The House of Representatives approved a measure by voice vote Wednesday that “instructs U.S. directors at the International Monetary Fund and other global development institutions to use their votes and influence to cancel Haiti’s debt,” CongressDaily reports (4/15).

“The ‘Haiti Recovery Act’ also urges the Obama administration to support the creation of an international trust fund for Haiti to support investment in infrastructure including the development of electricity grids, roads, water and sanitation facilities, and reforestation initiatives,” according to Agence France-Presse (4/14). Additionally, the bill recommends that aid to Haiti be provided in the form of grants instead of loans over the next five years, the Associated Press writes. 

The bill, which already passed in the Senate, has been sent to President Obama. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who sponsored the legislation, said, “There are many of us who look at this earthquake as opportunity … We believe that there is now a real commitment by the world community to come to the aid of Haiti” (Abrams, 4/14).