117 S3878 IS: Americas Act
U.S. Senate
2024-03-06
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of contents(a)This Act may be cited as the Americas Act
.(b)The table of contents for this Act is as follows:Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.Sec. 2. Definitions.TITLE I—E-Governance in the AmericasSec. 101. Americas Institute for Digital Governance.Sec. 102. E-governance framework.Sec. 103. Additional duties of Institute.Sec. 104. Funding.TITLE II—Trade and Investment for the AmericasSubtitle A—AdministrationSec. 201. Partnership agreements.Sec. 202. Americas Partnership business advisory board.Sec. 203. Administration.Sec. 204. Americas Partnership Secretariat.Sec. 205. Report.Subtitle B—TradeChapter 1—Re-shoring and near-shoringSec. 211. Sense of Congress.Sec. 212. Incentives for re-shoring and near-shoring of businesses from People’s Republic of China.Sec. 213. Tax credit for qualifying re-shoring and near-shoring expenses.Chapter 2—Free trade expansionSec. 221. Tariff reciprocity under GATT 1994.Sec. 222. Expansion of USMCA or establishment of other regional trade agreement.Sec. 223. Americas Partnership Threshold Program.Sec. 224. Expansion of beneficiaries under United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act.Sec. 225. Exclusion of certain countries from certain preferential trade treatment.Sec. 226. Extension of trade promotion authority to Americas partner countries for purposes of expansion of USMCA.Chapter 3—Textile and apparelSec. 231. Textile and apparel grant program.Sec. 232. Textile reuse and recycling programs.Sec. 233. Textile production verification teams.Sec. 234. Tax benefits for apparel and home textile products.Sec. 235. Treatment of fibers, fabrics, and yarns not available in commercial quantities in Americas partner countries.Chapter 4—Trade enforcementSec. 241. Establishment of special enforcement unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to monitor the implementation of Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.Sec. 242. Authorization of payments to whistleblowers relating to money laundering or illicit financial transactions.Sec. 243. Establishment of borders and ports protection program.Sec. 244. Establishment of mutual recognition agreements and trade transparency units.Subtitle C—InvestmentSec. 251. Sense of Congress.Sec. 252. BUILD Americas Unit.Sec. 253. Americas Partnership Enterprise Fund.Sec. 254. Near-shoring of strategic supply chains and transformational energy investments.Subtitle D—People-to-People activitiesSec. 261. Humanitarian and business development assistance.Sec. 262. Department of State.Sec. 263. Peace Corps.Sec. 264. American University of the Americas.Sec. 265. United States Agency for International Development Caribbean and Latin American Scholarship Program III.Sec. 266. Concern for Advanced Retired and Elderly nonimmigrant visa program for aliens who provide direct care for elderly populations.Sec. 267. Sense of Congress on TN visa program.Sec. 268. Assessment of visa waiver program eligibility for Uruguay and Costa Rica.Sec. 269. Radio Free Americas.Sec. 270. Biennial presidential summit.TITLE III—Revenue and financial managementSec. 301. Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account.Sec. 302. Modification of treatment of de minimis entries of articles.TITLE IV—Reporting and brandingSec. 401. Annual report on Americas program.Sec. 402. Branding and marketing for Americas program.2.In this Act:(1)The term Americas partner country means a county that has entered into a partnership agreement under section 201.(2)The term Americas program means the provision of assistance to and other activities relating to Americas partner countries under title II or amendments made by title II.(3)The term BUILD Americas Unit means the unit of the United States International Development Finance Corporation established under section 1416 of the BUILD Act of 2018, as added by section 252.(4)The term near-shore—(A)with respect to an entity, means to move not less than the equivalent of 2/3 of the operations of the entity from the People's Republic of China to one or more Americas partner countries or other countries as provided for under title II; and(B)with respect to a good or service, means to move not less than the equivalent of 2/3 of the production of the good or service from the People's Republic of China to such countries.(5)The term re-shore—(A)with respect to an entity, means to move not less than the equivalent of 2/3 of the operations of the entity from the People's Republic of China to the United States; and(B)with respect to a good or service, means to move not less than the equivalent of 2/3 of the production of the good or service from the People's Republic of China to the United States. (6)The term United States business means an entity—(A)organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States; (B)with its headquarters based in the United States (as determined on the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act); and(C)with more than 25 percent of its business inside the United States.(7)(A)The term United States person means—(i)an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; or(ii)an entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States.(B)For purposes of subparagraph (A)(i), an individual is a resident of the United States if the individual is authorized to be employed in the United States.(8)The term USMCA has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 4502). (9)The term USMCA country has the meaning given that term in section 202(a) of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 4531(a)).<enum>I</enum><header>E-Governance in the Americas</header><section id="ida73186104ed54b589c5a3e1ea0e219e8"><enum>101.</enum><header>Americas Institute for Digital Governance</header><subsection id="idef75cb31ba834e4b8c3a0af61c763c2a"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text>There is established a nonprofit organization within the United States to be known as the <quote>Americas Institute for Digital Governance</quote> (in this title referred as the <quote>Institute</quote>), which shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of the e-governance framework established under section 102.</text></subsection><subsection id="id68e2f5e32a9a4b5585784e77daf1d0b7"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Board of directors</header><paragraph id="idb11bb9bc34174a8dbff9dbfa7693a730"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>There shall be in the Institute a Board of Directors (in this section referred to as the <quote>Board</quote>).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ida0d3f5e23f8643cb9ee9b00f485d07c8"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Membership</header><subparagraph id="id4c4a8dbc9ca8463ab09ed4678ecff67f"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The President shall request the head of government of each Americas partner country to appoint one member of the Board.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id14bd0e3561164906ab794a67c0a6a7e8"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Appointment process</header><clause id="id35ca0274cadd4a6190a101c491abaf0c"><enum>(i)</enum><header>United states</header><text>The President shall appoint the member of the Board representing the United States.</text></clause><clause id="id647e45c1f8cf4ede993d561673ee3711"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Other countries</header><text>The President shall request the head of government of each Americas partner country to determine a process for appointing the member of the Board to represent that country. </text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id76243cee87bf4cc0ba02150ad057af75"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Terms</header><text>A member of the Board shall serve on the Board for not more than 4 years.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id68e3cbb5cd604cdfae4e7d8731f51353"><enum>(D)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Removal</header><clause id="ida6c00aa254904f86b0d4865b656555c1"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Removal by country represented</header><text>A member of the Board shall serve at the discretion of the Americas partner country the member represents and may be removed pursuant to a process determined by the government of that country.</text></clause><clause id="id1e99c94265894b27a1608004feea4bc0"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Removal by board</header><text>A member of the Board may be removed by a vote of <fraction>2/3</fraction> of the members of the Board.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id60bbc1afbf78401d848c5910023db356"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Vacancies</header><text>In the event that a member of the Board is removed under subparagraph (D) or dies or is otherwise deemed unable to serve the remainder of the term of the member, the government of the Americas partner country the member represented shall appoint an individual to serve out the remainder of that term pursuant to a process determined by that government.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id145c9e1944a7447f864f90a884ff00bd"><enum>(F)</enum><header>Ethics requirements</header><clause id="idccd97136ffca43798962651703de8ae0"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Financial disclosure</header><text>A member of the Board shall fully disclose the financial assets of the member and divest from any holdings, such as stocks or other equities, that relate to any private entity that conducts business with the Institute.</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd5e098a2876f475698c85d1d22f537fb"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Blind trust requirement</header><text>A member of the Board shall place the assets of the member in a blind trust for the duration of the term of the member on the Board.</text></clause><clause id="id0403b346393d4d28937e66766e035364"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Prohibition on nepotism</header><text>An individual may not be appointed as a member of the Board if a relative of the individual is an elected official in an Americas partner country.</text></clause><clause id="id85391008934442d7a480bb6714d595bb"><enum>(iv)</enum><header>Additional requirements</header><text>The Board may impose such other ethics and disclosure requirements as the Board considers appropriate.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ide03987968b5a4b91b64c166d931c0292"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Representation</header><text>Each member of the Board shall have an equal vote in all matters. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id737a4b49de7c41158b480c5ce281c5fe"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Meetings; quorum</header><subparagraph id="idd2642b36e8e24ce1b1981057e2af54bf"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Frequency of meetings</header><text>The Board shall meet not less frequently than once every 90 days.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id130e3ad7a3904d4b86c135f447024909"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Quorum</header><text>Members of the Board representing a majority of the total votes on the Board are required to be present to constitute a quorum.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idfe7f24e17676409eb4ca5bf9b63255b5"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Chairperson</header><text>There shall be a chairperson of the Board, who shall—</text><subparagraph id="ide5ec2a8575b0486d8724a7a878714c35"><enum>(A)</enum><text>be elected by a majority vote of the Board from among members of the Board; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idf83f23f11c4f44a7a48649551b1876f4"><enum>(B)</enum><text>preside over meetings of the Board.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idc446bbebaf8c413dbe33db912b9011d7"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Calculation of votes</header><text>For purposes of determining a majority vote of the Board, vacancies that have not been filled shall not be counted toward any total.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idb127471c4f6b40ee971d24fad5743f58"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Access to information</header><text>A member of the Board may request information from the Institute and provide that information to the government of the Americas partner country the member represents unless the chairperson of the Board determines that sharing that information may violate the privacy of a user of the e-governance system, endanger cyber security, or violate any applicable law.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idd1b05f491121449792e9b8e811afb5b5"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Staff</header><paragraph id="idef8e9251a98a454298627bec6e420940"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Chief Executive</header><text>There shall be a Chief Executive of the Institute, who—</text><subparagraph id="id93760d2886a844da8bc111a1a4243fd5"><enum>(A)</enum><text>shall—</text><clause id="ide7fa0fac5e524937986444ba9d6e4219"><enum>(i)</enum><text>be elected and appointed by the majority vote of the Board; and</text></clause><clause id="id3d3b5adf5d624e79979195b7a5355dcc"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>be vested with the full executive authority of the Institute; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id451fd41c86d94182a179944f561774cd"><enum>(B)</enum><text>may be removed by a majority vote of the Board.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id6c18015dce6244d5a37e10b9a4d54e50"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Additional employees</header><subparagraph id="id72a6a66c9a0d442bbba47dc86f06d830"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Chief Executive may—</text><clause id="id276987fb7bc54bb784b53d1e8bbf8224"><enum>(i)</enum><text>appoint such employees, including managers, assistant managers, officers, attorneys, and agents, as the Chief Executive considers necessary;</text></clause><clause id="id666c87155d494344b445b323d76a81d6"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>define the compensation (subject to subparagraph (B)) and duties of those employees; and</text></clause><clause id="id3f97f76a0c2d4aed900839204c24eb92"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>establish a system of organization to fix responsibility and promote efficiency.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idf7c693b4493a4448b56a854bc3a49999"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Salaries</header><text>The salaries of officers and employees of the Institute shall be equivalent to the salaries provided for under the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id90400fcf2f3d4ffb8ac5f604830fde3e"><enum>(C)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Salary cap</header><text>No regular officer or employee of the Institute may receive a salary that exceeds the salary of the Chief Executive.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id7d3524e2d13d4ab49e25280ddca84c4b"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Corporate powers</header><text>Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Act, the Institute—</text><paragraph id="idf931de01bd7d4328ac0316d1971e1f9d"><enum>(1)</enum><text>shall have succession in its corporate name;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide9514577ffda4cb4afec44324841d54e"><enum>(2)</enum><text>may sue and be sued in its corporate name;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id300ef1ce75354791a4b7b0ac4439e57f"><enum>(3)</enum><text>may adopt and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noticed;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="iddab237d4cd2e47d38ac74e06af6080d2"><enum>(4)</enum><text>may make contracts;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc119577c3b6443f7b18846abb899e329"><enum>(5)</enum><text>may adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8edb1916c80f4d889e8b967fb99dc5ad"><enum>(6)</enum><text>may purchase or lease, hold, and dispose of such real and personal property as the Institute deems necessary or convenient in the transaction of its business.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id0e1e6aa570724444a53655ba49251249"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Nonprofit organization defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>nonprofit organization</term> means an organization—</text><paragraph id="idef7d1ffd880a4649a857cc15ded58318"><enum>(1)</enum><text>described in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/501">section 501(c)(3)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id6513c930032b4fbfb5f58d73d0244934"><enum>(2)</enum><text>exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code. </text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id5deff3dde8544bdeb20d021b41c6f36c"><enum>102.</enum><header>E-governance framework</header><subsection id="id7c78d0ca4d2a4809a07af6d95956662d"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Development</header><text>The Institute shall develop and maintain a comprehensive e-governance framework for Americas partner countries.</text></subsection><subsection id="id13d518a73fdc432f8de31effea91d24a"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Purpose</header><text>The purpose of the e-governance framework developed under subsection (a) shall be to allow for the development of interoperable services to harmonize and facilitate the delivery of effective and transparent government services within and between Americas partner countries.</text></subsection><subsection id="id85fd33e42fbf437fbc6316d0c00c7297"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Principles</header><text>In developing the e-governance framework under subsection (a), the Institute shall ensure that the framework adheres to the following principles:</text><paragraph id="id26b8052d9d8a4792947c0b3a559210d5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Interoperability</header><text>The framework shall be designed to allow different government systems to, when appropriate, seamlessly share data with each other, consistent with applicable laws and privacy restrictions under subsection (d).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idd779d73bc6874407a9551d3c555a7135"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Decentralization</header><text>The framework should seek to avoid centralized control over data, and should allow the government of each Americas partner country to maintain control over its own data while still facilitating cross-border data sharing. Data control and hosting under the framework should be consistent with local law and international agreements. Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to contravene or supercede laws or agreements in effect before the date of the enactment of this Act.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide95093f84ad74b06b9317c08124bdea3"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Open standards</header><text>The framework should, to the greatest extent practicable, be built on open standards that are freely available to the public.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2b0fefe3428343f69c810dce6983f02d"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Data sovereignty</header><text>The framework should ensure that each Americas partner country maintains control over the data of citizens of that country.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id5854c8337e7149a18f0ce537a4e79345"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Public-private partnerships</header><text>The framework should allow for the collaboration of public and private entities in the development, design, and maintenance of e-governance systems.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2f8598308e7e4651bad71b3e8c96a1d9"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Open source</header><text>Systems developed by the Institute should, to the extent practicable, be open source. Systems developed by Americas partner countries are encouraged to be open source as well.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idf83d213934e3421792351da7bd82e979"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Adaptation</header><text>The framework shall account, consistent with other provisions of this Act, for existing e-governance systems developed by Americas partner countries, including by adopting, in part or in whole, existing e-governance systems as part of the framework or as reference implementations within the framework.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ide8db634c1f984003b0fd24b801b4566d"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Privacy</header><text>The e-governance framework developed under subsection (a) shall incorporate privacy best-practices, including as follows:</text><paragraph id="id0f018ab3a63c4073ba052c2596d00f40"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Data minimization</header><text>Systems developed under the framework should collect only the minimal set of data necessary for a given purpose and without any additional processing unnecessary for fulfilling that purpose.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idbdbfb83fae05405f8a27a0aa73d56457"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Data protection</header><text>The Institute shall define necessary access controls for data and require encryption of data where appropriate.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idb31b982b450b4f31a9406cc0242a8af4"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Data retention</header><text>The Institute shall develop and publish a data retention policy, which shall—</text><subparagraph id="idb98d2030e6e84d56bf8f186f18373f6d"><enum>(A)</enum><text>be honored by any system operating under the framework; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9799fa661b9743bd8a106eb7d309470c"><enum>(B)</enum><text>include a disclosure of—</text><clause id="ida3a2117f1c904dc28c7b1ce0a2f67d42"><enum>(i)</enum><text>what user information is stored by a particular system;</text></clause><clause id="id5798e688c659421c9ffc48f26f3baf79"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>whether that information is encrypted; and</text></clause><clause id="id4705b42e37224b458fd5d73494f42f41"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>for how long the information is stored; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4a38671c7fda44edab194ff6ed79aa38"><enum>(C)</enum><text>provide for the Institute to provide, in a timely fashion, all data held related to an individual or entity upon the request of the individual or entity.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id9d5a3b19a40c428ca2707e1fa1b78923"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Data deletion</header><text>Systems developed under the framework shall, to the greatest extent practicable, include a mechanism by which—</text><subparagraph id="id048d0e7ea3ad43889c776d4f49671b8b"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a user may request that any system operating under the framework delete any data on the user; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id405d253f09fa44e48c58d2687492fac6"><enum>(B)</enum><text>such a request is honored within 72 hours, except as required by other applicable law.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id8bc835837e814e7bb85cb5a1fff1213d"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Data correction</header><text>Systems developed under the framework shall, to the greatest extent practicable, incorporate mechanisms under which—</text><subparagraph id="idba862167914b476987e927667732a87f"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a user may request to correct inaccurate data in the framework related to the user; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id25cd2b7fbfd14429a716aba00c4642e6"><enum>(B)</enum><text>such a request is honored within 72 hours after the correct data has been verified.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id2d6387da1cf645538533e058534cbf99"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Other privacy practices</header><text>The Institute may develop and enforce such other privacy practices as the Institute considers appropriate.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id30f61ba1a2754d7280b90798a90c4d03"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Cyber security</header><text>The e-governance framework developed under subsection (a) shall incorporate cyber security best practices, including the following:</text><paragraph id="idfccedaa7cf2743c7b66855d11ed1d47e"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Appropriate access controls and user authentication, which may—</text><subparagraph id="id1bf5ca378c7e4a57b9a254cef96d2129"><enum>(A)</enum><text>vary by service according to the sensitivity of the data involved; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1a12dd87608b41239f9409667ad91e3b"><enum>(B)</enum><text>include the integration of any national electronic identification systems of Americas partner countries.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id93e285f6869b4c798eeb0236311fcb4e"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Regular penetration testing by an outside organization certified by the Institute, to be conducted not less frequently than once a year.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idba8200f086084b9ebb574cc6e95506f6"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Provision of a common vulnerability disclosure policy for systems operating under the framework.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8bd2566c42454024b78f3556e378f099"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Such other cyber security best practices as the Institute considers appropriate.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id54e220f5cec54d508a086c4764beeb0d"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Enforcement</header><paragraph id="idd315d1f67a2e49c582f12f3621d48e76"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Audits</header><text>Each system of an Americas partner country operating under the e-governance framework developed under subsection (a) shall undergo annual audits by an outside organization certified by the Institute. That audit shall assess the compliance of the system with the privacy and security requirements of this section and such other requirements as the Institute considers necessary.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id23afb3651c0b4d57a7f105117887c75b"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Effect of noncompliance</header><text>If an audit conducted under paragraph (1) indicates that a system or systems of an Americas partner country are substantially noncompliant with the privacy and security requirements of this section, the Institute may—</text><subparagraph id="idcdb3eed67cdf4bb19a036bea3be8acc7"><enum>(A)</enum><text>designate the system or systems as noncompliant;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id6e0da0fc89744083a3910c559436b636"><enum>(B)</enum><text>recommend that other Americas partner countries take such actions as may be necessary to protect the privacy and security of the systems and data of those countries; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id717ba41df2a84e0197363bb1b563e947"><enum>(C)</enum><text>withhold, in part or in whole, further assistance to the country the system or systems of which are designated as noncompliant, including revoking privileges or access to any services or shared infrastructure of the Institute, until such a time as the Institute determines that the system or systems are compliant.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idb3c1852c41dd434aaf0758457e3345dc"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Allowances for noncompliance</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id249a844374254379833c14de73dcbb77"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Institute may certify as partially or wholly compliant any system of an Americas partner country if the Institute determines that the country is making a good faith effort at compliance, but has not fully achieved compliance with all the requirements of this section. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id86f15165ea5b4023a8f9cbd808ebe1e0"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Elements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A certification under subparagraph (A) may include a certification that a system is temporarily compliant—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id61f6e185c77647bb98e62b0fbd81692e"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">during—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0a21b66aa17745368d1158bcab926c18"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the development of the system; </text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb43bc1b7b8084f88a8b08f946757c7f4"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">partial deployments of the system; or</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id39c06217a0bc46188e27e45665619ff3"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">deployments of minimum viable products; or </text></subclause></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1ce06acf041747bfa7b76ccdcda13db0"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">if the Institute determines that compliance with the requirements of this section would substantially hinder the ability of a country to effectively provide critical services to citizens of the country and there is no practical path to achieve compliance and effectively provide such services.