Senate passes bill to assess post-earthquake Haiti

The Senate passed a bill Thursday that would authorize an assessment on the progress Haiti has made after a devastating earthquake.

{mosads}Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) introduced S. 1104, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act, which would require the secretary of State to give Congress an annual report until 2017 on post-earthquake recovery and development efforts in Haiti.

The Senate also passed S. 653, the Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act, from Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).

Blunt’s bill would authorize the president to appoint a special State Department envoy to promote the freedoms of religious minorities in Asian countries.

Both bills were passed through unanimous consent agreements before the Senate adjourned for the day. They now head to the House for further action.