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HR 1376 108th Congress House

To improve the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.

Introduced: June 24, 2003 Introduced by: Smith, Christopher H. Republican · New Jersey See on congress.gov
International Affairs AIDS (Disease)Agricultural assistanceAgriculture and FoodArmed Forces and National Security
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Arms controlArms salesBiological warfareCaribbean areaChemical warfareChild healthCitizen participationCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCongressCongressional reporting requirementsCrime and Law EnforcementDebt reliefDeveloping countriesDevelopment credit institutionsDisasters
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 27, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.
Mar 20, 2003
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on International Relations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 20, 2003
Introduced in House
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 Latest action March 27, 2003

Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 for the U.S. payment to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Trust Fund administered by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank). Authorizes additional appropriations for payment to such Fund to meet the additional financing needs of the Enhanced HIPC Initiative, provided the Secretary of the Treasury determines that an agreement by certain multilateral financial institutions regarding modification of the Initiative has been reached.

Amends the International Financial Institutions Act to direct the Secretary to commence immediately efforts within the Paris Club of Official Creditors, as well as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other appropriate multilateral development institutions, to accomplish certain modifications in the Initiative, including requiring that: (1) the amount of debt stock reduction for a country eligible for debt relief under the Initiative be sufficient to reduce, for a specified period, the net value of outstanding public guaranteed debt of the country and its annual payments due on such debt to not more than specified formulated percentages; and (2) the debt cancellation under such Initiative not be conditioned on any agreement by an impoverished country to implement or comply with policies that deepen poverty or degrade the environment, or that implement user fees on primary education or primary health care, increase the cost to consumers with incomes of less than $2.00 per day for access to clean drinking water, or that undermine internationally recognized worker rights.

Makes ineligible for debt relief any country that: (1) supports international terrorism; (2) engages in gross violations of internationally recognized human rights; or (3) has been designated as a "Tier 3" nation pursuant to the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 for its failure to cooperate on international trafficking in persons prevention efforts. Conditions debt cancellation upon the country's agreeing to ensure that the financial benefits of such debt relief are applied to programs to combat poverty and to redress environmental degradation.

Amends certain Federal laws to prohibit the provision of foreign assistance or the transfer of certain weapons and technology to countries (or persons) that fail to cooperate with the United States on efforts to combat international terrorism.

Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on options to expand debt relief to non-HIPC countries.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1376: To improve the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1376/
MLA
"H.R. 1376: To improve the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1376/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1376, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1376/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1376: To improve the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1376/)
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