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id451b0ee0fffc4aa093f16ef9e85fc55c"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Suspension of partnership</header><text>If the participation of a country in a partnership agreement is suspended under section 201(d), the Institute—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb8da8fb702684cc5a90d269cf1a5d8ca"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">may terminate the provision of any services or assistance to the country; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcdaf94b973d94d73930647c27a4c7c02"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">may take such steps as are necessary to ensure any systems affected by the termination are transitioned appropriately to minimize disruptions to the citizens of that country.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id72f8fff99f7b4acca2ab7225f522d6dd"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Multilingual functionality</header><text>The Institute shall ensure that all resources necessary to develop systems compliant with the e-governance framework developed under subsection (a) are available in all necessary languages.</text></subsection></section><section id="id45ee2af65ddd4fb492383832f2fb286b"><enum>103.</enum><header>Additional duties of Institute</header><subsection id="ided0d6b346f3940f1821a2e8f9ab355e4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>International cooperation</header><text>The Institute shall seek to promote collaboration between Americas partner countries on the development, standardization, and deployment of e-governance systems, including such systems developed outside the e-governance framework developed under section 102 and systems developed before the implementation of this Act.</text></subsection><subsection id="id6b408c1a7cf2494fbd1e0cac1ac2c6cc"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Development process</header><text>The Institute shall be responsible for assisting Americas partner countries in the development and deployment of e-governance systems in compliance with the e-governance framework developed under section 102. Such assistance may include the following:</text><paragraph id="id518230a5872c4d148d90205c36e0c2af"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The development or adoption, in collaboration with appropriate national and international standards organizations, of technical standards necessary to promote the efficient development of systems under the framework.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc26c696c4881489d8f26e3af3a3557e5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The development of reference implementations for e-government services, as the Institute considers appropriate.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc77f919f294c424d860b8f13f17a9cda"><enum>(3)</enum><text>The development and maintenance of infrastructure that may be shared by multiple services, including across multiple Americas partner countries, as the Institute and such countries consider appropriate.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide7c967294ea342dc87a4c697f2b206da"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Providing technical assistance to Americas partner countries in the development of services, which may include entering into contracts for developing and hosting services on behalf of such countries. Such contracts may include terms for an Americas partner country to provide the Institute with funding for development and hosting services.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idd5fb797d2d364ba9804f7db58ab7a190"><enum>(5)</enum><text>The procurement or licensing, as the Institute considers appropriate, of commercial technology that may be shared with Americas partner countries and used for the delivery of services.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id97de4ef298d144d8836bf6eea4c0d74b"><enum>(6)</enum><text>Providing for the certification of organizations to carry out the auditing and penetration testing required by section 102(e).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id991df8ab7ae94f0c9e0a56dcea359f7d"><enum>(7)</enum><text>Partnering with private sector entities for the provision, development, maintenance, or hosting of services, or other such assistance as the Institute considers necessary.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id483b0975aaae4eb4ade33ab13509cc8f"><enum>(8)</enum><text>Providing financing to facilitate the development or modernization of a system, subject to such accountability mechanisms as the Institute considers necessary to ensure funds are spent efficiently and appropriately.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id191a0c646b7344a99cd6cf723556e9e7"><enum>(9)</enum><text>Accounting for the development of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and, to the extent necessary, incorporating such technologies into systems developed by or with Americas partner countries or making recommendations for how those countries may incorporate or regulate such technologies.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide43bf2745042403682aec22c4ae4d843"><enum>(10)</enum><text>Other matters as the Institute considers appropriate.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idb17960deae024932935de6ac39487798"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Procurement restriction</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idea43093530fe4e4f8f58d39012eecf8d"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Institute shall ensure that no system or product operating under the e-governance framework developed under section 102 is involved in any contract for the development of a service as part of the e-governance framework, or shares any data, with an individual or entity residing in or acting on behalf of the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, or such other countries as the Institute considers necessary to protect the privacy and security of the citizens of Americas partner countries. </text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd48298b2206546178e433b98f053be71"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authority to exclude other individuals, entities, and products</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Institute may, as the Institute considers necessary to protect the privacy and security of the citizens of Americas partner countries, prohibit any system described in paragraph (1) from entering into any contract for the development of a service as part of the e-governance framework, or sharing any data—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb9705114b80044a49da893462033a06d"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">with an individual or entity that does not reside in a country described in paragraph (1); or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id094a9a5dca944f9bb86779085f282af1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>using a product not from such a country.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="idd2fe682d40814eaf82d7771d8a0749b5"><enum>104.</enum><header>Funding</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id050f734af83541dc867a476ebbb94b3b"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Authorization of appropriations for Institute</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to establish the Institute.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id929983aabe1145a49ab7fd6e01e874e9"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Additional funding</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Such sums as may be necessary to carry out this title shall be made available from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301.</text></subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Trade and Investment for the Americas</header><subtitle id="id21172BD3574D4CFBBD463E7E1B29E935" style="OLC"><enum>A</enum><header>Administration</header><section id="idE25FD86F7BFD498AB29277A5E7FCB21B"><enum>201.</enum><header>Partnership agreements</header><subsection id="idc646c539f739491883f8eb5a5d30f888"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Authority To enter into partnership agreements</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9bad54c07c9541cb839ab04dddf10027"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text>The Secretary of State may enter into partnership agreements with countries in the Western Hemisphere, which shall serve as the gateway into accession of additional countries to the USMCA under section 222.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida58e7f2836f94d3193257dc5672334e6"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Inclusions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A partnership agreement entered into under paragraph (1) shall include protections for democracy and human rights and anti-corruption measures consistent with the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide42bcb054c3444debe01e3d820f9a85f"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Consultations</header><text>The Secretary shall—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd5d4cb793074449a83cc2c71c3cf4f58"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">consult with Congress during negotiations for a partnership agreement under paragraph (1); and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4938091a86934538b53f7da6c8a10b92"><enum>(B)</enum><text>notify Congress not less than 15 days before signing the partnership agreement.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ida574fd41ff6d4b77869b3d2c3fa5cf5e"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Ineligible countries</header><text>The Secretary may not enter into a partnership agreement under paragraph (1) with a country—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd5f5cb1314cc47429bc519274f0f70e5"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">that is a member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5477eaad9d294db29e900d79e77ce40b"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the government of which is listed under subparagraph (C) of section 110(b)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/7107">22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(1)</external-xref>) (commonly referred to as <quote>tier 3</quote>) in the most recent report on trafficking in persons required under such section (commonly referred to as the <quote>Trafficking in Persons Report</quote>); or </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idce234d2c59024880b217322cb3e76756"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the government of which is not—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id650e06a1e7644350ba234d08ba0355e7"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">committed to the fight against terrorism; or</text></clause><clause id="id23DD9B37C83240B68A63E1B3BA38FCF8"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in compliance with the terms of the Inter-American Democratic Charter of the Organization of American States.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id9f06747925494fff8751a14cc002ee37"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Commitments</header><text>A partner country shall commit to abide by the terms of the partnership agreement entered into under subsection (a).</text></subsection><subsection id="iddd28f4adb8ed4b269d9345a530054e03"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Suspension</header><paragraph id="ide670c98aac6e4a2d8327ea9a28cc23de"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of State shall move to suspend the participation of a country in a partnership agreement entered into under subsection (a) at the end of the one-year period beginning on the date on which the Secretary of State, in coordination with the heads of other relevant agencies and upon consultation with Congress, determines that the country is in violation of the commitments of the country under subsection (b) or is ineligible under subsection (a)(4), unless the country comes into compliance with those commitments and becomes eligible before the end of that period.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id40ff5fc0744d4ba188b3d62174e90ebf"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Notification to the Secretariat</header><text>Upon making a determination described in paragraph (1) with respect to a country, the Secretary of State shall provide a notice of the determination, to be considered at the next scheduled meeting of the Americas Partnership Secretariat established under section 204, along with a list of deficiencies the government of the country could remedy to come back into compliance with the commitments of the country under subsection (b) and to become eligible under subsection (a)(4). The text of the notice and the list shall be provided to—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id07641af728ed44d4ad0e9722f3500581"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the permanent representative of the government of the country at the Secretariat;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id823950ee76b34c8195c5538b102da93d"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the government of each Americas partner country; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc910d9db44be4bd5b653bbfe8c948957"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idb9fd24980e204f93b741fe66594db1e8"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Visit required</header><text>Before the Secretary of State makes a motion under paragraph (1) with respect to a country, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Americas Partnership established under section 203(c)(1) shall seek a formal visit from the Americas Partnership Secretariat to the country to explain the reasons for the motion under paragraph (1). </text></paragraph><paragraph id="idC60F1FB68FDD44208DF7A4F5C372611A"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Effect of suspension</header><subparagraph id="idC2BCE2175D67417DB8C22DFA7CA8306B"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>If the participation of a country in a partnership agreement entered into under subsection (a) is suspended under paragraph (1)—</text><clause id="id22AC5D7DCCF34B88B655558912CEC8AA"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the provisions of this title and the amendments made by this title shall not apply with respect to the country during the period of suspension; and</text></clause><clause id="id103162791E634827AE7997329B9C0C66"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the Secretary of State shall use the voice and vote of the United States in any appropriate multilateral forum to pressure the government of that country to take the actions necessary to come into compliance with the eligibility requirements under subsection (c).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id13E1FBA1ACCC41D0910745D36B85DC49"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Rule of construction</header><text>The suspension of the participation of a country in a partnership agreement under paragraph (1) may not be construed to affect the relationship of that country to any country, other than the United States, that is a party or a potential party to the USMCA. </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id5379f74c07cd4c24b81298687e5def85"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Initial partner countries</header><text>The first countries with which the Secretary of State shall seek to enter into partnership agreements under subsection (a) shall be countries identified under the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP) executive program that are not ineligible under subsection (a)(4).</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf40f70b0f6114f42bcbac429211ef63d"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Countries seeking partnership agreements</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb7f977d378e24173bbea270f6d0e533e"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notification</header><text>A country seeking to enter into a partnership agreement under subsection (a) shall submit a notification to the Secretary of State indicating the desire of the country to enter into such an agreement.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id92f60ed6ff7a419db7a7f5488a8440ea"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Response</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc02cc7cbb3384c7d992d6b41a9beb177"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 180 days after receiving a notification under paragraph (1) from a country, the Secretary shall—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3e57b48561504d858a5d393fd279954e"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">make a determination with respect to whether or not to enter into a partnership agreement with the country; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5df7de02bb3241a0b473826b8541a785"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>notify the country of the determination.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9b48e447b7214acbb1dbb4125c7e88d3"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Inclusion in negative response</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the Secretary determines under subparagraph (A) not to enter into a partnership agreement with a country, the Secretary shall notify the country in writing of the reasons for the determination and the steps the country can take to become eligible for a partnership agreement.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id3a2a50f62a4744079f4ee076b4da0720"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Grant program</header><text>The Secretary of State may provide grants, using amounts available for other grant programs of the Department of State, to countries to assist those countries to become eligible for partnership agreements under this section.</text></subsection></section><section id="id4a38503a824747f0857eaf022a6e6a26"><enum>202.</enum><header>Americas Partnership business advisory board</header><subsection id="id0b65b7c0196f408283ee282edeb8f66f"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text>The Americas Partnership Secretariat established under section 204 shall establish a business advisory board, which will meet periodically, on an ad hoc basis, at the Secretariat to inform discussions on the business environments of Americas partner countries. </text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc5c623f0140547269da6a95b10f5d2e0"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Composition</header><text>The business advisory board established under subsection (a) shall be composed of representatives of private sector entities, civil society organizations, and labor organizations from Americas partner countries.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc6b35db9dfda42188756c8d65136af84"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Advisory topics</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The business advisory board established under subsection (a) may provide advice to Americas partner countries through the Secretariat on the following topics relating to the business environment in Americas partner countries:</text><paragraph id="idf37ef2b167dc471eb346b9e5079afc38"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Regulatory hurdles.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id592d70e81b48437d8ae00f31abbe4c80"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Labor issues.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id299bb7d6bb4240d6aca24d9ec2b9ce2f"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Dispute resolution challenges.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idbb7b8904817d4c8d83d1709679079335"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Legal hurdles to investment.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id1ab012d58c8a4d3aabd27085cf9e700e"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Alignment on regulation related to key emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idfc90ee461cb74a1abc756443ed40d8a3"><enum>(6)</enum><text>Harmonization of reference price systems.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc021b6eb71044c27aa20f612aa0f5eab"><enum>(7)</enum><text>Other issues affecting the business community in Americas partner countries.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ide67048ed603c4b9fa79fdfdead65f902"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Coordination</header><text>The business advisory board established under subsection (a) shall coordinate with the central regulatory coordinating bodies referred to in Article 28.3 of the USMCA. </text></subsection><subsection id="id9af198599a9948d882f8cfe39b5882c4"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Annual report</header><text>Not less frequently than annually, the business advisory board established under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretariat a report on the business environment in Americas partner countries, including opportunities and challenges to investment. </text></subsection></section><section id="idF839E06AAF1A4D118E528168F8C6D2F6"><enum>203.</enum><header>Administration</header><subsection id="id57C4D8B9E99D40A18A7535BEB1889BE2"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Department of Commerce</header><paragraph id="id3C7F8B8919A14881ADE826F68721B355"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce</header><subparagraph id="id75126E1211C2405EA06D93B9D98A9D62"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>There shall be in the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce a Deputy Under Secretary responsible for administration of the responsibilities of the Department of Commerce under this title.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idBF947D9005C048259AE025008D1B7E04"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Working group</header><text>The Deputy Under Secretary established under subparagraph (A) shall establish a permanent working group, composed of representatives of the relevant agencies, to collaborate on matters relating to the administration of this title and the amendments made by this title.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id798A9C8EC4594AE3A97B3B1E6C1F9F8B"><enum>(2)</enum><header>International Trade Administration</header><text>The Under Secretary may increase the number of employees of the International Trade Administration by the number necessary to administer this title and the amendments made by this title.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idB7C0D2DCA8514152AACA2F2F19CA397D"><enum>(3)</enum><header>United States and Foreign Commercial Service</header><subparagraph id="id8F78CCBEDD324697AB1ADEF849B3CAD5"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service (established by section 2301 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/15/4721">15 U.S.C. 4721</external-xref>)) may assign additional commercial attachés to serve at the United States embassies in each Americas partner countries to oversee coordination and reporting under partnership agreements entered into under section 201.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id902EE63B78C346C2BFC6B4153FFC6013"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Role of commercial attachés</header><text>A commercial attaché assigned to an Americas partner country under subparagraph (A) shall—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd18e47d850ae4d6eba90755e6af964b0"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">coordinate with the Department of the Treasury with respect to loans provided under section 212(a) to incentivize re-shoring and near-shoring;</text></clause><clause id="idf682ce42c8084ea8bd54b361e1d3113e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>be the lead officer on the country team, under the Chief of Mission, responsible for implementation of the partnership agreement entered into under section 201 with that country; and</text></clause><clause id="id297ddb6790f449c980cd61f0f922ec25"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>carry out such other duties as the Director General or the Chief of Mission may assign for successful implementation of the Americas program.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id3683ed3632864e11868be25c8cdc3031"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd628431576894148b37fea5d56541683"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There shall be available to the Secretary of Commerce, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years of 2024, 2025, and 2026 to administer this title and the amendments made by this title. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaa237869bf7b4508913048c6b171f941"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Availability of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Amounts made available pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be available until expended.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id482EB9448A6A42B6A1CB2EFEA8067FA9"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Office of United States Trade Representative</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8164bfd18d614a40ad3ad66090e4e0c0"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There shall be in the Office of the United States Trade Representative an Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Americas Partnership, who shall—</text><subparagraph id="id88765FB0274D49D1B049AA5B2BA0DD02"><enum>(A)</enum><text>be responsible for negotiations with respect to—</text><clause id="id92B2E5A6BC8C4ED481E841C7FE7C21CC"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the accession of countries to the USMCA pursuant to the mechanism developed pursuant to section 222(b); and</text></clause><clause id="id34804D7085184A6A981C72DE167689E0"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>designation of Americas partner countries as CBTPA beneficiary countries (as defined in section 213(b)(5) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, as amended by section 224);</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id04C804B1C1EE409B8E3173FDFC58E1DB"><enum>(B)</enum><text>hire the staff necessary to support negotiations described in subparagraph (A); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idD0E124EAB91A46AD981521F804055B4C"><enum>(C)</enum><text>coordinate closely with the Under Secretary with respect to administration of this title.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idF732391B79884FDDB2FF65590CCAA258"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3AEE57E8A05C431FAF1D4DBF4A3BAC7B"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There shall be available to the United States Trade Representative, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years of 2024, 2025, and 2026 to administer this title and the amendments made by this title. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idD8B338DCF98E46E7A78BDF2D3DD76A3A" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Availability of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Amounts made available pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be available until expended.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id023446803D364CA4B579C55E853AB912"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Department of State</header><paragraph id="idB90A3087B61547A5A7092CF8541EE424"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Americas Partnership</header><text>There shall be in the Bureau for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the Department of State a Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Americas Partnership, who—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id52c54586b5324141841ada081906000d"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">may be the United States representative to the Americas Partnership Secretariat; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id52d495e38865434ea16523706afe075e"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">shall, in coordination with the Under Secretary, coordinate people-to-people efforts under this title on behalf of the Department of State.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id04c32eb6a2aa45a3bd04ea525f6df4fc"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Additional civil service officers</header><text>The Secretary of State may hire sufficient civil service officers to fulfill the successful management of the efforts described in paragraph (1).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4d3e14ac8c8344c1848e8126de5b81e9"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Additional foreign affairs officers</header><text>The Secretary of State may hire additional foreign affairs officers, relative to the number of such officers on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, to support the implementation of this title.