[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2845 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2845

To promote access to benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity 
                      Act, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 19, 2015

  Mr. Royce (for himself, Mr. Engel, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, and Ms. 
    Bass) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To promote access to benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity 
                      Act, 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 ``AGOA Enhancement Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to support efforts to--
            (1) improve the rule of law, promote free and fair 
        elections, strengthen and expand the private sector, and fight 
        corruption in sub-Saharan Africa; and
            (2) promote the role of women in social, political, and 
        economic development in sub-Saharan Africa.

SEC. 3. ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF TRANSPARENCY.

    (a) AGOA Website.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall establish a website 
        for the collection and dissemination of information regarding 
        the African Growth and Opportunity Act (in this section 
        referred to as the ``AGOA website'').
            (2) Contents.--The President shall publish on the AGOA 
        website the information described in paragraph (1), including--
                    (A) information and technical assistance provided 
                at United States Agency for International Development 
                regional trade hubs; and
                    (B) a link to websites of United States embassies 
                located in eligible sub-Saharan African countries.
            (3) Actions by united states embassies.--The Secretary of 
        State should direct United States embassies located in eligible 
        sub-Saharan African countries to--
                    (A) promote the use by such countries of the 
                benefits available under the African Growth and 
                Opportunity Act; and
                    (B) include on a publicly available Internet 
                website of such diplomatic missions a link to the AGOA 
                website.
    (b) AGOA Forum.--The President should, after each meeting of the 
United States-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, 
publish on the AGOA website established under subsection (a) the 
following:
            (1) All outcomes of the meeting of the Forum, including any 
        commitments made by member countries and the private sector.
            (2) An assessment of progress made with respect to any 
        commitments made by member countries the private sector from 
        the previous meeting of the Forum.
    (c) Other Information.--The President should disseminate 
information required by this section in a digital format to the public 
and publish such information on the AGOA website established under 
subsection (a).
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``eligible sub-Saharan 
African country'' means a country that the President has determined 
meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act.

SEC. 4. ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF TRADE CAPACITY BUILDING.

    (a) In General.--The President should take the following actions:
            (1) Develop and implement policies to--
                    (A) encourage and facilitate trans-boundary 
                cooperation among eligible sub-Saharan African 
                countries in order to facilitate trade; and
                    (B) encourage the provision of technical assistance 
                to eligible sub-Saharan African countries to establish 
                and sustain adequate trade capacity development.
            (2) Provide specific training for business in eligible sub-
        Saharan African countries and government trade officials of 
        eligible sub-Saharan African countries on utilizing access to 
        the benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act and 
        other trade preference programs.
            (3) Provide capacity building for African entrepreneurs and 
        trade associations on production strategies, quality standards, 
        formation of cooperatives, and market research and market 
        development.
            (4) Provide capacity building training to promote 
        diversification of African products and value-added processing.
            (5) Provide capacity building and technical assistance 
        funding for African businesses and institutions to help such 
        businesses and institutions comply with United States counter-
        terrorism initiatives and policies.
    (b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``eligible sub-Saharan 
African country'' means a country that the President has determined 
meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act.

SEC. 5. CONCURRENT COMPACTS UNDER THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACT OF 2003.

    (a) In General.--Section 609 of the Millennium Challenge Act of 
2003 (22 U.S.C. 7708) is amended--
            (1) by striking the first sentence of subsection (k);
            (2) by redesignating subsection (k) (as so amended) as 
        subsection (l); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (j) the following:
    ``(k) Concurrent Compacts.--An eligible country that has entered 
into and has in effect a Compact under this section may enter into and 
have in effect at the same time not more than one additional Compact in 
accordance with the requirements of this title if--
            ``(1) one or both of the Compacts are or will be for 
        purposes of regional economic integration, increased regional 
        trade, or cross-border collaborations; and
            ``(2) the Board determines that the country is making 
        considerable and demonstrable progress in implementing the 
        terms of the existing Compact and supplementary agreements 
        thereto.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 613(b)(2)(A) of such Act (22 
U.S.C. 7712(b)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``the'' before ``Compact'' 
and inserting ``any''.
    (c) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section apply with 
respect to Compacts entered into between the United States and an 
eligible country under the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 before, on, 
or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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