# 119-s-280: Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act

119-s-280, Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH); status introduced (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-280
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-280
- Congress: 119
- Title: Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-28
- Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH)
- Cosponsors: 42
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**Protect foreign nongovernmental organizations' eligibility for U.S. Part I foreign assistance.** The bill says a foreign NGO cannot be made ineligible just because it provides health or medical services with non‑U.S. funds that comply with local law and would be lawful in the United States, or because it uses non‑U.S. funds for advocacy except where the same limits already apply to U.S. NGOs. - Foreign nongovernmental organizations: Can qualify for Part I assistance even if they provide health or medical services funded with non‑U.S. sources, provided those services follow the host country's law and would be legal in the United States. - Advocacy and lobbying funded with non‑U.S. money: Such activities will be evaluated under the same standards that apply to U.S. NGOs, so advocacy alone will not automatically bar foreign NGOs from eligibility. - Program scope and definitions: The change only adjusts Part I eligibility rules and includes definitions for "foreign nongovernmental organizations" and "non‑U.S. Government funds."

## Cosponsors (42)

- Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (R-AK), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-01-28T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Protect foreign NGOs' aid eligibility: benefit, medium. If enacted, this would stop agencies from denying Part I foreign assistance to foreign NGOs just because they use non-U.S. money to provide health services like counseling and referrals. The services must follow the laws of the country where they are given and would not violate U.S. federal law if…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2837: Protect America’s Workforce Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.

## Sources
- [119-s-280 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/280)

## Related
- [119-s-2837: Protect America’s Workforce Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2837)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-280 (as of 2025-12-21).