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idDFD74F3A12874D66BCC35A362CAE9A44"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idBDBC62957F3643E8895D326BAF2EFB6E"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There shall be available to the Secretary of State, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years of 2024, 2025, and 2026 to administer this title and the amendments made by this title. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id368110884ED74934853A9B8B2EA4BB6E" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Availability of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Amounts made available pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be available until expended.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id6F4F820EB2A2491D993F55C78A0835FC"><enum>(d)</enum><header>United States Agency for International Development</header><paragraph id="id6B9954174F054C6F888F8D529639910A"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Americas Partnership</header><text>There shall be in the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United States Agency for International Development a Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Americas Partnership, who shall, in coordination with the Under Secretary, coordinate development, humanitarian, and people-to-people efforts under this title on behalf of the United States Agency for International Development.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8473909A53ED4DE69E70DF1A239AA21A"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Additional Foreign Service Officers and other employees</header><text>The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development may hire additional foreign service officers, relative to the number of such officers on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, to support the implementation of this title. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id3806A5A4C3D94486A68E618BC83611B3"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id79116FC7F7414690B14E3B1E92907BFA"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There shall be available to the Administrator, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years of 2024, 2025, and 2026 to administer this title and the amendments made by this title. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1BF108A4CC4541239C039D3C0AA81B03" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Availability of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Amounts made available pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be available until expended.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcdfa737160d345669b9e35ed785fb88e"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Other bureaus and offices</header><text>The President—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd55ab1b04c6f47b4a55f7a43f7b465d9"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">may establish such additional bureaus and offices as the President considers appropriate to implement this title; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id94f18b364c29470fb58f43b2f0dc9378" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><text>shall ensure that a description of any such bureaus and offices is included in the annual report required by section 205. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idab437e30e607496aa66a986a6ba9671c"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Availability of funds</header><text>Amounts shall be made available to carry out this section from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301.</text></subsection></section><section id="idc84f3bd4daa44ad29541c95ef8977a50"><enum>204.</enum><header>Americas Partnership Secretariat</header><subsection id="id37db735ef95b46f4b6744b1ee322091b"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text>Not later than 180 day after the date of the enactment of this Act, there shall be established in the United States the <quote>Americas Partnership Secretariat</quote> (in this section referred to as the <quote>Secretariat</quote>). </text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9255dbb03ac54906a9c3b6cdd4cd485e"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Duties</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretariat shall be responsible for duties including—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id07025ceae28b45049c834da1e4862ca2"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">coordinating diplomatic, economic, and people-to-people efforts of the Americas partner countries under this title and the amendments made by this title;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida7e469dc154940d7b564dff385389fc5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>carrying out efforts to build and advance partnerships between city mayors and other subnational government leaders from Americas partner countries, civil society organizations, and private sector entities to expand subnational diplomacy; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id88eddcfbbf4f4e61a918b3fe7ab166a7"><enum>(3)</enum><text>providing policy and technical support through dialogue, research, and other structured engagements.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3afd48f7b99f45c086c42203e904c770"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Membership</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The membership of the Secretariat shall be comprised of representatives from the governments of Americas partner countries. Selection of such representatives shall be determined by the governments of the Americas partner countries. </text></subsection><subsection id="idF151D3EB376144098E40A3D0CDFF6D2F"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idDFA70D7658884C4C8285BDFA682A9190"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There shall be available to the Secretariat, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years of 2024, 2025, and 2026 to carry out the duties of the Secretariat under this title and the amendments made by this title. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id0F5B7BFC29D84C24B0FA92120D3DA6DF" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Availability of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Amounts made available pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be available until expended.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id9A7839EB988B412EB413A4AC2A4BFC53"><enum>205.</enum><header>Report</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb8760feac9e74d699b23b3a5e5aed5a5"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Under Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on efforts carried out under this title.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc6201cdea6004444a928d734d90d5b4b"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Appropriate congressional committees defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>appropriate congressional committees</term> means—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc998534da8d34da1a5d6a160c34044c0"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and </text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0d6d46c692fb4db3bb3ca012d727e1e3"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.</text></paragraph></subsection></section></subtitle><subtitle id="idC07D0D5E27964F4B85020F65BE853222" style="OLC"><enum>B</enum><header>Trade</header><chapter id="id15d33e826a2e490e90317940118dc9a1" style="OLC"><enum>1</enum><header>Re-shoring and near-shoring</header><section id="id98ace0ff77d74fb2b8045357ccd4b551" commented="no"><enum>211.</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id55b66935ef4547cbb93dcd4042c54fae"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">It is the sense of Congress that the re-shoring and near-shoring of industry from China into the United States is in the national security interest of the United States and therefore falls under the national security exceptions under article XXI of the GATT 1994.</text></subsection><subsection id="idbfba019d0de74918876a1d5a6d433e61"><enum>(b)</enum><header>GATT 1994 defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>GATT 1994</term> has the meaning given that term in section 2 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/3501">19 U.S.C. 3501</external-xref>). </text></subsection></section><section id="id2C0335369933454DBA5FEF610BF9217B"><enum>212.</enum><header>Incentives for re-shoring and near-shoring of businesses from People’s Republic of China</header><subsection id="id7CA36789CFB742F892F8F65192AF77B1"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Loans and grants</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5c6589c4cb49426f9dc24c7d47f3d7de"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Lending authority</header><subparagraph id="id015D2DEAA59E448CAA8124F022A8E0D1"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary may provide loans to covered entities.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5B05D9EB0CB54F5E9F7ADA2CE00FD720"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Amount</header><text>The total amount of loans that may be provided under subparagraph (A) may not exceed $70,000,000,000.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1a5ea537f2f14e0ebfc4f81e5b97a21b"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Coverage of loans</header><text>Loans provided to covered entities under subparagraph (A) may be used for—</text><clause id="idf420ef434576441abd150b4a328ab48a"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the costs of moving inventory, equipment, and supplies from the People’s Republic of China to the United States, an Americas partner country, or another country benefitting from a strategic supply chain identified under section 254;</text></clause><clause id="id3fc834644a074467b7abc491d0f37954"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the costs of training workers in the United States, an Americas partner country, or a country benefitting from a strategic supply chain identified under section 254;</text></clause><clause id="idb3737cef98244fe495c017edf85a0301"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the costs of constructing facilities in the United States, an Americas partner country, or a country benefitting from a strategic supply chain identified under section 254;</text></clause><clause id="id0a02c5ef1d7c431b9812c872e2ea33b8"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>other costs directly related to re-shoring or near-shoring; or</text></clause><clause id="id808EFC5D76DB4F068195CAEA02A042F4" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(v)</enum><text>loans, guarantees, and other instruments (excluding grants) approved by the BUILD Americas Unit or the Americas Enterprise Fund designated under section 253. </text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id82b2c28aaa914f9dadeafbedad4ec191"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Grant authority</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9725379afffe44959d9cd5346ccfbe1a"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Commerce shall administer a grant program to award grants to covered entities. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaf4af074086d40e5bc7364ffece7b22d"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>Funding for grants under the grant program required under subparagraph (A) shall be derived solely from the Re-Shoring and Near-Shoring Account established under section 301. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id51E0E1782C89444DB70B01D1727EBB43"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Administration</header><subparagraph id="idB2E11E6B102F43DB8155656676F21091"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In the United States</header><text>The Secretary or the Secretary of Commerce, as the case may be, may enter into arrangements with commercial banks, credit unions, or other entities in the United States as identified by the Secretary to administer loans authorized under paragraph (1) or grants authorized under paragraph (2) for covered entities to re-shore.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idBB527E6DBF6C42C188644B46DAAB8833"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Outside the United States</header><text>The Secretary or the Secretary of Commerce, as the case may be, may enter into arrangements with the BUILD Americas Unit or regional banks to administer loans authorized under paragraph (1) or grants authorized under paragraph (2) for covered entities to near-shore.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id10F2C1BFB2FB4F3E8D74FF03DD8B8C70"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Deposit of interest</header><text>The Secretary shall deposit any profits earned on interest bearing loans authorized under paragraph (1) in the Re-Shoring and Near-Shoring Account established under section 301.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idaa25dd8d084443f58c3c125a322876fe"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the progress of the arrangements entered into under this paragraph.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id0791d39dc13948769a4753c4df615d02"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Annual reports</header><subparagraph id="idBBB2501F4C25488F98A66AC62E5DADC7"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Board of Governors of each commercial bank with respect to which the Secretary or the Secretary of Commerce has entered into an arrangement under paragraph (4) and the BUILD Americas Unit shall submit to the Under Secretary a report on the administration by each such entity of loans or grants under this subsection, including—</text><clause id="idfe7315e4c0d449bab337cc494a71d9b8"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a description of the loans issued or grants awarded;</text></clause><clause id="idee12e69740ef418f803fc737d010894e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the repayment rates for any such loans;</text></clause><clause id="id5bb16c30a3f44682affc1a2a64c04e7c"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>an assessment of successful re-shoring and near-shoring projects;</text></clause><clause id="id2a266a771dc445d09aab19131506cd88"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>a description of any lessons learned; and</text></clause><clause id="id73452beb93e948ada06911fdc8acce16"><enum>(v)</enum><text>the balance sheets for any such loans. </text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id279479B9A79649C39C3536918EBBA829"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Transmittal to Congress</header><text>The Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade shall include the information provided in reports under subparagraph (A) in the annual report required under section 401.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id148f6d40142645b2b335e486339a1725"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Duty-Free status</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of law, covered entities approved under subsection (c) are eligible for a one-time duty-free import of articles into the United States that are imported for the sole and express purposes of re-shoring or near-shoring.</text></subsection><subsection id="idbf3177e0cec8492abfe83393bdd28bc4"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Process for approval</header><paragraph id="id15DEFD4B61D1423889B71E1DC8BEA6E1"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Notice</header><text>An entity that seeks to re-shore or near-shore may submit notice of the intent of the entity to re-shore or near-shore, as the case may be, along with such paperwork as the Secretary may consider appropriate demonstrating that intent.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idCCD88545528E46999842436E804EF239"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Approval</header><text>The Secretary, in consultation with the Trade Representative, shall approve entities that have submitted notice under paragraph (1) to re-shore or near-shore pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary considers appropriate.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2b18894cd53940dda369a54fa94613b9"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Use of contractor</header><text>If an entity uses a contract company for the production of goods or services in the People's Republic of China, the approval of the entity under paragraph (2) shall not take effect until the entity notifies the Secretary and the Secretary confirms that a replacement contract has been awarded in the United States or an Americas partner country.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id11E1866B7EE4456D910FA2405D57F62D"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Termination and penalty</header><paragraph id="idB0AE01A3A6054D4CA504627D3B205024"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Except as provided in paragraph (4), a covered entity approved under subsection (c) to re-shore or near-shore shall have 5 years following that approval to complete re-shoring or near-shoring, as the case may be, of the business of that entity, which may include the moving of materials, personnel, and production.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id73B8D1568C93402D85FFCDB192AEA4C9"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Termination of benefits</header><text>Except as provided in paragraph (4), a covered entity is not eligible for benefits under this section on or after the date that is 5 years after the date on which the entity is approved under subsection (d).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id05fa470d6ea54e8b8dbcc4ae1d24e27f"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Penalty</header><text>Except as provided in paragraph (4), at the end of the 5-year period under paragraph (1), a covered entity that has not completed the re-shoring or near-shoring, as the case may be, of the business of the entity shall owe to the United States—</text><subparagraph id="id354D3FB73883448A8C18D248C278875B"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the total amount of duties the entity would have owed for imports into the United States but for the application of subsection (b);</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idE5EBA3301F3A462BA985FDF3D5871A65"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the total amount of any other benefits accrued to the entity under this section, as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the Trade Representative; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idAAF4FD57926E454C97C68A7D0125C620"><enum>(C)</enum><text>a penalty equal to 10 percent of the amounts determined under subparagraphs (A) and (B).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id067e646e1175466f97793e6c8b6acb7f"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Extension and waiver</header><text>If the Secretary determines that extraordinary circumstances exist, on a case-by-case basis, the Secretary may—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id59a1351f93a543ba83dd6ba81fa97635"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">extend by a period of two years the deadlines under paragraphs (1) and (2); or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id125e0570b57c45ecb1c1d98691567e53"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">waive the amounts owed under paragraph (3).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id44EA71D20319401497E89370FF0C77F8"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Treatment of defaults</header><paragraph id="id1F77A40110EC47AABFBE8A9F996E3C16"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Judicial proceedings</header><text>The United States shall disregard any ruling against a covered entity or a government of an Americas partner country that pertains to a default on obligations in the People’s Republic of China relating to re-shoring or near-shoring activities approved under this section.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idB27C161BBC334877A2C7519FA0CA7412"><enum>(2)</enum><header>International venues</header><text>The President shall use the voice and vote of the United States at multilateral institutions to—</text><subparagraph id="id2085ac7b07e94fc7a290a579cc54403d"><enum>(A)</enum><text>oppose the consideration of defaults on obligations in the People’s Republic of China relating to re-shoring or near-shoring activities approved under this section when measuring credit ratings of covered entities; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id569f5a1b04cb4c97a3ca0622b42b79f6"><enum>(B)</enum><text>disregard sovereign debt defaults and other similar actions when measuring credit valuations of Americas partner countries relating to debts and amounts received from the People’s Republic of China.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id223f9fb6b42b42fda9c3499f1b425869"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Findings and sense of Congress</header><paragraph id="id8D573080F01E40F49B71F3729862D74A"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Findings</header><text>Congress makes the following findings:</text><subparagraph id="id3A3C8BB6269C4793B54AFAC03D5E2094"><enum>(A)</enum><text>The United States Trade Representative stated in a hearing that, <quote>The United States has repeatedly sought and obtained commitments from China, only to find that follow-through or real change remains elusive.</quote>.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ide80febca03514fff91e468700ea4b7da"><enum>(B)</enum><text>The Government of the People's Republic of China continues to apply the rules only when they are beneficial to them.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idBECBF92A441449CC9B33F307C0139397"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that—</text><subparagraph id="idFC08034AE4194025843DF304C7E6292A"><enum>(A)</enum><text>companies approved for re-shoring or near-shoring by the Secretary should be protected from legal asset forfeiture by the People's Republic of China; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id8fb9a2d8cb20426abc7625e8503d38d4" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><text>covered entities and transactions by covered entities are subject to the national security exceptions under article XXI of the GATT 1994 (as defined in section 2 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/3501">19 U.S.C. 3501</external-xref>)). </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id48ccefd377c04d5aa99347bdae697aa1"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="idE78352CEE7144D78954CED15BEA2A85F" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Covered entity</header><text>The term <term>covered entity</term> means an entity that has submitted notice of the intent of the entity to re-shore or near-shore under subsection (c)(1) and has been approved for re-shoring or near-shoring under subsection (c)(2).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idB257F16BDCEE43359DF2D2145D433FBA"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Secretary</header><text>The term <term>Secretary</term> means the Secretary of the Treasury.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id08F0C8BFAEFB44A29ADCBB9427AC0DFE"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Trade Representative</header><text>The term <term>Trade Representative</term> means the United States Trade Representative.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="ida3fa559980794b5fab7c56917ad943cc" commented="no"><enum>213.</enum><header>Tax credit for qualifying re-shoring and near-shoring expenses</header><subsection id="id340877c263f6412cb9e68995cf022de0" commented="no"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/26/1">chapter 1</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6BDF8143D91F44B2AB248325C6F15190"><section id="id484280A62FF74D88AB1254255C3080A7" commented="no"><enum>45BB.<?LEXA-Enum 45BB.?></enum><header>Qualifying re-shoring and near-shoring expenses</header><subsection id="id2cc17aa1e8ff4386b2149c7dc8d63417" commented="no"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For purposes of section 38, the qualifying re-shoring and near-shoring expense credit for any taxable year is an amount equal to the sum of—</text><paragraph id="id04571A334B5D42A2BBF2858D2D97BECE" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text>50 percent of the qualified re-shoring project expenses of the taxpayer, and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id5C60FE8FB4184D368515CA38291BCBA2" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><text>35 percent of the qualified near-shoring project expenses of the taxpayer.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id290f8bee20724a5eb6c9f57ad91d99da" commented="no"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>For purposes of this section—</text><paragraph id="idDCF666DE8D6B4941B7AA8700C0A03274" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Qualifying re-shoring project expenses</header><subparagraph id="id962A99EF58CA48608C3E067AAD57FDC4" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>qualifying re-shoring project expenses</term> means any eligible expenses which are—</text><clause id="id9764D3FD27624FD884C43F1851881D18" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>made pursuant to a qualified re-shoring project, and</text></clause><clause id="id3C5A707E3AFD4CB8A494554F24B2F64B" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>certified by the Secretary under subsection (c) as eligible for the credit under this section.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id87B03EDA39034DD794EC8AA04FE73A4D" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Qualifying re-shoring project</header><text>The term <term>qualifying re-shoring project</term> means a project under which <fraction>2/3</fraction> or more of the operations of a trade or business of the taxpayer is moved from the People's Republic of China to the United States.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id9ED5977865A043D9B04FF38170DE4DD8" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Qualifying near-shoring project expenses</header><subparagraph id="id53488CAC03DA4DCEBEC2FAA410380FA2" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>qualifying near-shoring project expenses</term> means any eligible expenses which are—</text><clause id="id4853340CFD774769B2DF04744FAFDF43" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>made pursuant to a qualified near-shoring project, and</text></clause><clause id="id7CEA9315F26F49199DD431CF0F4DB96F" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>certified by the Secretary under subsection (c) as eligible for the credit under this section. </text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF5000CAA56E841B180F36CDC76A42683" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Qualifying near-shoring project</header><text>For purposes of this subpart, the term <term>qualifying near-shoring project</term> means a project under which <fraction>2/3</fraction> or more of the operations of a trade or business of the taxpayer is moved from the People's Republic of China to an Americas partner country.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id2fa63855dde4401bbb9fde47a4f7c3ad" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Eligible expenses</header><text>The term <term>eligible expenses</term> means any expenses paid or incurred in connection with moving the operations of the trade or businesses.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idEDAF11FB153E4D959F2D54999E4E85BE" commented="no"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Americas partner country</header><text>For purposes of this section, the term <term>Americas partner country</term> has the meaning given such term under section 2 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id098f96977ce341368afa13502bf0fbaa" commented="no"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Qualifying re-Shoring and near-Shoring project program</header><paragraph id="id564a280649f84ac28d32685db0771043" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Establishment</header><subparagraph id="id60E3F57B951C4AC38CC9DAB8FDABD234" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, shall establish a qualifying re-shoring and near-shoring project program to consider and award certifications for eligible expenses among taxpayers with qualifying re-shoring projects and qualifying near-shoring projects.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id190aed6b8a47488aba73c3a953a10254" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Limitation</header><clause id="id9A4A22C213974C2AA568AC2B12D94C67" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The total amount of credits that may be allocated under the program shall not exceed $5,000,000,000. </text></clause><clause id="id629103231C8D469586371E10AFF691D7" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that the limitation under clause (i) should be increased after the date on which the Secretary notifies the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives that 80 percent of such limitation has been allocated.