risk of food insecurity and famine1 sexual violence1 maternal and infant death and disease is unethical and contrary to ,united ,states interests and moral obligations4 #c4 ,prohibition on the destruction of foreign assistance products and commodities ,section #ajb of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea-a7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7b71 by adding at the end the following3 7#ah7 ,perishable and nonperishable foreign assistance commodities and products1 including medicine1 vaccines1 medical devices1 food1 and food commodities that are procured1 managed1 controlled1 or held in warehouses1 ships1 shipping containers1 or any other storage facility1 by the ,united ,states ,government or by a foreign assistance implementing partner of the ,united ,states ,government shall be made available to intended beneficiaries1 including through donation1 for their intended purpose and before the date on which such commodities and products spoil or expire4 2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7d7 7#a7 ,if any commodity is in the possession or control of a foreign assistance implementing partner of the ,united ,states1 the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 or the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development1 as appropriate1 shall1 on an expedited basis1 release such funds as may be necessary to ensure the delivery or donation of the commodity to the intended beneficiaries before the date the commodity spoils or expires4 7#b7 ,no commodity may be destroyed unless every effort has been made to sell1 donate1 or otherwise make the commodity available 7whichever is more likely to ensure the commodity will be received and used by the intended beneficiaries7 before the date the commodity spoils or expires4 7#c7 7,a7 ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of the ,saving ,lives and ,taxpayer ,dollars ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in coordination with the ,administrator of the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development and the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 as appropriate1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes any commodity that1 during the year prior to the date of the submission of the report expired1 spoiled1 or was destroyed prior to the delivery of such commodity to an intended beneficiary4 7,b7 ,each report required by subparagraph 7,a7 shall include1 for each expired1 spoiled1 or destroyed commodity described-- 7i7 a description of all negotiations1 plans1 and efforts to make the commodity available to the intended beneficiaries2 7ii7 the reason the commodity was not made available to the intended beneficiaries2 7iii7 the intended purpose of the commodity2 7iv7 a list of the geographic locations of all intended beneficiaries of the commodity1 by country or region1 as appropriate2 7v7 the procured and market value of the commodity2 and 7vi7 the cost incurred to destroy or dispose of the commodity4 7#d7 ,in this subsection-- 7,a7 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7i7 the ,committee on ,appropriations and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7ii7 the ,committee on ,appropriations and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate4 7,b7 the term commodity means a perishable or nonperishable commodity or product 7including medicine1 vaccines1 medical devices1 food1 and food commodities7 that is procured1 managed1 controlled1 or held in warehouses1 ships1 shipping containers1 or any other storage facility1 by the ,united ,states ,government or by a foreign assistance implementing partner of the ,united ,states ,government for the purpose of providing foreign assistance4 4