HR 192 108th Congress House

To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people in developing countries under microenterprise…

Official title: To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people in developing c… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people in developing countries under microenterprise assistance programs under those Acts, and for other purposes.

Introduced: January 7, 2003 Introduced by: Smith, Christopher H. Republican · New Jersey See on congress.gov

International Affairs Business educationCommerceCongressCongress and foreign policy

More subjectsShow fewer subjects

Congressional reporting requirementsDeveloping countriesEconomic assistanceEconomics and Public FinanceEmployee trainingEntrepreneursFederally-guaranteed loansFinance and Financial SectorFinancial servicesForeign Trade and International FinanceForeign loansFree enterpriseLabor and EmploymentLoansPoverty

Everywhere this bill has been 20 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Jun 17, 2003

Signed by President.

Jun 17, 2003

Became Public Law No: 108-31.

Jun 6, 2003

Presented to President.

May 23, 2003

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

May 23, 2003

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S7173)

May 23, 2003

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7173)

May 21, 2003

Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Lugar without amendment. Without written report.

May 21, 2003

Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

May 21, 2003

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 106.

May 15, 2003

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

May 14, 2003

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4032-4035)

May 14, 2003

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

May 14, 2003

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4032-4033)

May 14, 2003

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H4032-4033)

May 14, 2003

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 192.

May 14, 2003

Mr. Smith (NJ) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

Mar 5, 2003

Committee Agreed to Seek Consideration Under Suspension of the Rules, by Voice Vote.

Mar 5, 2003

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Jan 7, 2003

Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.

Jan 7, 2003

Introduced in House

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Latest action June 17, 2003

Became Public Law No: 108-31.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Amends the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 to make as one of its purposes that in implementation of this Act at least 50 percent of all microenterprise assistance be targeted to the very poor, that is, those persons living either in the bottom 50 percent below the poverty line or on less than the equivalent of one dollar per day.

Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1964 to authorize the President to provide assistance to increase the availability of financial services (not just credit) to microenterprise households lacking full access to credit, including through: (1) loans and guarantees to microfinance institutions to expand the availability of savings and credit to poor and low-income households; (2) training programs to enable such institutions to better meet the financial services needs of their clients; and (3) training programs to enable clients to make better use of credit, increase their financial literacy, and to better manage their enterprises to improve their quality of life.

Declares that, in order to maximize the sustainable development impact of microenterprise development grant assistance authorized under the Act, the Administrator of the agency primarily responsible for administering such assistance shall establish a monitoring system that, among other things, adopts the widespread use of proven and effective poverty assessment tools to identify the poorest of the poor and ensure that they receive needed microenterprise credits, loans, and assistance. Requires the Administrator of the Agency for International Development to develop and certify no fewer than two low-cost methods for measuring the poverty levels of the current or prospective clients of microenterprise organizations for purposes of the provision of microenterprise development grant assistance.

Bill text 6 versions

Engrossed in House Formatted Text PDF
Enrolled Bill Formatted Text PDF
Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF
Public Law Formatted Text PDF
Referred in Senate Formatted Text PDF
Reported to Senate Formatted Text PDF

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 2

Foreign Affairs Committee
House of Representatives
Foreign Relations Committee
Senate

Cosponsors 14

Larsen, Rick

Washington · Feb 25, 2003

Norton, Eleanor Holmes

District of Columbia · Feb 25, 2003

Washington · Jan 27, 2003

BEREUTER, DOUGLAS

· Jan 7, 2003

Bishop, Sanford D.

Georgia · Jan 7, 2003

California · Jan 7, 2003

Meeks, Gregory W.

New York · Jan 7, 2003

Sanders, Bernard

Vermont · Jan 7, 2003

Cite this page click to expand

APA

U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 192: To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people in developing countries under microenterprise assistance programs under those Acts, and for other purposes.. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-192/

MLA

"H.R. 192: To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people in developing countries under microenterprise assistance programs under those Acts, and for other purposes.." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-192/.

Bluebook (legal)

H.R. 192, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-192/.

Markdown link

[H.R. 192: To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people in developing countries under microenterprise assistance programs under those Acts, and for other purposes.](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-192/)