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7ddba28a21914802adedd63ea47fd6ff" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Certification</header><subparagraph id="id5d606cc1002b4505b1885ba64f767e2e" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Application period</header><text>Each applicant for certification under this paragraph shall submit an application containing such information as the Secretary may require.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7d93d32056c44aae8f12bb278127d6e1" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Time for making expenses</header><text>Each applicant for certification shall have 5 years from the date of acceptance by the Secretary of the application to pay or incur the eligible expenses certified under the program.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idc178bbbee23243f89300d93c2c564934" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Selection criteria</header><text>In determining which qualifying re-shoring projects and qualifying near-shoring projects to certify under this section, the Secretary—</text><subparagraph id="id63F5FD7F249F46D6B0318F070E1E24FE" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><text>shall take into consideration—</text><clause id="idE8894BE4A8B04A1B8D4A244D298C92C9" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>projects which create strategic supply chains, products, or entities (as identified under section 254(b) of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>) within the United States,</text></clause><clause id="id917C3011FF8846AE8067ED17E2286DE2" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>projects which create strategic supply chains, products, or entities (as so identified) within an Americas partner country, and</text></clause><clause id="id6ADFDB48494D4722BBD4D215DC5C8C50" commented="no"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>projects which create other industries within the United States or a Americas partner country,</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9663635EAECC46FF8DDA6A657EF71B1C" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>shall take into consideration which projects—</text><clause id="idBF8B6272C0E046F2A40BFF54C0BB5A74" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>will provide the greatest domestic job creation (both direct and indirect),</text></clause><clause id="id7CE1B2D5B43343B391547495070809FA" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>will create capital investment, and</text></clause><clause id="id6696419453BB4A68867857BF33679EAE" commented="no"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>will increase manufacturing.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idad5a991c73bd4efc97eafe81ade47490" commented="no"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Disclosure of allocations</header><text>The Secretary shall, upon making a certification under this subsection, publicly disclose the identity of the applicant and the amount of the credit with respect to such applicant.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id00ba4300599f497fa6598ec6c0ef936c"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Recapture</header><paragraph id="id276951769a7e4510bf435d6744ec3f71"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>If there is an applicable transaction before the close of the 10-year period beginning with the first day of the taxable year for which a credit is allowed under this section, then the tax under this chapter for the taxable year in which such transaction occurs shall be increased by the aggregate decrease in the credits allowed under section 38 for all prior taxable years which would have resulted solely from reducing to zero any credit determined under subsection (a).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id47e9af86b88c46de8d55aaa04b6c2415"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Exception</header><text>Paragraph (1) shall not apply if the applicable taxpayer demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the applicable transaction has been ceased or abandoned within 45 days of a determination and notice by the Secretary.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idbec8f439ddc54ad3ad4b0149a70f8c8f"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Applicable transaction</header><text>The term <term>applicable transaction</term> means, any significant transaction (as determined by the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Defense) involving the material expansion in the People's Republic of China of the operations of the same or similar a trade or business with respect to which the qualifying re-shoring project or qualifying near-shoring project relates.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id512a0863c49d42fa9d093bcd6cc70453"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Regulations and Guidance</header><text>The Secretary shall issue such regulations or other guidance as the Secretary determines necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this paragraph, including regulations or other guidance which provide for requirements for recordkeeping or information reporting for purposes of administering the requirements of this paragraph. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id217bfb6123ab418c9927960feee29571" commented="no"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Denial of double benefit</header><paragraph id="id07749DB2BA3B45EB9BBCB2D2998DE822" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>In the case of the amount of the credit determined under this section, no deduction or credit shall be allowed for such amount under any other provision of this chapter.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idd73ca7138df54e888ed0b06f78af17a2" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Basis adjustment</header><text>For purposes of this subtitle, if a credit is allowed under this section with respect to any property, the basis of such property shall be reduced by the amount of the credit so allowed. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ideffdde60638c449fad2e5200a253383f" commented="no"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Regulations</header><text>The Secretary shall prescribe regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id42c943570e8a4beb97a336783fe27073" commented="no"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Credit To be part of general business credit</header><text>Subsection (b) of <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/38">section 38</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking <quote>plus</quote> at the end of paragraph (40), by striking the period at the end of paragraph (41) and inserting <quote>, plus</quote>, and by adding at the end the following new paragraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id82f596ff895c4983b7a52c69b72b6164"><paragraph id="id070a4dff08fa40e38b1809af8eef4570" commented="no"><enum>(42)</enum><text>the qualifying re-shoring and near-shoring expense credit determined under section 45BB(a).</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id8ecc35fe66244e3e81ca3f04c1ca0ca3" commented="no"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections for subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="id8852265b-4557-482d-974f-5c387badfa87"><toc><toc-entry level="section" idref="id484280A62FF74D88AB1254255C3080A7">Sec. 45BB. Qualifying re-shoring and near-shoring expenses.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="ide5800b912d0143d2b91eeac004f1e876" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendments made by this section shall apply to amounts paid or incurred in taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. </text></subsection></section></chapter><chapter id="idb3a77f77727c4932a662426187f78b3a" style="OLC"><enum>2</enum><header>Free trade expansion</header><section id="id92bbed5f2283414ea46d9ec15befad90"><enum>221.</enum><header>Tariff reciprocity under GATT 1994</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9390ee367733403db37c52fd172306a5"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id232ffbb5131646898be6c4808805ab5f"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the United States has one of the lowest applied duty rates in the world, with bound duty rates set in parity to applied rates;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcbce6567a7fa4f96b900e2e9f83f9f1c"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in using article XXVIII of GATT 1994 to renegotiate bound duty rates, the United States can gain flexibility in its tariff schedules, which will provide certainty to treaty-based tariff countries under free trade agreements and provide maneuverability in the case of egregious behavior by other WTO members, including the People's Republic of China; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2c3db3ede0d149e597ce150d5f341e18"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">having the lowest bound duty rates has resulted in unsustainable trade deficits that have become an issue for the national security of the United States. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="id0F805A75EBE6416C864EE81C9B017F75"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Increase of rates and reciprocity</header><paragraph id="iddd627a5b664d4a41b9a7e54c877212e4"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Increase of rates</header><text>The Trade Representative shall increase average bound duty rates to reflect reciprocal duty rates on goods listed under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States among WTO members.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idf1155b350ed04d5fa26f893266886b78"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Application</header><text>In increasing bound duty rates under paragraph (1), the Trade Representative is not required to raise applied duty rates.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idda10c7649e0d408a802397d9e4163e2f" commented="no"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Negotiations To increase duties</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id62fa8067ee2b4742b470cb144e370d58"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Trade Representative shall commence negotiations under article XXVIII of GATT 1994 to increase bound duty rates on all goods.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id0798876ecaaf42838fba5cee67766457" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Prioritizing</header><text>In carrying out negotiations under paragraph (1), the Trade Representative shall—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide8668aa974654d85a4d2bdb4a363d26f"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">prioritize the increase of bound duty rates on—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0e582cc104dc4cfdb53dddea01afadd0"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">goods entering the United States from countries identified as bad faith actors by the Secretary of the Treasury for exclusion of deminimis access; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc847b43a7605466f892598c9b03cf10c"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">goods entering the United States causing significant harm to industry in the United States, as determined by the Trade Representative; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="id51F26B214FD244D3944D481CE8FD8268"><enum>(B)</enum><text>commit to increase rates of duties on imports into the United States if other countries do not decrease their rates in line with those rates in Schedule XX, including through consideration of national averages of duty reciprocity.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id55c11e6886bc408db12b1e713893d24c" commented="no"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="id1fadf89af8ad4b6cb0071e4eac58ed21" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Applied duty rate</header><text>The term <term>applied duty rate</term> means the actual duty rate applied to a good.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6ad680f90f284697b22a14879467cd7c"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Bound duty rate</header><text>The term <term>bound duty rate</term> means the maximum duty rate that may be applied to a good. </text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idff9cef29530745d1affc2968cb154e7e"><enum>(3)</enum><header>GATT 1994; Schedule XX; WTO member</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The terms <term>GATT 1994</term>, <term>Schedule XX</term>, and <term>WTO member</term> have the meanings given those terms in section 2 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/3501">19 U.S.C. 3501</external-xref>).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4F99FF50E57B479A86885825296D755D"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Trade Representative</header><text>The term <term>Trade Representative</term> means the United States Trade Representative. </text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="idb6d792be15fe4626ba0c88c77502d404"><enum>222.</enum><header>Expansion of USMCA or establishment of other regional trade agreement</header><subsection id="id14db9b94957f4c65b89df9e29114e659"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8289a9f487a34f6fa265d74d5554dc6c"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the USMCA represents the gold standard for trade agreements, to which other trade agreements should aspire;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9e34929604a540b491465a3404048a0f"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the USMCA includes high standards on privacy, intellectual property, labor, the environment, and dispute resolution;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9dc340f41f9d49f5b9e2001572e0dce4"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">dispute resolution mechanisms of the USMCA, the rapid response mechanism in particular, are effective tools to solve investment and labor disputes and should be strengthened and included in any expansion of the USMCA or alternative trade harmonization mechanism;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idcf0d53412a6446c6aeb7da4b3ddea11e"><enum>(4)</enum><text>the accession of additional high-standard economies to the USMCA would represent a benefit both to the Western Hemisphere and to the United States;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc7974a663c9f4ef1abb2ec7af048d565"><enum>(5)</enum><text>the periodic review of the USMCA required in 2026 represents an opportunity to negotiate with USMCA countries to create an adhesion mechanism for advanced economies in the Western Hemisphere to join the USMCA;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc77774b6951d46bfbf237dd37c47bf1f"><enum>(6)</enum><text>Costa Rica and Uruguay, both high-income countries as defined by the World Bank, represent ideal candidates to pilot an accession process for the USMCA, due to—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id891d547585474711afc03c269112f15e"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the stated desire of those countries to join the USMCA;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id662294b82e2b46568a9fa98ddbf8b916"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the advanced state of the economies of those countries as determined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id336a07940ce84004add7f739adaab0f2"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the comparatively small nature of the populations and economies of those countries; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idfdf139d0e0bd4851a19946f5bd67e508"><enum>(7)</enum><text>the United States, working closely with USMCA countries and other free trade agreement partners in the Western Hemisphere, should study the potential benefits of aligning rules of origin and allowing for cumulation in strategically selected sectors. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id05e9a8e6a87a463d9bfcb9ea9a633f21"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Development of accession mechanism</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7a8fdd02921c487d8c105abc0d57159d"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Trade Representative, in conducting the periodic review of the USMCA required to be conducted in 2026, may seek agreement with USMCA countries to develop a mechanism for accession of additional countries to the USMCA.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id28e119f2afa249f09654463b6827fe6a"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Treatment of CAFTA–DR countries</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8297a02174ff4eedb1fee39ca6cfd4cd"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Rules of origin for textile and apparel goods</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of the accession to the USMCA pursuant to the mechanism developed under paragraph (1) of any CAFTA–DR country, the rules of origin under CAFTA–DR for textile and apparel goods shall remain in place for that country during—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida6337f55a9f84787b68c8879c2afbd7c"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the 5-year period following formal accession of that country to the USMCA; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc1af68bd776d49819f22eedacfa27032"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">an additional 5-year period if determined appropriate pursuant to the study conducted under subsection (c).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1a7fd2191ec5400589ea762132e05695"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Study on textile and apparel impact</header><text>Not later than 5 years after the accession of a CAFTA–DR country to the USMCA pursuant to the mechanism developed under paragraph (1), the United States International Trade Commission shall commission a study to analyze the impact of that accession on the textile and apparel sector of that country and CAFTA–DR as a whole, highlighting both negative and positive repercussions to the trade and apparel manufacturing environment. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id95269c2b82c94c8989c26dda54276d82"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this paragraph:</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id52834899eb214cf3b10ce56e902c8acd"><enum>(i)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">CAFTA–DR</header><text>The term <term>CAFTA–DR</term> means the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement—</text><subclause id="id2176ec1ee28545ceb557ea50d390534b"><enum>(I)</enum><text>entered into on August 5, 2004, between the Government of the United States and the Governments of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and submitted to Congress on June 23, 2005; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id122537c901b0425a9fe5459ee4c98021"><enum>(II)</enum><text>approved by Congress under section 101(a)(1) of the Dominican Republic-Central American-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/4011">19 U.S.C. 4011(a)(1)</external-xref>).</text></subclause></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0fbd3775c0bc42e5b37995287893af73"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>CAFTA–DR country</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>CAFTA–DR country</term> means Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, or Nicaragua.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id6bf4a30a5f9349078732db3fb9b952ed"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Study</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9fb2e377e1014527852b813001ab1630"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of the Treasury shall conduct a study on the feasibility and advisability of expanding the USMCA or carrying out other trade-related approaches for—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9a8b807d59854ef09b81bf8bffe20a03"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">harmonization;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1da132e6ce5e47459a63d1bed18dc56e"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">cumulation;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5b3e764e2c014c2aa7f94e2c935824b5"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">co-creation; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1fca7b2099dc436f9161b0c599d0dc2f"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">intra-regional trade, investment, and standards harmonization.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id317fb0ef1e3b4c1e8695983feeffb803"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under paragraph (1).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id8cf7bd35dc334defacff26592727687c" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Sense of Congress on retention of benefits and responsibilities</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">It is the sense of Congress that Americas partner countries that benefit from free trade agreements with the United States or trade preferences programs of the United States will retain the benefits and responsibilities of those agreements until and unless they accede to the USMCA through the process developed pursuant to this section. </text></subsection></section><section id="idbd7b93971b294b1fa02e3ad10158a324"><enum>223.</enum><header>Americas Partnership Threshold Program</header><subsection id="id95a9e09fe58540edb804f80bcd9741f3"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>There is established within the Department of Commerce a program to be known as the Americas Partnership Threshold Program under which the Secretary of Commerce shall work with Americas partner countries—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id51a9e8209e8e420a9338a806b7a4edd8"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to prepare those countries for a possible process for accession to the USMCA; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idce39a7a1370a40a5832fb3f29fa23ffe"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to bring those countries up to the standards of the USMCA.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idd53f31353e834ea189edf8c1785c28d0"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Assessment</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id94bd9d94878949409febc51dc2067b02"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In carrying out the program required under subsection (a), the United States Trade Representative shall conduct an assessment of each Americas partner country related to the trade-related standards of each such country, which shall include—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id97f1f1d58d6a4f84ad1177e8a2949a41"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">an identification of shortcomings that would impede accession to the USMCA; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id85eb822249f84c5c91465d6b0af7992c"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a programmatic strategy to bring each such country into compliance with the standards of the USMCA.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id2bfb0cd4dc544115971fececab57d2f9"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Submission of assessment</header><text>The United States Trade Representative shall submit any assessment conducted under paragraph (1) to—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida893c9126ae1428a92903a24266c26d9"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade and the Executive Secretariat of the Department of Commerce; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idef2d10d4080a43f2b65a7142b3826102"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id3e55e51e99244a4d9819223350b3e1e3"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Administration</header><text>The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, shall implement this section through acquisition or assistance mechanisms.</text></subsection><subsection id="id553772d7eaea44d48fe1e53e43ceb909"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>Amounts required to carry out this section shall be derived from the Re-Shoring and Near-Shoring Account established under section 301.</text></subsection></section><section id="id85b4906cdb2d4a0ea159f48a322e22c9"><enum>224.</enum><header>Expansion of beneficiaries under United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act</header><subsection id="id3BE0C714FA6B414288F99072A3797D83"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that trade preferences under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2701">19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.</external-xref>) should be extended to Americas partner countries that do not benefit from any trade preference agreement with the United States as a stop-gap measure before accession to the USMCA or another regional trade agreement under section 222.</text></subsection><subsection id="id6A6B74F9873E449A8A80328A33FEDF9F"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Expansion</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2db4ea6f8ed549e2951577ed90045a75"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 213(b)(5)(B) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703">19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(5)(B)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><subparagraph id="id12EE968E4004439995384B6D878A44E9"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the matter preceding clause (i)—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id52639914ea03477db5bf09e442265db7"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>means any</quote> and inserting <quote>means Uruguay, Ecuador, and any</quote>; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id48eb112f77b44fd089698284126359c5"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting <quote>or Americas partner country, as defined in section 2 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>,</quote> before <quote>which the President</quote>; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF401324D9E1A4E54AB2086B3C774F4EA"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in clause (i), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking <quote>beneficiary</quote>.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idca34d735bcf944e3a944888b7bd846d8"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Negotiation</header><text>In negotiating any expansion to trade preferences under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2701">19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.</external-xref>), the United States Trade Representative shall exclude preferences for goods that harm producers in the United States. </text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id75226fc3b4c64d9ead39dcad2f209367"><enum>225.</enum><header>Exclusion of certain countries from certain preferential trade treatment</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of law, countries that are members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, as determined by the President, are ineligible for preferential trade treatment pursuant to—</text><paragraph id="id3692AE53E3694D4DB0E092F7A9D8A174"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">section 213(b) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703">19 U.S.C. 2703(b)</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9F862AEED0504AE3A945AA73A2917F95"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">any provision of, or amendment made by, this Act; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idD35EDA7DF3FB40729C90441C5A81B7A1"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">any free trade agreement with respect to which the United States is a party.</text></paragraph></section><section id="id94ca242ab44841a99355742b57c6c964"><enum>226.</enum><header>Extension of trade promotion authority to Americas partner countries for purposes of expansion of USMCA</header><subsection id="idda1d43426f30498290810a76ba51884f"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Agreements regarding tariff barriers</header><paragraph id="id04D1CBC44B684CA0BA00800807CE35B9"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For purposes of advancing trade with Americas partner countries, whenever the President determines that one or more existing duties or other import restrictions of an Americas partner country or the United States are unduly burdening and restricting the foreign trade of the United States and that the purposes, policies, priorities, and objectives of expanding the USMCA to include that country will be promoted thereby, the President—</text><subparagraph id="id8940b20a389d409cb3601d420754f069"><enum>(A)</enum><text>may enter into trade agreements with an Americas partner country for the purposes of the accession of that country into the USMCA; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id96f0009a45b5481d96b58f2e034c3c7d"><enum>(B)</enum><text>may proclaim such modification or continuance of any existing duty, such continuance of existing duty free or excise treatment, or such additional duties as the President determines to be required or appropriate to carry out that trade agreement.