[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 133 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 336
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 133
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 11, 2019
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
December 17, 2019
Reported by Mr. Risch, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To promote economic partnership and cooperation between the United
States and Mexico.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Mexico
Economic Partnership Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) The United States and Mexico have benefitted
from a bilateral, mutually beneficial partnership focused on
advancing the economic interests of both countries.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) In 2013, Mexico adopted major energy reforms
that opened its energy sector to private investment, increasing
energy cooperation between Mexico and the United States and
opening new opportunities for United States energy
engagement.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) On January 18, 2018, the Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the
Department of State stated, ``Our exchange programs build
enduring relationships and networks to advance U.S. national
interests and foreign policy goals . . . The role of our
exchanges . . . in advancing U.S. national security and
economic interests enjoys broad bipartisan support from
Congress and other stakeholders, and provides a strong return
on investment.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) According to the Institute of International
Education, in the 2015-2016 academic year, more than 56,000
United States students studied in other countries in the
Western Hemisphere region while more than 84,000 non-United
States students from the region studied in the United States,
but only 5,000 of those United States students studied in
Mexico and only 16,000 of those non-United States students were
from Mexico.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) In March 2011, the United States launched the
100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, which seeks to
increase educational exchanges between the United States and
other countries in the Western Hemisphere region so that
100,000 United States students are studying in other countries
in the Western Hemisphere region and 100,000 non-United States
students from the region are studying in the United States per
year by 2020.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) In January 2014, the United States established
the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, which seeks
to realize the goals of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas
Initiative by facilitating a public-private partnership between
the Department of State and nongovernmental organizations,
corporations, and universities in the United States and other
countries of the Western Hemisphere region.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) To date, the 100,000 Strong in the Americas
Innovation Fund has awarded more than 100 grants to more than
250 higher education institutions from 25 countries in the
Western Hemisphere region, and has raised $9,000,000 in
investments, 75 percent of which was from corporations,
foundations, and regional governments.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.</DELETED>
<DELETED> It is the policy of the United States--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) to continue deepening economic cooperation
between the United States and Mexico; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) to seek to prioritize and expand educational
and professional exchange programs with Mexico, including
through the framework of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas
Initiative.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO PRIORITIZE AND EXPAND EDUCATIONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WITH MEXICO.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall develop a
strategy to carry out the policy described in section 3, to include
prioritizing and expanding educational and professional exchange
programs with Mexico through the framework of the 100,000 Strong in the
Americas Initiative.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a)
shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) encourage more academic exchanges between the
United States and Mexico at the secondary, post-secondary, and
post-graduate levels, especially with communities and through
academic institutions in the covered United States-Mexico
border region;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) encourage United States and Mexican academic
institutions and businesses to collaborate to assist
prospective and developing entrepreneurs in strengthening their
business skills and promoting cooperation and joint business
initiatives across the United States and Mexico, with a focus
on initiatives in the covered United States-Mexico border
region;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) promote energy infrastructure coordination and
cooperation through support of vocational-level education,
internships, and exchanges between the United States and
Mexico, particularly in the region in which the Eagle Ford
Shale is located and in proximity to such region; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) assess the feasibility of fostering
partnerships between universities in the United States and
medical school and nursing programs in Mexico to ensure that
medical school and nursing programs in Mexico have comparable
accreditation standards as medical school and nursing programs
in the United States by the Accreditation and Standards in
Foreign Medical Education, in addition to the Accreditation
Commission For Education in Nursing, so that medical students
can pass medical licensing board exams, and nursing students
can pass nursing licensing exams, in the United
States.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress
a report on the strategy required under subsection (a).</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) 100,000 strong in the americas initiative.--
The term ``100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative'' means
the initiative established in March 2011 by the United States
Government to increase educational exchanges in the Western
Hemisphere.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Covered united states-mexico border region.--
The term ``covered United States-Mexico border region'' means
those portions of the United States and Mexico that are within
100 kilometers of the international boundary between those
countries.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Mexico Economic
Partnership Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States and Mexico have benefitted from a
bilateral, mutually beneficial partnership focused on advancing
the economic interests of both countries.
(2) In 2013, Mexico adopted major energy reforms that
opened its energy sector to private investment, increasing
energy cooperation between Mexico and the United States and
opening new opportunities for United States energy engagement.
(3) On January 18, 2018, the Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the
Department of State stated, ``Our exchange programs build
enduring relationships and networks to advance U.S. national
interests and foreign policy goals . . . The role of our
exchanges . . . in advancing U.S. national security and
economic interests enjoys broad bipartisan support from
Congress and other stakeholders, and provides a strong return
on investment.''.
(4) According to the Institute of International Education,
in the 2015-2016 academic year, more than 56,000 United States
students studied in other countries in the Western Hemisphere
region while more than 84,000 non-United States students from
the region studied in the United States, but only 5,000 of
those United States students studied in Mexico and only 16,000
of those non-United States students were from Mexico.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to continue deepening economic cooperation between the
United States and Mexico;
(2) to seek to prioritize and expand educational and
professional exchange programs with Mexico, including through
frameworks such as the 100,000 Strong in the Americas
Initiative, the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative,
Jovenes en Accion (Youth in Action), the Fulbright Foreign
Student Program, and the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program;
and
(3) to promote positive cross-border relations as a
priority for advancing United States foreign policy and
programs.
SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO PRIORITIZE AND EXPAND EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WITH MEXICO.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall develop a strategy to
carry out the policy described in section 3, to include prioritizing
and expanding educational and professional exchange programs with
Mexico through frameworks such as those referred to in section 3(2).
(b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) encourage more academic exchanges between the United
States and Mexico at the secondary, post-secondary, and post-
graduate levels;
(2) encourage United States and Mexican academic
institutions and businesses to collaborate to assist
prospective and developing entrepreneurs in strengthening their
business skills and promoting cooperation and joint business
initiatives across the United States and Mexico;
(3) promote energy infrastructure coordination and
cooperation through support of vocational-level education,
internships, and exchanges between the United States and
Mexico; and
(4) assess the feasibility of fostering partnerships
between universities in the United States and medical school
and nursing programs in Mexico to ensure that medical school
and nursing programs in Mexico have comparable accreditation
standards as medical school and nursing programs in the United
States by the Accreditation and Standards in Foreign Medical
Education, in addition to the Accreditation Commission For
Education in Nursing, so that medical students can pass medical
licensing board exams, and nursing students can pass nursing
licensing exams, in the United States.
(c) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall brief the
appropriate congressional committees regarding the strategy required
under subsection (a).
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 6. SUNSET PROVISION.
This Act shall remain in effect until December 31, 2023.
Calendar No. 336
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 133
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To promote economic partnership and cooperation between the United
States and Mexico.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 17, 2019
Reported with an amendment