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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.

Public Law 108-31 · H.R. 192 · 108th Congress · began in the House

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jun 17, 2003 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-4)

Cosponsors (66): Rep. Henry Hyde,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

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.

(Sec. 2) Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to revise congressional findings and policy with respect to the micro- and small enterprise development credits program to declare that it is in the best interests of the United States to assist the access to financial services and the development of microenterprises in developing countries, and to engage the U.S. private sector in such process. Authorizes 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 for the purpose of expanding the availability of savings and credit to poor and low-income households; (2) training programs to enable microfinance 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.

Revises program eligibility criteria to require the Administrator of the agency primarily responsible for administering such program to establish criteria for determining which microfinance institutions are eligible to carry out program activities with respect to microenterprise households assisted under this Act. Limits the use of such assistance to support programs for microenterprise households.

Authorizes appropriations through FY 2004.

(Sec. 3) Revises congressional findings and policy with respect to the microenterprise development grant assistance program to declare that: (1) access to financial services and the development of microenterprise are vital factors in the stable growth of developing countries, and therefore it is in the best interest of the United States to facilitate access to financial services and assist the development of microenterprise in developing countries; (2) access to such services and the development of microenterprises can be supported by programs providing credit, savings, training, technical assistance, business development services, and other financial and non-financial services; and (3) microenterprise programs should target both rural and urban poor given the high percentage of population living, and incidence of poverty, in such areas.

Urges the President to continue support for central mechanisms and missions that, among other things, support the development of nonprofit global microfinance networks, including credit union systems, that are able to deliver financial services to poor entrepreneurs through a significant grassroots infrastructure based on market principles, and act as wholesale intermediaries providing a range of services to microenterprise retail institutions.

Declares that, in order to maximize the sustainable development impact of microenterprise development grant assistance, 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 successfully identify the very poor and ensure that they receive needed microenterprise loans, savings, and assistance. Requires the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) to develop and certify no fewer than two low-cost methods for partner institutions to use to assess the poverty levels of their current or prospective clients for purposes of the provision of microenterprise development grant assistance. Directs the Administrator to require all organizations applying for microenterprise assistance under this Act to use one of the certified methods to determine and report the poverty levels of such clients and to demonstrate their ability to reach the very poor.

Authorizes appropriations through FY 2004.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Administrator to submit to Congress a report that documents the process of developing and applying poverty assessment procedures with its partners.

Directs the Administrator to submit annually to Congress a report that addresses AID's compliance with the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 by documenting: (1) the percentage of its resources that were allocated to the very poor based on data collected from its partners using the certified methods; and (2) the absolute number of the very poor reached.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

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Related bills

The record lists no related bills.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Jun 17, 2003Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-31.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jun 6, 2003FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. May 23, 2003FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. May 21, 2003CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 106.
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Lugar without amendment. Without written report.
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  9. May 15, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  10. May 14, 2003FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 192.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  14. FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (NJ) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  15. Mar 5, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Committee Agreed to Seek Consideration Under Suspension of the Rules, by Voice Vote.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  17. Jan 7, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
  18. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

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Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.