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idedae41e25a6441e99f4901262282665b"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Congressional approval</header><text>The President shall seek approval from Congress to enter into a trade agreement under this subsection.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idd541b1f7270349d6a1e7261b11195a72"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Agreements regarding tariff and nontariff barriers</header><paragraph id="id085475ecf1da4096a352419880ec0160"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Agreements</header><subparagraph id="idB28988FFE2244D7D8C8575673C9F7AA3"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Whenever the President determines that one or more existing duties or any other import restriction of an Americas partner country or the United States or any other barrier to, or other distortion of, international trade unduly burdens or restricts the foreign trade of the United States or adversely affects the United States economy or the imposition of any such barrier or distortion is likely to result in such a burden, restriction, or effect, and that the purposes, policies, priorities, and objectives of expanding the USMCA to include that country will be promoted thereby, the President may enter into a trade agreement described in subparagraph (B).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idd9524ac7979a4e1eb1ae2d70f0fa5f51"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Trade agreement described</header><text>A trade agreement described in this subparagraph is a trade agreement with an Americas partner country or Americas partner countries providing for—</text><clause id="id0ab9a6367b2d4ddc855229e44c7d81c5"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the reduction or elimination of a duty, restriction, barrier, or other distortion; or</text></clause><clause id="idf656e5ab4fe94b32b9e576993cd52b69"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the prohibition of, or limitation on the imposition of, such barrier or other distortion.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id4d004b1fbc8143d2819a0cb461c56b34"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Conditions</header><text>A trade agreement may be entered into under this subsection only if such agreement makes progress in meeting the objectives of the USMCA and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2701">19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.</external-xref>).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idcc672683c24443d8977369e78df04734"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Bills qualifying for trade authorities procedures</header><subparagraph id="idDFCCF5F7BB19494287384011002AD6FE"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The provisions of section 151 of the Trade Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2191">19 U.S.C. 2191</external-xref>) apply to a bill of either House of Congress that contains provisions described in subparagraph (B) to the same extent as such section 151 applies to implementing bills under that section.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id6b29bac81314447ca1388a7b98086b09"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Provisions described</header><text>The provisions described in this subparagraph are—</text><clause id="idfdb9fa938a794769802b2d8de4547b7e"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a provision approving a trade agreement entered into under this subsection and approving the statement of administrative action, if any, proposed to implement such trade agreement; and</text></clause><clause id="idc75e1393355c4508a0ca7a5f46f52359"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>if changes in existing laws or new statutory authority are required to implement that trade agreement, only those provisions as are strictly necessary or appropriate to implement that trade agreement, either repealing or amending existing laws or providing new statutory authority.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide50e8423f35f4a41bb38e5150e5e13ed"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Negotiations</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9a0d77f5da404ec396dcc0c96cbf8600"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The President may carry out negotiations with Americas partner countries for purposes of entering into a trade agreement under this section.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idd5a49743b5d541178b4a6aac3d3f69ae"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Sectors</header><text>Sectors included in negotiations under paragraph (1) shall include agriculture, critical minerals, commercial services, intellectual property rights, industrial and capital goods, government procurement, information technology products, environmental technology and services, medical equipment and services, civil aircraft, digital products and services, emerging technologies, and infrastructure products.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id597C8D30C0C34E8FA03756CA44DED814"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Consideration of negotiating objectives</header><text>In conducting negotiations under paragraph (1), the President shall take into account all of the negotiating objectives set forth in section 102 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/4201">19 U.S.C. 4201</external-xref>).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id820a86f66e4947c6b9d04c1a7149fa6f"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Annual report</header><text>Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report on the implementation of this section, including—</text><paragraph id="id4ce1dbbfbe8840029f48b3b25a04d018"><enum>(1)</enum><text>a description of any negotiations entered into with countries that seek to accede to the USMCA;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc920774290f0462485e3f5796602b649"><enum>(2)</enum><text>a description of any negotiations entered into with countries that seek to be a CBTPA beneficiary country, as defined in section 213(b)(5) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703">19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(5)</external-xref>), as amended by section 224;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9b7b6d0e3fda46d99f9c6f552aa284e6"><enum>(3)</enum><text>a description of any trade agreements entered into pursuant to the authority under this section; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id38db0b25cfcd485f8fad2c43b36f7838" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(4)</enum><text>a full list of duties and duty-free items under trade agreements entered into pursuant to the authority under this section. </text></paragraph></subsection></section></chapter><chapter id="id8dd36f0d0b73428f89c84c6560742a87" style="OLC"><enum>3</enum><header>Textile and apparel</header><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4af4003422b0486ebd81919254157d57"><enum>231.</enum><header>Textile and apparel grant program</header><subsection id="id38be89eac1ff418f993c104a15c2d33f"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall award grants to textile or apparel manufacturers that are headquartered in the United States or an Americas partner country to help offset the considerable financial resources needed to expand or modernize domestic textile and apparel supply chain capacity.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcb8d8633200a4f01898f82d9b5e1c0d5"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Use of grant amounts</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A textile or apparel manufacturer in receipt of a grant awarded under this section shall use the amounts of that grant for new facilities or equipment, to retool old equipment, or to create or expand operations for textile and apparel production in the United States or an Americas partner country.</text></subsection><subsection id="iddb3b806115d44b2ebc85cdbbc8d7adc0"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Administration</header><text>In carrying out this section, the Secretary—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id957828db50704d25a958387237fe137a"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">shall permit advances of grant amounts to manufacturers as qualifying expenditures are made or prior to expenditures being placed in service;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9230b60d3b1b42eaab17093a815e1302"><enum>(2)</enum><text>shall require a manufacturer to comply with safety, labor, and environmental standards specified by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id88f5412caae9489cb0c53fb4cc90f635"><enum>(3)</enum><text>may scale the amount of a grant depending on incremental employment achieved by the manufacturer.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8bb6fa73777241019e92e1136f459b5a"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce $150,000,000 each year for 5 years to carry out the program under this section, of which—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9ce1c5e6598b40f6a1ee099bb492161e"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">$75,000,000 shall be used to carry out the program in the United States; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idA58FB65D4C2A44DFBF9DCBAA16743EBB"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">$75,000,000 shall be used to carry out the program in Americas partner countries.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id9a9f956a8a3f4ea282ac48d76eeffe8d"><enum>232.</enum><header>Textile reuse and recycling programs</header><subsection id="id2d263ec3b466418ab3fe8b52300cf678"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id96f74c2deadf4a3695037a65a7c332cd"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">textiles make up more than 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id20a7dd8e9dbe49d58e5c126dc382d254"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">textiles are the single most common product made with slave labor in the People's Republic of China.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idfed2feada8c143b4a78ba3f3e9ebebc8"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Priority access to grants and loans for textile reuse and recycling</header><text>The Secretary of the Treasury shall give priority access to grants or loans of amounts under the Re-Shoring and Near-Shoring Account established under section 301 for persons seeking to carry out programs to reuse or recycle covered products.</text></subsection><subsection id="idd1490868d0f844c3b75fa2efa6c6c8a7"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Program for manufacturing support and provision of components and machinery</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4156474a03be4b6194908122d708e7bc"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a program under which the Secretary provides grants and loans for the purpose of—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb66a9aa5696b4582bad4cf54b63db4b5"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">establishing new or expanding or retrofitting existing facilities and providing low-carbon emissions transportation for collection, drop off or mail back, sorting, pre-processing, reuse, or recycling of covered products; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idcf402e00bdd24e5dbf90d2e51d010a30"><enum>(B)</enum><text>providing components, chemicals, solvents, or machinery necessary for the transportation, collection, mail back, sorting, pre-processing, reuse, or recycling of covered products. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idE20819BC5A7C445CAC7841E6CCA87EFD"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Funding</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb83b454222744cdda82ae528333bc135"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $3,000,000,000 to carry out the program under paragraph (1).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9b4c94339f6a4f01a1aae78ba66cad85"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Loans</header><text>Of the amounts available under the lending authority under section 212(a)(1), $10,000,000,000 shall be available for loans under the program under paragraph (1).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ideff7656b5daa41998ab1d40e1c3e0bee"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Innovation program</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcbc1725cb635421489b6499f38e84d97"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The President shall carry out an innovation program for research and development related to textile reuse and recycling.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc35e6788966141cb94303122177890ed"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 to carry out the innovation program required under paragraph (1).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="iddca6c1f7ff2e476792fed71e20160134"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Public education program</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id33d6a33e634c4a7caeac2cb5c1a8ef62"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The President shall carry out a public education program on the dangers of fast fashion.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2e685ef1e2d24fb192bc2ef49f7d6594"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to carry out the public education program required under paragraph (1).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idca784a365f294a5e9b0fec5245608537"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Recycled certification process</header><text>For purposes of carrying out this section, the President shall ensure that all recycled finished textiles are certified under a globally recognized independent third-party assurance process. </text></subsection><subsection id="idac2d538bbac54acb8507414607575ad5"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>The Secretary of State may expend such sums as may be necessary from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 to carry out this section. </text></subsection><subsection id="id924652b76c2d4c18bf8a8e22e1bed94a"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="ide4b7bcdb2c834249ac010df81d31355a"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Covered product</header><text>The term <term>covered product</term> means—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2746e6cd0b48402c80a0cb24b5cbea36"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">textiles that are no longer wanted by an individual after purchase or cannot be sold by a business through retail;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4875769ebfaf4f5682c9e8e9b034b222"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">recycled secondary textile raw materials and fibers; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idadf01856cd78415cbe0119681389670e"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">recycled finished textile products.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idd04b9e0a9180460db329924f5eb650a8"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Pre-processing</header><text>The term <term>pre-processing</term>, with respect to a covered product, means preparing that product to be fit for recycling, which may include detrimming or other manual, mechanical, or chemical means. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="idd1925e9521e34a5fbdda66bc006c3d90"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Recycle</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6f08f093e4e149bdb97b787160c8532a"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>recycle</term>, with respect to covered products, means significantly transforming those products into new finished or unfinished goods for use of those products in that form.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id43ec16e56e574a1fa09ed399bc527fd6"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Transformation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A transformation under subparagraph (A) can take place through the deconstruction of a covered product for use in manufacturing new materials out of that product, whether through mechanical or advanced recycling methods.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ided2ef227446e42d5a7882cc7decf0c2b"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Certification</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A covered product qualifies as a recycled good for purposes of this paragraph as certified by a globally recognized independent third-party assurance process managed according to the waste hierarchy for waste management developed by the United Nations and the Environmental Protection Agency. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id27ecba5f23b2430f9f7ae085098fbd51"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Reuse</header><text>The term <term>reuse</term>, with respect to covered products that are finished textile goods, means resale, repair, rental, or upcycling (also known as remanufacturing) of those goods.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2806f7424a854ea5a278356bb3359d79"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Sorting</header><text>The term <term>sorting</term>, with respect to covered products, means manually or mechanically sorting those products for reuse or recycling.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id31259743308346b484f480e915f0beb2"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Textile</header><text>The term <term>textile</term> means apparel, footwear, accessories, and household linens. </text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id73af647b7a7640d890b109115902059d"><enum>233.</enum><header>Textile production verification teams</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idda5102de0b5b4c0b86a62a73d5617ead"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall deploy to Americas partner countries permanent textile production verification teams to ensure the integrity of the textile supply chains of those countries. </text></subsection><subsection id="id90fadf0470544db293b2b75f99c2adf7" commented="no"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Visits</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide28cc4f39bdb4f5a8a66d0e5d83ef449"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Countries</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Textile production verification teams under subsection (a) shall by deployed to an Americas partner country not less frequently than twice each year.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8a3e125abf6c408da9fe1a25204a2c47" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Companies</header><text>Textile production verification teams under subsection (a) may not visit the same company in consecutive visits to a country unless following up on a previous positive determination of malfeasance. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id57188f2dc098489ab9736c59c3d06a78"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Minimum number of inspections</header><text>Textile production verification teams under subsection (a) shall conduct inspections of not fewer than 15 individual production facilities during each deployment required under paragraph (1). </text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="idb6c468f087c841aabb286ece0072358c"><enum>234.</enum><header>Tax benefits for apparel and home textile products</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0caa65e728fb4d62b6f88a7f5d0c8e07"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Exclusion of income from sales of certain products</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd9291660cae34bae9b35ecad4d641d62"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Part III of subchapter B of <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/26/1">chapter 1</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after section 139I the following new sections:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id25D840461E8A4B2E97D2F4F4C2714C58"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1700ee508fc6415e8521aeffc4bfa089"><enum>139J.</enum><header>Sales of finished textile products imported from qualifying Western Hemisphere countries</header><subsection id="idfacd1a9dab224b8ea2235416351d03fc"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>In the case of a corporation, gross income shall not include any income from the qualifying domestic sale of qualified finished textile products.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8bef8fdec0e84f09a7a37693fceffcc8"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Qualifying domestic sale</header><text>For purposes of this section—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb763ae181cb74b449475f27eae8823c9"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>qualifying domestic sale</term> means any sale or exchange within the United States.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id61B7BF1315DC4B879A4FA677268FCC40" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Related persons</header><subparagraph id="idA8B9D7E37A764830A98B996D02E3DCD6" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Such term shall not include any sale to a related person.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idFC39A094047F4296AE34DF00964E8BD0" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Related person</header><text>For purposes of subparagraph (A), a person shall be treated as related to another person if such persons are treated as a single employer under subsection (a) or (b) of section 52 or subsection (m) or (o) of section 414, except that determinations under subsections (a) and (b) of section 52 shall be made without regard to section 1563(b). </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id5432ab9a8eac44329a6be1127ca811f4"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Qualified finished textile products</header><text>For purposes of this section—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id672415ee7c8d439fb9cfd657ca7b64a4"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>qualified finished textile products</term> means any inventory property (as defined in section 865(i)(1)) which—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idba32c14710e1499998a686cd51f6a246"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is a finished textile product, and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2f049c754d4c42c1846da15373f022f2"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddf79fdfef57e4801a83b9b757a039199"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">an originating good under section 202(c) of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/4531">19 U.S.C. 4531</external-xref>), section 203(b) of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/4033">19 U.S.C. 4033(b)</external-xref>), or a comparable provision of an Act to implement a free trade agreement between the United States and a qualifying Western Hemisphere country, or</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd60b5a02386a4452a938170ab5ba5135"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>an eligible article under section 213 of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703">19 U.S.C. 2703</external-xref>).</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9b793bbabaab47f9ac9b56537f2f6023"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Finished textile product</header><text>The term <term>finished textile product</term> means a product put up for retail sale that is classifiable under chapters 50 through 63 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5fffa3f38a24404484c42a61235b0144"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Qualifying Western Hemisphere country</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline"> The term <term>qualifying Western Hemisphere country</term> means any country—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4fedba20f10d4fabb684c468c17da51d"><enum>(A)</enum><text>which is located in the Western Hemisphere, and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id67c8a5645c13495eb0249c1ab1af0851"><enum>(B)</enum><text>with which the United States has a free trade agreement in effect.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb8e9f14721c74ebeb8a31760df4055df"><enum>139K.</enum><header>Textile fiber products exported to qualifying Western Hemisphere countries</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id31ac6c8b1287433887c207c50beb4d3c"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text>In the case of a corporation, gross income shall not include any income from the qualifying foreign sale of any qualified textile fiber product.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id556E084266A44437941B2106D584A62A"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Qualifying foreign sale</header><text>For purposes of this section—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf1cfb61f5dff4008a3450856d5b2f929"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>qualifying foreign sale</term> means any sale or exchange which the taxpayer establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary is for any use, disposition, or consumption within a qualifying Western Hemisphere country (as defined in section 139J). </text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3913e113e4dc436a9fd74e86fd33dcec"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Special rules</header><text>For purposes of this subsection, rules similar to the rules of subparagraphs (B)(i) and (C)(i) of section 250(b)(5) shall apply.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id708a8fb9e386425d91235854e6babdc0"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Qualified textile fiber product</header><text>For purposes of this section—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id72385e566ee449ae838a0a2927804ea5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>qualifying textile fiber product</term> means any textile fiber product which—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcfea7c99a79d468f9e5c2e625f271392"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">was manufactured, produced, or grown by the taxpayer in whole within the United States, or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7b09e0f103044708a7b6597f7cfe23b1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>is an originating good under section 202(c) of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/4531">19 U.S.C. 4531</external-xref>), section 203(b) of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/4033">19 U.S.C. 4033(b)</external-xref>), or a comparable provision of an Act to implement a free trade agreement between the United States and a qualifying Western Hemisphere country (as defined in section 139J).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9723b3d61745490284f8baab8e781376"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Textile fiber product</header><text>The term <term>textile fiber product</term> means—</text><subparagraph id="id53d454a4ed134549973d55b68e50781b"><enum>(A)</enum><text>any manufactured fiber, whether in the finished or unfinished state, used or intended for use in household or industrial textile articles,</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idb0c0235798814d6ca03b2ac39390ceb9"><enum>(B)</enum><text>any yarn or fabric, whether in the finished or unfinished state, used or intended for use in apparel, household, or industrial textile articles, and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idda8b92bc2d98479280c882a56b3648e8"><enum>(C)</enum><text>any household or industrial textile article made in whole or in part of fiber, yarn, or fabric.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf4ddcdef55ed45c1988d9d476bfb81f8"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Net operating losses</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline"><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/172">Section 172(d)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idA4958EA7B47F4127AD0FC625A7DE333E"><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide2f1ebf3d9da4b50b7739b09273d93be"><enum>(10)</enum><header>Exclusions for certain textile products</header><text>Gross income shall be determined without regard to section 139J and 139K.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="id3378e3c935d84006abb85eb8d9451b55"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections for part III of subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 139I the following new items:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="idfbfd08c1-851b-4130-9f1d-abfe47a27b64"><toc><toc-entry level="section" idref="id1700ee508fc6415e8521aeffc4bfa089">Sec. 139J. Sales of finished textile products imported from qualifying Western Hemisphere countries. </toc-entry><toc-entry level="section" idref="idb8e9f14721c74ebeb8a31760df4055df">Sec. 139K. Textile fiber products exported to qualifying Western Hemisphere countries.