Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 118.djvu/3952

 118 STAT. 3922 PUBLIC LAW 108–484—DEC. 23, 2004 Public Law 108–484 108th Congress An Act To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to improve the results and account- ability of microenterprise development assistance programs, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Microenterprise Results and Accountability Act of 2004’’. SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND POLICY. Congress finds and declares the following: (1) Congress has demonstrated its support for microenter- prise development assistance programs through the enactment of two comprehensive microenterprise laws: (A) The Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 (title I of Public Law 106–309; 114 Stat. 1082). (B) Public Law 108–31 (an Act entitled ‘‘An Act to amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assist- ance for the poorest people in developing countries under microenterprise assistance program under those Acts, and for other purposes’’, approved June 17, 2003). (2) The report on the effectiveness of the United States Agency for International Development’s microfinance program, prepared by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, rated the Agency in the top tier of the 17 donors in this field. (3) The Comptroller General, in a report dated November 2003, found that the United States Agency for International Development has met some, but not all, of the key objectives of such microenterprise development assistance programs. (4) The Comptroller General’s report found, among other things, the following: (A) Microenterprise development assistance generally can help alleviate some impacts of poverty, improve income levels and quality of life for borrowers and provide poor individuals, workers, and their families with an important coping mechanism. (B) Microenterprise development assistance programs of the United States Agency for International Development have encouraged women’s participation in microfinance projects and, according to data of the Agency, women have comprised two-thirds or more of the micro-loan clients in Agency-funded microenterprise projects since 1997. 22 USC 2211 note. 22 USC 2151 note. Microenterprise Results and Accountability Act of 2004. Dec. 23, 2004 [H.R. 3818] VerDate 11-MAY-2000 13:54 Nov 10, 2005 Jkt 029194 PO 00000 Frm 00456 Fmt 6580 Sfmt 6581 C:\STATUTES\2004\29194PT4.001 APPS10 PsN: 29194PT4

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