S. 3247Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018

1 recorded action154 of these members are on the 2026 ballotWhat the measure does Read on Congress.gov

Sponsor: John Boozman [R-AR]
Cosponsors: 12 · 6 Democrats · 6 Republicans
Policy area: International Affairs
Committee: Foreign Relations Committee
Latest action: Jan 9, 2019 · Became Public Law No: 115-428.

IntroducedJul 19, 2018
Passed the SenateDec 19, 2018
Passed the HouseDec 21, 2018
Sent to the PresidentJan 2, 2019
Became lawJan 9, 2019

What the measure doesCRS summary

Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018

This bill modifies U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs to provide targeted assistance for women.

USAID strategies and projects shall be shaped by analysis to address gender differences, including how results may be different for men and women due to issues such as gender roles and structural barriers.

The President is authorized to provide programs in developing countries for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, particularly those owned, managed, and controlled by women. Previously, authorization for such programs was largely limited to microenterprises. The President is also authorized to provide targeted assistance programs that promote economic empowerment of women, including through increased access to financial resources, improving property and inheritance rights, and other legal protections.

For sustainable poverty-focused programs, half of resources targeting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises shall be for activities that reach the very poor. Half of resources for programs for small and medium-sized enterprises shall be for activities targeting enterprises owned, managed, or controlled by women.

The bill directs USAID to modify its system for monitoring its programs to include outcomes broken down by gender, when feasible.

The President is authorized to expand the micro and small business development credit program to provide such assistance to medium-sized businesses as well.

The bill also directs USAID to break down various information in its annual report by gender and income level. USAID shall also report to Congress on the implementation of this bill. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress an assessment of the effect of development assistance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries, and the extent to which such aid benefits women and the very poor.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, describing S. 3247 as public Law on Jan 9, 2019. It is not the text of the measure; a later amendment may have changed what it does.

How every member votedHouse roll call 492

House Dec 21, 2018

On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass

Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic and Empowerment Act

Passed · Two-thirds required

352 Yea 18 Nay 62 not voting

Crossed both parties 18 of 370 voting members broke with their own party: 18 Republicans.

Open the official roll call

How the chamber split

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DemocratsRepublicansFilled: YeaRing: NayGrey: not voting or present

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All members432 members

Democratic197 members

Republican235 members

marks half of the votes cast. A party’s majority is the side most of its voting members took.

Cosponsors12 · 6 Democrats · 6 Republicans

Signing on is not a vote: a member can cosponsor S. 3247 and vote against it. 3 signed when it was filed.

Who lobbied on S. 32471 organization

Organizations that named S. 3247 in a lobbying disclosure. Only those that cited the bill by number appear, so this is a floor, not a full list.

CARE ACTION NOW, INC.

Foreign Relations · Agriculture · Budget/Appropriations2 filings · 4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2018Filing

2 disclosures name this measure. Retrieved from LDA.gov on 2026-10-05. Senate Office of Public Records cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from LDA.gov.