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5ea30ecf9505475ca78efece7761d216"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendments made by this subsection shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id30946ecc1e054e71aa19f182dbe0d929"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Deduction for domestic production of textile fiber products</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id219a834ae09d4014abe1037028336621"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Part VIII of subchapter B of <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/26/1">chapter 1</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3189B83B4C034C38BD755664D81F36F2"><section id="id3adb523992db4d008e42e3dbbf7dd213"><enum>251.</enum><header>Income attributable to domestic textile production activities</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id265432cdfca646908ac9a8ac9f74a521"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>In the case of a corporation, there shall be allowed as a deduction an amount equal to 9 percent of the lesser of—</text><paragraph id="idca9fdf8181b146cfa5e900f6a8ede64e"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the qualified textile production activities income of the taxpayer for the taxable year, or</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide59fc0953bd644ecbe083d756ca0f7c8"><enum>(2)</enum><text>taxable income (determined without regard to this section) for the taxable year. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id393c306b44af43fd9f2e9fe44659b989"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Deduction limited to wages paid</header><paragraph id="idb7616a9a279549659ed0c75600735b15"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The amount of the deduction allowable under subsection (a) for any taxable year shall not exceed 50 percent of the W–2 wages of the taxpayer for the taxable year.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id290ad9a864f5453f96ae2793467e3d16"><enum>(2)</enum><header>W–<enum-in-header>2</enum-in-header> wages</header><text>For purposes of this section—</text><subparagraph id="id554d3c6f8bc64a368391e5c5ca240a94"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>W–2 wages</term> means, with respect to any person for any taxable year of such person, the sum of the amounts described in paragraphs (3) and (8) of section 6051(a) paid by such person with respect to employment of employees by such person during the calendar year ending during such taxable year.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id6fdd25f534434b248fe89e9ba8caad5f"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Limitation to wages attributable to domestic textile production</header><text>Such term shall not include any amount which is not properly allocable to domestic textile production gross receipts for purposes of subsection (c)(1).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idee0affeb188a4724b7f4058b800a5125"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Return requirement</header><text>Such term shall not include any amount which is not properly included in a return filed with the Social Security Administration on or before the 60th day after the due date (including extensions) for such return.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id70b1b5fa658a4422a85fb1aff2ccd702"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Acquisitions, dispositions, and short taxable years</header><text>The Secretary shall provide for the application of this subsection in cases of a short taxable year or where the taxpayer acquires, or disposes of, the major portion of a trade or business or the major portion of a separate unit of a trade or business during the taxable year. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id321d7a00ff12499194802e901feb75e2"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Qualified textile production activities income</header><text>For purposes of this section—</text><paragraph id="idb1ac2b18ef354247a6730bbdebcf3193"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>qualified textile production activities income</term> for any taxable year means an amount equal to the excess (if any) of—</text><subparagraph id="idd5b50ab94e8c413f9f6bb786c9acd7a3"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the taxpayer's domestic textile production gross receipts for such taxable year, over</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id056460282d364e4daeef8d46ddf41854"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the sum of—</text><clause id="idc6fec147e3ce4ec59bdc2b39c7cff361"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the cost of goods sold that are allocable to such receipts, and</text></clause><clause id="idec4a28960d5548b7a4a91595758b2c8c"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>other expenses, losses, or deductions (other than the deduction allowed under this section), which are properly allocable to such receipts.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idcaff40581d7042ff809d7bac3a1a8f45"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Allocation method</header><text>The Secretary shall prescribe rules for the proper allocation of items described in paragraph (1) for purposes of determining qualified textile production activities income. Such rules shall provide for the proper allocation of items whether or not such items are directly allocable to domestic textile production gross receipts.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idbeea881a2af9428092aeaf071c52e84d" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Special rules for determining costs</header><subparagraph id="id52b607e6d1e44fe38d0b37ee1f3f8666" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For purposes of determining costs under clause (i) of paragraph (1)(B), any item or service brought into the United States shall be treated as acquired by purchase, and its cost shall be treated as not less than its value immediately after it entered the United States. A similar rule shall apply in determining the adjusted basis of leased or rented property where the lease or rental gives rise to domestic textile production gross receipts.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5c9fe1aadb784e909adf2aaaa0921ccc" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Exports for further manufacture</header><text>In the case of any property described in subparagraph (A) that had been exported by the taxpayer for further manufacture, the increase in cost or adjusted basis under subparagraph (A) shall not exceed the difference between the value of the property when exported and the value of the property when brought back into the United States after the further manufacture.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id1bff04281dd2481a8a48d66ba5f80fdc"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Domestic textile production gross receipts</header><subparagraph id="idaa27658c05d94788afb94027e6e8d50d"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>domestic textile production gross receipts</term> means the gross receipts of the taxpayer which are derived from any lease, rental, license, sale, exchange, or other disposition of textile fiber product (as defined in section 139K) which was manufactured, produced, or grown by the taxpayer in whole or in significant part within the United States.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id6bb1e48be0484250964aa126299babb7"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Exception</header><text>Such term shall not include any gross receipts—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd7764911c0aa42359968363ef970b7c7"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">from the qualifying foreign sale (as defined in section 139K) of qualifying textile fiber products (as defined in such section), or</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7a58197a698e4c2e93d5498ce799fb30"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>from activities described in section 199B(b)(1)(A).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id31f5ba5685c3410590b32a1c8f49a826" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Special rule for certain government contracts</header><text>Gross receipts derived from the manufacture or production of any property described in subparagraph (A) shall be treated as meeting the requirements of subparagraph (A) if—</text><clause id="id76b782556db346958d8500ea6365b25d" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>such property is manufactured or produced by the taxpayer pursuant to a contract with the Federal Government, and</text></clause><clause id="idabd03fcaec7a4333915a6df3df4abd89" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the Federal Acquisition Regulation requires that title or risk of loss with respect to such property be transferred to the Federal Government before the manufacture or production of such property is complete.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id06a350a97364460b85288b38c0fdf1bf" commented="no"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Partnerships owned by expanded affiliated groups</header><text>For purposes of this paragraph, if all of the interests in the capital and profits of a partnership are owned by members of a single expanded affiliated group at all times during the taxable year of such partnership, the partnership and all members of such group shall be treated as a single taxpayer during such period. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id4ac08fe76cc049348cc0d2c48ebdb89c"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Related persons</header><subparagraph id="id845cbda837d843bd8aad4c010b236f82"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The term <term>domestic textile production gross receipts</term> shall not include any gross receipts of the taxpayer derived from property leased, licensed, or rented by the taxpayer for use by any related person.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4a4a741f43744a8180e5c5cc764de188"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Related person</header><text>For purposes of subparagraph (A), a person shall be treated as related to another person if such persons are treated as a single employer under subsection (a) or (b) of section 52 or subsection (m) or (o) of section 414, except that determinations under subsections (a) and (b) of section 52 shall be made without regard to section 1563(b). </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id597e7d95b35948eb9747acef43067a25"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Definitions and special rules</header><paragraph id="id25ccdadb41a842769532bb0abecd5f48"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Special rule for affiliated groups</header><subparagraph id="id9f8e67adf5e542d99db796ee6e7a0e81"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>All members of an expanded affiliated group shall be treated as a single corporation for purposes of this section.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id60fc22ba048341b7b6c247bab37cdd2d"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Expanded affiliated group</header><text>For purposes of this section, the term <term>expanded affiliated group</term> means an affiliated group as defined in section 1504(a), determined—</text><clause id="id46dd320c84f9490482b775a9436674ea"><enum>(i)</enum><text>by substituting <quote>more than 50 percent</quote> for <quote>at least 80 percent</quote> each place it appears, and</text></clause><clause id="ida8b53e5dd2a34d4081d7019c62a705a1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>without regard to paragraphs (2) and (4) of section 1504(b).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id39a151a00cd042b0ae9cc58d75303907"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Allocation of deduction</header><text>Except as provided in regulations, the deduction under subsection (a) shall be allocated among the members of the expanded affiliated group in proportion to each member's respective amount (if any) of qualified textile production activities income.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="iddd516b7ac1044dcb83fe76d508a4e6c0"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Trade or business requirement</header><text>This section shall be applied by only taking into account items which are attributable to the actual conduct of a trade or business.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id840cee573f55441e9130450796aea578"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Unrelated business taxable income</header><text>For purposes of determining the tax imposed by section 511, subsection (a)(1)(B) shall be applied by substituting <quote>unrelated business taxable income</quote> for <quote>taxable income</quote>.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idf8635a77ee8f4a1ba54e3997dc22241e"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Regulations</header><text>The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including regulations which prevent more than 1 taxpayer from being allowed a deduction under this section with respect to any activity described in subsection (c)(4)(A).</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="iddcadd1e0d20943108a07df8470bdf1b0"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Conforming amendments</header><subparagraph id="id17bf2cdbf03b47b3b7ef25b474177779"><enum>(A)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="idd95234643c7e4ede8fe77f2a257ff946"><enum>(i)</enum><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/74">Section 74(d)(2)(B)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting <quote>251,</quote> after <quote>221,</quote>.</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5bfc0a93b53e4f38914048363540974c" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>Section 246(b)(1) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>251,</quote> after <quote>243(a)(1),</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="idf6a6e5b04f8a45a0aee500fb2c481f82" indent="up1"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>Section 469(i)(3)(E)(iii) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>251,</quote> after <quote>250,</quote>.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6e763bde43d84178a40632efcdd0edce"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Section 170(b)(2)(D) of such Code is amended by striking the period at the end of clause (v) and inserting <quote>, and</quote> and by adding at the end the following new clause:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idADF658D2D77F4C2B81EE7579E913CF30"><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfb792a3f17bd420faf2244342a877c36"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>section 251.</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2fabcc073a654daaa6d3ee1ab32d366a"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Section 172(d) of such Code, as amended by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idF28A2B6CCD9F4867A4E0D133161093DE"><paragraph id="id02640bbe399148d7aef1eadffe292dfe"><enum>(11)</enum><text>The deduction under section 251 shall not be allowed.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc47609b0a0fb4e7495cb5092cdef2e2e"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections for part VIII of subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="idac9f78ae-f9f3-4816-a25e-8c58c9449a32"><toc><toc-entry level="section" idref="id3adb523992db4d008e42e3dbbf7dd213">Sec. 251. Income attributable to domestic textile production activities.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaccd52bc79be4a918dd9fa12c5363907"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendments made by this subsection shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc47f28eca0dc4484981aad7fc14603c2"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Deduction for reused and recycled textiles</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb23475099fcd4af280f055377cea8708"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Part VI of subchapter B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id34F75432EC454AFF9878768C9B5352BD"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd2bbaec01a744f189899aa212a6a85e6"><enum>199B.</enum><header>Textile reuse and recycling activity income</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id42e5fb0007f34b19ae1db56a4d7af3fc"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There shall be allowed a deduction equal to 15 percent of the qualified textile reuse and recycling activity income of the taxpayer for the taxable year.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id91b4d415cef84d6c8406abcee496575b"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Qualified textile reuse and recycling activity income</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of this section—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3c166b60ae0a496e89c9813243366dc7"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>qualified textile reuse and recycling activity income</term> means the excess (if any) of—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id24ee488676b6462792dec864049baa27"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the gross income of the taxpayer derived in the course of a trade or business from—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id97f4a91331a7488bad8957e10987b4e1"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the resale, repair, rental, or remanufacturing of finished textile products,</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaf6a9090c7c74348ae17d623b9f9b74f"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the transformation of otherwise unsalable textile fiber products into new finished or unfinished goods,</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide90d7c34534b4d9ebc4570cb17d25f89"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the collection of textile fiber products,</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7fbdf5713c634cff96d9bf3d8bd25287"><enum>(iv)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the sorting of finished textile products and textile fiber products for activities described in clause (i) or (ii), and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5046ea9a442a4a81bfe3318c054933b1"><enum>(v)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the preparation of textile fiber products for activities described in clause (ii), over</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id932838b6417f40329a2186db1e95ba7d"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the deductions (including taxes) properly allocable to such gross income.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6e69c413800f4254968f6fe6aa16d0a8"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Finished textile products</header><text>The term <term>finished textile products</term> has the meaning given such term under section 139J(c).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id629533eb56c6454c8406a8fe17b911b7"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Textile fiber products</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>textile fiber products</term> has the meaning given such term under section 139K(c).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idae85ee8797be4df086330a6ce3bac774"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Special rules</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id94c6c8e8f0714a62b45f316a10e73c6c"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Application to partnerships and S corporations</header><text>In the case of a partnership or S corporation—</text><subparagraph id="id8f2bc28148b64522840c2cae62cd0542"><enum>(A)</enum><text>this section shall be applied at the partner or shareholder level, and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idbd436ddf040646a68c8082282add1bc1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>each partner or shareholder shall take into account such person's allocable share of each qualified item of income, gain, deduction, and loss.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf0703191bf9c4a49bebc322fd90099f8"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Coordination with minimum tax</header><text>For purposes of determining alternative minimum taxable income under section 55, qualified textile reuse and recycling activity income shall be determined without regard to any adjustments under sections 56 through 59.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6e6bcc54ed3a48118f5902252fc1367b"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Coordination with deduction for qualified business income</header><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/199A">Section 199A(c)(3)(B)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by redesignating clause (vii) as clause (viii) and by inserting after clause (vi) the following new clause:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idA3D8489CD78741B695BA0E204F24CB7D"><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id77933a62ced14ee88ec1b7ad4eb06851"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>Any item of income, gain, deduction, or loss taken into account under section 199B(b)(1).</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id78424150d77247daa4f7be904ad5cd9c"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Conforming amendments</header><subparagraph id="id7d00d4653685480ba9f5d7fea2d6f3e3"><enum>(A)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="idda36a34815a24a8a8e66e33d2f66acef"><enum>(i)</enum><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/74">Section 74(d)(2)(B)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting <quote>199B,</quote> after <quote>137,</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="idfa9a533464f34742a9e94cca78da4501" indent="up1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>Section 86(b)(2)(A) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>199B,</quote> after <quote>137,</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="id1ff2cbc83afe44a68bdf3031ae9bcad8" indent="up1"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>Section 135(c)(4)(A) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>199B,</quote> after <quote>137,</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="id89f3ddb5f250459383944bedd5b5fd71" commented="no" indent="up1"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>Section 137(b)(3)(A) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>199B,</quote> before <quote>221,</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="id084783d43c1c41f6893f5414ae0b6460" commented="no" indent="up1"><enum>(v)</enum><text>Section 219(g)(3)(A)(ii) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>199B,</quote> after <quote>137,</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="id4d8c6ff798784b0dbd6e98d5ee073c91" commented="no" indent="up1"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>Section 221(b)(2)(C)(i) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>199B,</quote> before <quote>911,</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="id95b4b66d4b4b4c09b360afcf06ff0612" commented="no" indent="up1"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>Section 246(b)(1) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>199B,</quote> after <quote>199A,</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="ida20d551236e440929b8373212d3a8c40" commented="no" indent="up1"><enum>(viii)</enum><text>Section 469(i)(3)(E)(iii) of such Code is amended by inserting <quote>199B,</quote> before <quote>219,</quote>.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id35cb8f8d4d61472484a3aea15f633bce" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Section 170(b)(2)(D) of such Code, as amended by subsection (b), is amended by striking the period at the end of clause (vi) and inserting <quote>, and</quote> and by adding at the end the following new clause:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1f1978e485cd444aa8b38b867ba8bc06"><clause id="id5e8ff2f8d57d4345a71bfb9d9eb52d58" commented="no"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>section 199B.</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9eae344028e34ee7a2a19a02af4fc286" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Section 172(d) of such Code, as amended by subsection (b), is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd78d5314e34b4566979e8c4446249919"><paragraph id="idc137b9232b834106aa55e3a3870fcd51"><enum>(12)</enum><text>The deduction under section 199B shall not be allowed.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7ea115768a5a41cb8d0f3e349b21e6b2"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections for part VI of subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="id1010755e-6a6c-42fa-a67f-27e6c32358d5"><toc><toc-entry level="section" idref="idd2bbaec01a744f189899aa212a6a85e6">Sec. 199B. Textile reuse and recycling activity income.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="id1b603ceb461846b38674ace6dfddb42a" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(5)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Effective date</header><text>The amendments made by this subsection shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. </text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id51ca8e572ff94039ae36c2cbafe54dd2"><enum>235.</enum><header>Treatment of fibers, fabrics, and yarns not available in commercial quantities in Americas partner countries</header><subsection id="id7d75bb82e46140af8101e04279407648"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Modifications to commercial availability request procedures</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id287a39ee8efe4864aa717ecb4cb57b4a"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Regulations on approval of commercial availability requests</header><text>Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements established by Executive Order 11651 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/1854">7 U.S.C. 1854</external-xref> note) (in this section referred to as the <quote>Committee</quote>) shall prescribe regulations—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id664da43b2d9f48c1844c30475ab0833b"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">specifying the necessary conditions for the approval, in limited quantities, of commercial availability requests under existing and future free trade agreements with countries in the Western Hemisphere; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaabd214a4f0848d4803f1f21fa8e2129"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">providing for procedures for the approval of those requests.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id787395a59d3047cbbcba79b4259ebc36"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Requirement to produce samples relating to commercial availability requests</header><text>The Committee shall seek to modify procedures relating to commercial availability requests under free trade agreements in effect as of the date of the enactment of this Act with countries in the Western Hemisphere to require a producer of a fiber, yarn, or fabric that is the subject of such a request to produce a physical sample of the fiber, yarn, or fabric to its exact specification not later than 90 days after receiving a request to prove production capability.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idf4703a6d3ca64fc796eca18256697e68"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Applicability of modifications</header><text>A modification to conditions or procedures relating to commercial availability requests under paragraph (1) or (2) may only be applied to a commercial availability request relating to fiber, yarn, or fabric that will be used for further production in an Americas partner country.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id8c04f734f7f341e79b293c9facd0c6b4"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Study on consideration of price in commercial availability requests</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id47134addb06b4f5d99389ec62d67f003"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States International Trade Commission (in this section referred to as the <quote>Commission</quote>) shall—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id40531cd09a8d456cb3adc39f438d6dcf"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">conduct a study on if and how price should be among the criteria considered by the Committee when determining commercial availability of a fiber, yarn, or fabric in response to a commercial availability request; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id80c47b3394294495bacf931d48b3bbb9"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id942ccf1c9f984c3eab4265b7c439df25"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">submit a report on the results of the study to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives; and </text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4a1738a773464b7d8cf92eb393816501"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">publish the report on a publicly accessible internet website of the Commission. </text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id376cad9598d042e7b9363b4da71c1aaf"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Requirements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In conducting the study required by paragraph (1), the Commission shall—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id57b057a71e7b4494ab01e3ade49c8a6f"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">assess fibers, yarns, and fabrics individually; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id22fecb2300174dbfb7e87103788c3090"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">consider not fewer than 10 fibers, 10 yarns, and 10 fabrics, for sufficient sampling comparison.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idac5ee9879a80460eb7a20fc4dffee52a"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Americas partner country commercial availability list</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5b48b007a1354205a046cb815759680b"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce established under section 203(a) shall, as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, establish an Americas partner country commercial availability list for textile articles described in paragraph (2) and known, as of such date of enactment, to not be commercially available within Americas partner countries for purposes of commercial availability requests.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id853f2bde56ac4946ba63985d68184201"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Textile articles described</header><text>Textile articles described in this paragraph are the following:</text><subparagraph id="idcaa51287cd5a4f05815a7606c19e6646"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Articles listed in Annex 3.25 of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id13544a7fe1f74ad3907cd5bdd4ec8e50"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Articles listed in Annex 3–B of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id2335f9bceb5a47a58f8decf841d9691b"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Articles listed in Annex 3.25 of the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id493f12724d274efa89cf61ddf0646d35"><enum>(D)</enum><text>Articles listed in Annex 3–B of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5ecd09c7c86c46a68338d67ee711afd4" commented="no"><enum>(E)</enum><text>Articles listed in Appendix 1 to Annex 4–A of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9614b0a3f04645dca21953ba88d5d3b6"><enum>(F)</enum><text>Certain knit fabrics of 100 percent man-made fiber fleece classified under subheading 6001.22.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf28fb50308d14c4a812a868a54022492"><enum>(G)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Certain woven fabrics of 100 percent polyester classified under subheading 5407.52 of that Schedule.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id51c51445eafb4ec6aaf43fe48129e1da"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Automatic additions</header><text>An article described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (2) after the date of the enactment of this Act shall automatically be added to the list established under paragraph (1).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idc5460de1ad9e42b5b6fd7fe12aff4414"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Time on list</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id60c8fb45d4bc4f8ea52971b40446276f"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An article described in any of subparagraphs (E) through (G) of paragraph (2) shall be removed from the list established under paragraph (1) on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act unless—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4c917793953248a98351aa153e6976be"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by that date, the article is covered by an annex specified in any of subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (2) or a comparable annex of a free trade agreement with a country in the Western Hemisphere entered into after such date of enactment; or</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idea07bf25028841fe8a7c4557eb25f256"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the Commissioner determines under subparagraph (B) that the article remains commercially unavailable in Americas partner countries.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbe8e53d3ffcb4259b30c4874aa5efbb1"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Investigation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">After an article described in any of subparagraphs (E) through (G) of paragraph (2) has been on the list established under paragraph (1) for 4 years, the Commission may investigate whether the article remains commercially unavailable in Americas partner countries.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idd3799f5c196c4f9aacd896f64b33fc30"><enum>(5)</enum><header>International Trade Commission determination</header><text>Upon the request of a producer, in an Americas partner country, of an article on the list established under paragraph (1), the Deputy Under Secretary shall remove the article from the list if—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd5e306f50f2b417294dec5a5b9402ccc"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the Commission determines the article is commercially available in the United States; or </text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id46f3433fd84e44b79daf8de93a851e21"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">not later than 90 days after submitting the request, the producer can provide to the Commission a physical sample to prove production capability.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id0e46fe20a8f9409486df34216615072b" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(6)</enum><header>People’s Republic of China product exception</header><text>Fibers, yarns, and fabrics originating from the People’s Republic of China, as determined pursuant to section 102.21 of title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), are not eligible, in whole or in part, for inclusion on the list established under paragraph (1). </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idba27137b1280426b8d444d3ddd054700"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Commercial availability request defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>commercial availability request</term> means a request to modify the rules of origin with respect to a textile article under a free trade agreement to address the lack of commercial availability of a fiber, yarn, or fabric in the countries that are parties to the agreement. </text></subsection></section></chapter><chapter id="id4112396c69514011bac7588f02da9047" style="OLC"><enum>4</enum><header>Trade enforcement</header><section id="id86242b2ae822492f925887faf1db59aa"><enum>241.</enum><header>Establishment of special enforcement unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to monitor the implementation of Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act</header><subsection id="id3cacf9abca8044bd896809698e79a99c"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text>There is established in the Office of International Affairs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection a special enforcement unit tasked with monitoring the implementation by the United States of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to ensure that goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China do not enter the United States market, and for other purposes</quote>, approved December 23, 2021 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/117/78">Public Law 117–78</external-xref>; 135 Stat. 1525) (commonly referred to as the <quote>Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act</quote>).</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8f4214b4fef64967ab4c66602a9ec95c"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Coordination</header><text>The special enforcement unit established under subsection (a) shall coordinate with the trade remedy law enforcement unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.</text></subsection><subsection id="id120b76e0f9654561853935f6fdc11ad2"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Staff</header><paragraph id="id6c6c7f1ce34f41a9a5aadaeaef69bd39"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Agents</header><text>The special enforcement unit established under subsection (a) shall deploy agents as necessary for the effective functioning of the unit.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8e30cc30309c4beba89fe57551b1afbb"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Positions at embassies</header><text>The special enforcement unit established under subsection (a) may deploy permanent NSDD–38 positions stationed at each embassy of the United States in an Americas partner country for the coordination of the efforts of the unit.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="idbea687c297a94d42a936b0b26f0d35cc"><enum>242.</enum><header>Authorization of payments to whistleblowers relating to money laundering or illicit financial transactions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations may pay to whistleblowers who disclose to the Secretary of Homeland Security any violations of laws prohibiting money laundering or illicit financial transactions an amount not to exceed 30 percent of the value of any assets seized in connection with such violations.</text></section><section id="idefef2322232e4eb79c7426de73d60cbd"><enum>243.</enum><header>Establishment of borders and ports protection program</header><subsection id="idfa8d48cc2f2f4dfd843ff41241c61769"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Commissioner, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the heads of such other Federal agencies as the President considers appropriate, shall establish a program to be known as the Borders and Ports Protection Program (referred to in this section as the <quote>Program</quote>).</text></subsection><subsection id="ide19aefdb25dc47329f1ba54c26e15aa0"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Borders and ports protection unit</header><paragraph id="id32195075f4384b9dbc351e29470fe8df"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Under the Program, the Commissioner shall assist Americas partner countries selected by the Commissioner in the establishment of a borders and ports protection unit.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="iddbf5ab6032a848e6838f436b24f31f2c"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Consultation with congress</header><text>In selecting Americas partner countries under paragraph (1), the Commissioner shall consult with Congress.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idb9712367b25c4b66a99910e61e551b22"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Elements of Program</header><text>In carrying out the Program, the Commissioner may support the efforts of customs administrations and border security agencies of Americas partner countries selected under subsection (b) to create a borders and ports protection unit composed of a sufficient number of officers, including officers of the United States and officers of the Americas partner country, as identified by the Commissioner, who will—</text><paragraph id="idf1b40320e2ce45029fbaafcf38177b78"><enum>(1)</enum><text>report to the local customs administrations and border security agencies in that country;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ideb0ed72b394f4651868785f95ee8f738"><enum>(2)</enum><text>be responsible for surge support and physical protection of borders, ports, strategic depots, hubs, and key commodities, such as basic foodstuffs, gasoline, diesel, and other strategic goods, in that country;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idcdadba27e329444692235d8f736c467b"><enum>(3)</enum><text>under the authority of officials in that country, carry out non-investigative customs functions, such as—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5d449cad193c4cb29bb6580db6ef61ae"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">ensuring the effective continuity of port operations;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9dfeb31d6bd94f1fa91c754e9b357d68"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">facilitating legitimate trade and commerce; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd178eb89b7094fafb494ee9754d3bab6"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">detecting and interdicting customs violations, such as illicit smuggling of contraband; </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id0fe75842c8a7469a9571f2836dfd9add"><enum>(4)</enum><text>when cross-border violations of law are identified, notify and coordinate directly with customs and other law enforcement and security agencies in that country that are responsible for conducting investigations of illicit cross-border smuggling offenses;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idfbb726d49e154f7b89ec63175ed8c65e"><enum>(5)</enum><text>refer cross-border violations of law to the Transnational Criminal Investigative Units of Homeland Security Investigations; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbfada6404a2242d4bd06959b286005da"><enum>(6)</enum><text>carry out any other duties identified by the Commissioner.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id27e49734325f40a180789b043665eed4"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Transnational Criminal Investigative Units</header><text>The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations, shall establish Transnational Criminal Investigative Units in each Americas partner country.</text></subsection><subsection id="id0d7c5acc050340768cc7b17dcf11a32a"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Training and equipment</header><text>To the extent authorized under existing provisions of law, the Commissioner may provide to an Americas partner country selected under subsection (b) training, oversight, equipment, and remuneration from U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the purposes specified in subsection (c) to provide lethal and non-lethal assistance, such as training and equipment, including personal protective equipment, armored vehicles, and weapons, to entities that are—</text><paragraph id="idba742950b0724dc384106c84fd0726ac"><enum>(1)</enum><text>identified by the local customs offices in that country;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id035e3e71433c497ba6429d8d24d98c80"><enum>(2)</enum><text>coordinated and deconflicted through the law enforcement working group of the United States Embassy in that country; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idd1b3b984e45848499335312ed2d5dbb6"><enum>(3)</enum><text>approved by the Commissioner.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id63a304aa70da4f6db1a1b325b2a2b502"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Management</header><paragraph id="id1934cadee54046cfb39fbdbefe1eeae9"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Under the Program, the Commissioner, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall—</text><subparagraph id="id7eb1e69100c442969f0cdb87596f8479"><enum>(A)</enum><text>deploy officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to each Americas partner country selected under subsection (b), who shall—</text><clause id="idf507b7db81e74e52a2f0c3ad56103bf0"><enum>(i)</enum><text>report to the chief of mission;</text></clause><clause id="idf467c14e9b3b416abc72d58eae259ff0"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>monitor the activities, on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security, of the borders and ports protection unit of that country;</text></clause><clause id="idde32d527874e4d8e85ed24b61b2f29bc"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>coordinate activities with—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1eae4a4b87a44a97905a2012948de800"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the law enforcement working group of the United States Embassy in that country;</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ideff10dbf11624322b9d5a1a21f566bb4"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the attache of Homeland Security Investigations covering that country; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id926a75bf3fa04c5d877dd61cd7941c2e"><enum>(III)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit for that country;</text></subclause></clause><clause id="idad7ed2df62214b43811562e52f8f8387"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>coordinate and deconflict all training and equipment requests with the law enforcement working group of the United States Embassy in that country and the attache of Homeland Security Investigations covering that country; and</text></clause><clause id="idd0a0acb0c9134f5fa0b39ebecef67d15"><enum>(v)</enum><text>ensure that all cross-border violations of law are referred for investigation to the Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit for that country; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id94d6b3ab443244f3abe691a1f4a1be57"><enum>(B)</enum><text>hire a defense contractor that has completed all registrations and clearances required by the United States Government to deploy a team of armed experts to assist in the recruitment, vetting, and training of agents of the borders and ports protection unit of that country.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idc319b2d8cdaa44f9a422c45ce9e35013"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Hiring of agents</header><text>When possible, the Secretary shall hire agents for the borders and ports protection unit of an Americas partner country selected under subsection (b) from among agents of the security services of that country.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id4dc4499eca194810a60667847ec4c2d2"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Security issues</header><text>The Secretary of State shall enhance the security of borders and ports protection units established under this section by following the model of the Special Program for Embassy Augmentation Response (SPEAR) used by the Diplomatic Security Service to protect embassies of the United States and other facilities in high-threat environments.</text></subsection><subsection id="id540bcdb320e34fd59a9dbd2928d8df79"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Remuneration</header><text>Under the Program, the Secretary of State, working through the contractor hired pursuant to subsection (f)(1)(B), shall provide appropriate remuneration for agents of borders and ports protection units, including—</text><paragraph id="idaed5ba8d19f347fab61d83ab718564c8"><enum>(1)</enum><text>wages based on appropriate pay scales of the United Nations; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id6b5bc7ae3fa6410ea64ba779b58a3031"><enum>(2)</enum><text>a life insurance policy.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id460c460f4f20460a9160b0078c98bd2f"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Designation of units in non-Americas partner countries</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc24866af255a454cbcff40c3f2026814"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except as provided in paragraph (2), the President may designate a borders and ports protection unit under the Program in a country that is not an Americas partner country selected under subsection (b) if the President determines that it is in the national security interest of the United States to do so.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbad7e4ceba94466ab1b0b428c3894348"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Exception</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The President may not designate a borders and ports protection unit under the Program in a country that is a member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id6e95f80628434c749667da2547359d96"><enum>(j)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report on the Program.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf4c2de4a83a241c0ab042731aea7cf8e"><enum>(k)</enum><header>Commissioner defined</header><text>In this section, the term <term>Commissioner</term> means the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.</text></subsection></section><section id="id2f46ad60fef9408bb9e065c36c6ebc24"><enum>244.</enum><header>Establishment of mutual recognition agreements and trade transparency units</header><subsection id="id8867088D1A0E4361A405ADF07C19B619"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>If not already in place with respect to an Americas partner country, not later than one year after entering into a partnership agreement pursuant to section 201 with that country, the Commissioner shall establish a mutual recognition agreement and a trade transparency unit with the customs administration of that country as part of the ongoing Customs and Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. </text></subsection><subsection id="id44FE3B0EE17D4E6A9010E6C83427DB2C"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Process</header><text>Immediately upon the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner shall begin an expedited process of establishing mutual recognition agreements and trade transparency units between the United States and customs offices of Americas partner countries. </text></subsection><subsection id="idd51556c3794c41558f2f8ded633c0afe"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Interoperability of agreements</header><text>The Commissioner, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, shall ensure that data sharing conducted under a mutual recognition agreement established under this section is interoperable with the e-governance system established under title I. </text></subsection><subsection id="id31a87abcdfba49c6aba182f897029ab3"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Harmonization of data collected under agreements</header><text>In coordination with the Americas Partnership Business Advisory Board established under section 202, trade and customs bodies shall harmonize collected data under mutual recognition agreements entered into under this section, including data related to the following:</text><paragraph id="idb6c376ced3644c26af6cadbc37f0ca78"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Weight.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id17027da72f5a437191d63befe7c7320c"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Quantity.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9544a46ffe1e448d93b001e6e3119aa0"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Value.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2bf36fdf1b794c2d9cad765b6d2b8ee6"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Elements necessary for imports and exports.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idfb7fcda8766e41bf9321b7fbcd963a41"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Common identifiers matching imports and exports. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id7C75DF1B7AE04F8F8436DDE79F47A392"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="id31788E81E2C84FEF9AEE2FE61F50CAE0"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Commissioner</header><text>The term <term>Commissioner</term> means the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2FA792597FD34C78891FC06EA71D744E" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Mutual recognition agreement</header><text>The term <term>mutual recognition agreement</term> means a document of arrangement between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and a customs administration of a foreign country that provides the platform for the exchange of membership information and recognizes the compatibility of the respective supply chain security programs of that country and the United States. </text></paragraph></subsection></section></chapter></subtitle><subtitle id="idA01FC57EB8E4447E96F8EF6D1ABA3DA6" style="OLC"><enum>C</enum><header>Investment</header><section id="id9795AC06883747ADA124623FB8654586"><enum>251.</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">It is the sense of Congress that—</text><paragraph id="id5A91766A45224750A096D2A410CB29E9"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Americas partner countries need significant investment in infrastructure and trade ecosystems to compete in the 21st century; </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id5625EF78EC3A40F387E15E03668113AC"><enum>(2)</enum><text>slave-based subsidized trade in the People's Republic of China takes advantage of such need, abusing the principles of free trade to advance the national security interests of the People's Republic of China and predate upon other countries;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id84cc231a8c8c4c06822b79cccc1912d9"><enum>(3)</enum><text>environmental degradation by the People's Republic of China, especially through dirty, coal-produced electricity, gives products manufactured in the People's Republic of China an unfair advantage over products manufactured in countries with internationally accepted environmental standards;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idcfb678dc6e684ed0aa90fdec3d2fac55"><enum>(4)</enum><text>theft of intellectual property rights, World Trade Organization violations, and other abuses by the People's Republic of China make competition with the Government of the People's Republic of China and state-owned entities unbalanced;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id5932EB3EB0CA4721B1A4CC2A6D190C28"><enum>(5)</enum><text>a trade-based response to the trade behavior of the People's Republic of China, which uses corruption and perverse incentives, must include investment incentives, retaliatory tariffs, fixing the de minimis trade loophole found in section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/1321">19 U.S.C. 1321</external-xref>), which is effectively a free trade agreement with the Chinese Communist Party, and other offsets to catalyze movement of supply chains and productivity back to the Western Hemisphere; and </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id78987119B56345E5BF197C86884E7C03"><enum>(6)</enum><text>promoting development and challenging the People's Republic of China will require flexibility, responsiveness, creativity, and risk-taking, which are the ethos of the investment corporation.</text></paragraph></section><section id="idD751493438F54BC0AE5B33AC3D53780F"><enum>252.</enum><header>BUILD Americas Unit</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Title I of the BUILD Act of 2018 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/9611">22 U.S.C. 9611 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</text><quoted-block id="idC87B56D9D8344E639CF7A61C208F4ECE" display-inline="no-display-inline" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section" id="ide9e916001fc442c696ca2afb21f8a0f8"><enum>1416.</enum><header>BUILD Americas Unit</header><subsection id="idD5783A3ABCEB4EB9A4AE453336A98E97"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text>There is established in the Corporation a BUILD Americas Unit (in this division referred to as the <quote>Unit</quote>).</text></subsection><subsection id="idB0AD669C9FD941F094634A8D64F36D6D"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Purpose</header><text>The purposes of the Unit are as follows:</text><paragraph id="id8B04DB9554774FAE8DC413571E7EE89C"><enum>(1)</enum><text>To advance the interests of the United States Government.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idA1AE2DCE8B3341648851CF20D76E8655"><enum>(2)</enum><text>To near-shore industries from the People's Republic of China. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8B7258CE6AEF4B7F985654E359643FF3"><enum>(3)</enum><text>To support the development of large scale infrastructure ecosystems for the purposes of rapid industrialization of the Western Hemisphere. </text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcae16d219fe04fd3a86a08e4dc35a4af"><enum>(4)</enum><text>To support the relocation of strategic supply chains (as that term is defined in section 254 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id833894e8d1ff4e25b00ddcd04067e9d7"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Countries of operation</header><text>The Unit shall operate in all Americas partner countries (as that term is defined in section 2 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>), without regard to the income limitations described in section 1412(c)(2).</text></subsection><subsection id="idc78d7c00a4b64fd5b0d974b2dc20108e"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>Such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section shall be made available from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 and the amounts authorized under section 212(a)(2) of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>.</text></subsection><subsection id="idFA6C3411E5C0470783D3040520D54139"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Deputy Chief Executive Officer</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb0d37967c0b1499f8ee019ce312d805b"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Appointment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There shall be in the Unit, a Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Americas (in this section referred to as the <quote>Deputy Chief</quote>), who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall report to the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for the Americas Partnership.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idca114cd0fdab4ab3a4c5676b02bbbbf1"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Compensation</header><text>The Deputy Chief shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to level I of the Executive Schedule under section 5312 of title 5, United States Code.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idAA2749BF290A4CA782B07EEA4D4B1AF2"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Personnel management authority</header><paragraph id="id0D1905E62DAE45CC8DE367B905BEA381"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Staffing</header><subparagraph id="idE30717D86F91440BAAFC25657FF3A5EA"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Without regard to any provision of title 5, United States Code, governing the appointment of employees in the civil service, the Deputy Chief may appoint—</text><clause id="id05C317C3416E4D6E94A8F1A05461A3E0"><enum>(i)</enum><text>such individuals as necessary to provide not fewer than 2 staff members from the Unit to each Americas partner country; </text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb6f9568f27cc408f857ca389bded9eae"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such individuals as necessary to serve as program managers under this section; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id45fd9770f9464cf9b59e88a8f43b3536"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such other individuals as may be necessary to enable the Unit to perform its duties.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id45233cd33a3b405baf5326db43bb33bb"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Program manager qualifications</header><text>Individuals appointed as program managers under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall have—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id65380059e3d5451e88e1d65ae12a62f3"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">demonstrated experience and expertise in securities in the private sector; </text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0f910523c70847a8b185442373f84bd6"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>an appropriate securities license, as determined by the Deputy Chief; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id46cea6b95efa448a8ef110581530f387"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>held the position of investment banker as commonly understood for hiring at private entities.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id437091241851455A854E8E184AD44B74"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Compensation</header><text>Notwithstanding any provision of title 5, United States Code, governing the rates of pay or classification of employees in the executive branch, the Deputy Chief may prescribe the rates of basic pay for program managers appointed under paragraph (1)(A)(ii) at a rate not in excess of a rate equal to 150 percent of the maximum rate of basic pay authorized for positions at level I of the Executive Schedule under section 5312 of title 5, United States Code.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id27700EEC58B84652A50411B38FE461C1" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Evaluations of program managers</header><subparagraph id="id9A78E2AA54E5426E94D5E7494B7029CA" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Deputy Administrator for Programs shall establish criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of program managers, which shall include measuring the economic success of portfolio instruments approved by program managers.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id90A8C706804D4CC79AAAEA0777F3CD7E" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Dismissal</header><text>Upon the determination that a program manager fails to meet the criteria described in subparagraph (A), the Deputy Administrator for Programs may recommend the dismissal of such program manager, who may be dismissed at the discretion of the Chief Administrator.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idBF840683D4204ED4AAE38CF151513F0F"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Limitation on term of appointment</header><subparagraph id="idac7d0f80ac8345ca948843a8519d2d36" commented="no" changed="not-changed" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the service of a program manager appointed under paragraph (1)(A)(ii) may not exceed 5 years. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idbd676915c9674ebeba65bcaeda9b8447" changed="not-changed" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Extension</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Deputy Chief may, in the case of a particular program manager appointed under paragraph (1)(A)(ii), extend the period to which service is limited under subparagraph (A) by up to 2 years if the Deputy Chief determines that such action is necessary to promote the efficiency of the Unit, as applicable. </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id35FA535E6F104497B76B2D6A675BD5E7"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Authorities relating to provision of support</header><paragraph id="id0D00BE7F78C64852A0E0DB4AD4E26F75"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The authorities in this subsection shall only be exercised to—</text><subparagraph id="PH02D590BEE35A4A3AA253827B8C7086B4"><enum>(A)</enum><text>carry out of the policy of the United States in section 251 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title> and the purposes of the Unit in subsection (b);</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="PHBF236151CC6F4A47ADA76026F3D700D0" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>mitigate risks to United States taxpayers by sharing risks with the private sector and qualifying sovereign entities through co-financing and structuring of tools; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="PHDF2689490AC04EBC9B127CDF9FD5C6C4" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><text>ensure that support provided under this section is additional to private sector resources by mobilizing private capital that would otherwise not be deployed without such support.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idC30716F748134C27B194E6AB17D52AE2"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Considerations</header><text>In exercising the authorities in this subsection, the Unit—</text><subparagraph id="idCBEBA9929EAB4FCF86948BA8796DDAA1"><enum>(A)</enum><text>shall consider—</text><clause id="id782FE27D9C1948A9A926507B6C2BAB5C"><enum>(i)</enum><text>whether an activity will maximize the profits of the entity receiving support under this subsection;</text></clause><clause id="id2EA7520EA8354B5C80A70C7DC83A478A"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the potential return on investment of an activity;</text></clause><clause id="id8E76E4C07B8045329AC67C4CBBBEEDEA"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the sustainability of the economic model of the entity receiving support under this subsection;</text></clause><clause id="id3CAFAC63A0214EDEA7B996E64D72513E"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>any secondary economic impact of the activity and whether such impact will spur additional clusters of investment; </text></clause><clause id="id7979670B768F4296867CB556F854AD9D"><enum>(v)</enum><text>whether taxation can be used to generate revenue for public entities receiving support under this subsection; and</text></clause><clause id="idF9E2F890959149E6AE4FC9C592F7D567"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>the feasibility of economic success for the entity receiving support under this subsection; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5648FEB39E034087A4E36E157BCF4727"><enum>(B)</enum><text>may not consider external factors that will not impact the economic success of an activity.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="id983736864F674C569F8B2E56AE7A638E"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Grants</header><subparagraph id="id2340ED508653484F8E8B8962A483B168"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Unit may award grants to United States businesses and entities and governments in Americas partner countries under such terms and conditions as the Unit shall prescribe to carry out the purposes of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id295995480B74440A9E7A2BEE63D897D0"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Application requirement</header><text>A grant under this paragraph may be made only to a United States business, a for profit or not-for profit entity registered in an Americas partner country, or a government of such a country (including a local government) that submits to the Unit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information as the Unit may reasonably require.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idC9B57C2AFC2141469B75A013BEA83A84"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Priority</header><text>In approving applications under this paragraph, the Unit shall give priority to applications that demonstrate the development of a private sector activity that will advance the economic objectives of the Unit described in subsection (b). </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idBCCFF4434BA2462B9B10FFF87C0D54FF"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Approval limits</header><text>Under this paragraph—</text><clause id="id62C5FAA61B7F4AD1845FCFC7CB1E8BC3"><enum>(i)</enum><text>program managers may approve grants of not more than $4,999,999;</text></clause><clause id="id4156895BA6744F5FAFD38394861250A1"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the Deputy Chief may approve grants of not less than $5,000,000 and not more than $49,999,999; and</text></clause><clause id="id0427823FDF3744648A65EFB755347D87"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Americas Partnership may approve grants of not less than $50,000,000.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id778390667E04464B835C3E21EB918FA7"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Reporting</header><clause id="idCD7B955071684E28881E2D0C1B7A25ED"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Unit shall—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id55d50da3256e4ef89eed0a4bf66edd7b"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">use the e-governance framework established under title I for management of and reporting on grants; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8744e4eff59e4c61a421a1fb82e5fd85"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">protect all restricted personal information (as that term is defined in section 119 of title 18, United States Code) collected under clause (ii).</text></subclause></clause><clause id="idC2F189059FD44188B92BCD2D06CB04B5"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Collection of information</header><text>The Corporation shall carry out clause (i) by collecting information with respect to each such grant, including—</text><subclause id="id90472B62582B44CD8BDC8F240EE7C74C"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the beneficiary of the grant;</text></subclause><subclause id="idF8B3FE6C1C6A4E2FB68BECD588798593"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the amount;</text></subclause><subclause id="idBC142654AE5A400189283FBBCE1EAE4C"><enum>(III)</enum><text>the location of activities funded by the grant;</text></subclause><subclause id="id420E442BB7DE4E5086D3BE245B694EA5"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>a description of the activities funded by the grant;</text></subclause><subclause id="idBBE1F76D720D4E28BD656068BDC92539"><enum>(V)</enum><text>a justification for approving the grant;</text></subclause><subclause id="id2A9721855360405E9CC514494C4ACCD3" commented="no"><enum>(VI)</enum><text>the amount of funds provided for an activity by the beneficiary of the grant;</text></subclause><subclause id="idB55F62DABBC5468BB9F6AA8AC8A1C5EF" commented="no"><enum>(VII)</enum><text>a description of any other financial support from the Unit;</text></subclause><subclause id="id9D3E69EE319344599DB9584ECBF8BBC3"><enum>(VIII)</enum><text>a description of how awarding the grant is anticipated to combat the influence of the People's Republic of China in the Western Hemisphere; and</text></subclause><subclause id="idAECEE589D7E6467F8DEFD7A70B98BEC4" commented="no"><enum>(IX)</enum><text>a description of how the grant overlaps with any other financial support provided by persons other than the Unit.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id92E2BD9A59FE41B9A72DC6A2DB7A25D2"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Loans and guaranties</header><subparagraph id="id25219E6693B444059C72C6FEFECE9709"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Unit may make loans or guaranties in accordance with the guidelines in subparagraph (B) and upon such other terms and conditions as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Americas Partnership may determine.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id09D08DE5798443AC989A279C1A8E1BCA"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Guidelines for the issuance of loans</header><clause id="idE17A38242C6A4F2893BAB076E9DC0428"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Approval limits</header><text>Under this paragraph—</text><subclause id="idC666EFC484F54F569FCFF141040B4E36"><enum>(I)</enum><text>program managers may approve loans and guaranties of not more than $4,999,999;</text></subclause><subclause id="id71C3C4321A354AB7AC41CD534D64C5A3"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the Deputy Chief may approve loans and guaranties of not less than $5,000,000 and not more than $49,999,999; and</text></subclause><subclause id="idE5B9B94E388A4533AA083434C08075C0"><enum>(III)</enum><text>the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Americas Partnership may approve loans and guaranties of not less than $50,000,000. </text></subclause></clause><clause id="id9D71CFDBE3BE4BD1828C3F590CE810EE"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Loan availability</header><subclause id="id6949B9A5879F473A8E0DFF40EC4A5602"><enum>(I)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Any loan made or guaranteed under this paragraph may be issued to—</text><item id="idcdb2b3dcc0774e658438d38e92aaf92c"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>a United States business;</text></item><item id="id1595ACDA37AF41F79E0D478043553B35"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>a for-profit entity in an Americas partner country; or</text></item><item id="idA488D3A7C44844CF8D7D5088987CB513"><enum>(cc)</enum><text>a government of an Americas partner country (including a local government).</text></item></subclause><subclause id="id9714D8C7BC9B4696A62CE67F45378872"><enum>(II)</enum><header>Exception</header><text>Notwithstanding subclause (I), a loan may be made or guaranteed by the Unit to a country that is not an Americas partner country if the purpose of the loan is to support near-shoring of strategic supply chains under section 254 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>.</text></subclause><subclause id="id8E760F1BEBC645BAA3A37656491C3FDC"><enum>(III)</enum><header>Lines of credit</header><text>The Unit may provide a line of credit of not more than $50,000,000 to a United States business that meets such requirements as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Americas Partnership may determine.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id462A4B55318449BBB6254EC1604DEA72"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Interest rates</header><subclause id="idCA486F84A91848E7BD51428E6E27E8D4"><enum>(I)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A loan made or guaranteed under this paragraph may bear an interest rate lower than the rate for an equivalent loan available in the local market.</text></subclause><subclause id="idD57A3E071B8E4063B5864EB823CF190F"><enum>(II)</enum><header>Variable interest rates</header><text>For each loan made or guaranteed under this paragraph, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make available to the Unit, at a variable interest rate that is not less than zero percent, funds from the amounts authorized under section 212(a)(2) of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>. </text></subclause><subclause id="id1A050E69848F40CA83C3FB83BEE8272D"><enum>(III)</enum><header>Deposits to Treasury</header><text>For each direct loan made by the Unit to a covered entity, the Unit shall remit— </text><item id="id82F0937168B241FBB5D89EBEF482FE1A"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>any repayment on the principal amount, including the final repayment and liquidation of the loan, and any amount of interest required by the Secretary of the Treasury in accordance with subclause (II) to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall use such amounts to replenish the amounts authorized under section 212(a)(2) of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>; and</text></item><item id="id28BAA0E0817A4744956C1244CF932799"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>any profit made from interest above the amount required by rate of interest established by the Secretary of the Treasury under subclause (II) to the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall deposit such amounts into the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>.</text></item></subclause></clause><clause commented="no" id="id663B1774DBB24CAAA23F1C37A792FF28"><enum>(iv)</enum><header>Denomination</header><text>Loans and guaranties made under this paragraph may be denominated and repayable in United States dollars or foreign currencies. Foreign currency denominated loans and guaranties should only be provided if the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Americas Partnership determines there is a substantive policy rationale for such loans and guaranties.</text></clause><clause commented="no" id="id133F39ECD35A418FA2B9186D3FA6517F"><enum>(v)</enum><header>Guaranties by Treasury</header><subclause commented="no" id="idBB113C61843C4B2597F6CB69E36A2713"><enum>(I)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For any loan under this paragraph, the Unit shall hold in an escrow account funds in an amount that is equal to 5 percent of the principal amount of the loan for the life of the loan or until the loan has been repaid.</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" id="idE037F033649F40C0918394FD72659CF9"><enum>(II)</enum><header>Source of funds</header><text>The funds described in subclause (I) shall be taken from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="PHBEFA0632175C460CBA03DBED88C5E4C7" commented="no"><enum>(vi)</enum><header>Applicability of Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990</header><text>Loans and guaranties issued under paragraph (1) shall be subject to the requirements of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/2/661">2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.</external-xref>).</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id695AAC1C64BE4297B6FAB3AE90778FA4"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Equity investments</header><subparagraph id="idF746D3118BC244C2AAF81CC46A8E8F31"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1befcab80c954b0c8ca6b3a8e9a9e77a"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">equity is essential, particularly with respect to transformational technology in the energy and technology sectors; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id93235bafae374a89ad5415e9a19438a3"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>firms engaged in complex, advanced manufacturing production require greater capital and more time than nonproduction firms.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4533C9DF2E974E329E2029E1B0D556DE"><enum>(B)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Unit may, as an investor, support projects with funds or use other mechanisms for the purpose of purchasing, and may make and fund commitments to purchase, invest in, make pledges in respect of, or otherwise acquire, equity or quasi-equity securities or shares or financial interests of any entity, including as a limited partner or other investor in investment funds, upon such terms and conditions as the Unit may determine.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1DAAADD448E64F7283057FFD9F8A86D4" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Funding</header><clause id="idD8007C9A65E4452EA7F8EEF707F1BD25" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For the purpose of investments under subparagraph (B), the Unit shall use the amounts authorized under section 212(a)(2) of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>.</text></clause><clause id="idE85AA9BB93874F46A524C1530F99510F" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Escrow</header><text>For any investment under this paragraph, the Unit shall hold in an escrow account funds, which shall be taken from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>, in an amount that is equal to 5 percent of the amount of funds invested.</text></clause><clause id="idC2CB6BE6A5A540B39EA9A2C364C7FA81" commented="no"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Liquidation</header><text>Upon liquidation of any investment, the unit shall remit—</text><subclause commented="no" id="id60AFA561A13047D2A068E74E1B12B618"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the principal amount and any amount of interest required by the Secretary for the use of such principal amount of such investment to the Secretary of the Treasury who shall use such amounts to replenish the amounts authorized under section 212(a)(2) of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" id="idDE2F2605EE11483192986F195D08E920"><enum>(II)</enum><text>any profit gained from and the amount held in escrow in accordance with clause (ii) for such investment to the Secretary of the Treasury who shall deposit such funds in the Re-Shoring and Near-Shoring Account established under section 301 of that Act.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1491979F39CB48AAA637C49C247E8E0A"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Limitations on equity investments</header><clause id="idD590FF2556124303B7A3B03878050A5D"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Contributions by partners</header><text>Any investment made by the Unit under this paragraph shall be accompanied by an investment of not less than 51 percent by the United States business or entity or government of an Americas partner country.</text></clause><clause id="idE3E70B928EE24E4984D116827A8971BF"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Per project limit</header><text>The aggregate amount of equity investment by the Unit with respect to any project shall not exceed 49 percent.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7B998E77E2E94980A0E3CFB3E4CF10D5"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Joint investment partnerships</header><subparagraph id="id271A99BC2F3C40AD84BA90F7507D2511"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Unit may enter into joint investment partnerships with international financial institutions or other similar institutions, including the World Bank and the Andean Development Corporation-Development Bank of Latin America.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id8DDED66495E14A52BEAF12ACED5E3E64"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Limitation</header><text>Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Unit may not enter into any partnership with any person, including any financial institution, business, organization, or individual, that is headquartered in, has a principal place of business in, or is otherwise directly or indirectly owned or controlled by of the government of the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, or any member country of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idC77DC2C2389F4FD498F93429FE10B850" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><header>International financial institutions defined</header><text>In this paragraph, the term <term>international financial institutions</term> has the meaning given that term in section 1701(c)(2) of the International Financial Institutions Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/262r">22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(2)</external-xref>).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7ED17580B97F4EC08561377299796DC4"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Insurance and reinsurance</header><subparagraph id="id9E7A8805C67141F68785E5D895350F5E"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>In order to ensure the protection of the investments of United States businesses, in whole or in part, against any political risks, such as currency inconvertibility and transfer restrictions, expropriation, war, terrorism, civil disturbance, breach of contract, and nonhonoring of financial obligations, the Unit may issue to United States businesses that invest in Americas partner countries insurance or reinsurance—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3420702607ff4a9c9dfe612254a17e02"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">upon such terms and conditions as the Unit may determine; and </text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id19628d47be564819bec528a7117dd9cf"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">at 100 percent of the value of the insured investment.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id281377D449E94C67A5DDDC5037543F24"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Escrow</header><text>For any insurance or reinsurance described in subparagraph (A), the Unit shall hold in an escrow account at a commercial bank funds, which shall be taken from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>, in an amount that is equal to 5 percent of the insurance amount.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id032C836CB42546CEAE2A99B39C32AC69" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Rates</header><text>Any insurance or reinsurance described in subparagraph (A) may be issued at a lower rate than the lowest available rate for equivalent insurance or reinsurance in the local market. </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="idc02bdfd184d847ff8183e98b80e218a2"><enum>253.</enum><header>Americas Partnership Enterprise Fund</header><subsection id="idebd519e32e1f4516bb60162c8c78734b"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Designation</header><text>The President, after consultation with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, may designate a private, nonprofit organization registered in an Americas partner country that is established to carry out the purposes set forth in subsection (b) as the <quote>Americas Partnership Enterprise Fund</quote> (referred to in this section as the <quote>Fund</quote>).</text></subsection><subsection id="id358d120b0a094991854e80242c886e53"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Purposes</header><text>The purposes of the Fund are—</text><paragraph id="id76236BBABD204E21AFA9A1F2B5140C62"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to support the development of ecosystems for critical supply chains in the Americas partner countries; </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9280644D908F4863BE066DD9262EDD81"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to support the development of private sector responses to migration;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idB1FFF1B78B3B4058AB0D7D812318174C"><enum>(3)</enum><text>to promote near-shoring strategic industry and supply chains from the People's Republic of China; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idB4FFED9E06A341B9BB6A37FEF8817B64"><enum>(4)</enum><text>to support policies and practices conducive to private sector development in Americas partner countries through loans, grants, equity investments, feasibility studies, technical assistance, training, insurance, guarantees, and other measures.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id44e8e5978852481dae97e4926fd6ec60"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Governance</header><paragraph id="id9BD0B5C388EE48F9B8D40A022F2D3C9B"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Board of directors</header><subparagraph id="idC3B8AC9D68DF4827852FC9359D0DC0B1"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund shall be governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of 3, 4, or 5 individuals described in subparagraph (C).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id91F20F54949D4A7E832972CC6E01CDB9"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Appointments</header><text>Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall—</text><clause id="id4992B280A19A44889F7D68FFF4A393F8"><enum>(i)</enum><text>appoint the initial members of the Board of Directors, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate; and</text></clause><clause id="id73E4F135014846C89CE7B6E3DCABC8E9"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>submit the names of such appointees to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness of the <committee-name committee-id="SSFI00">Committee on Finance of the Senate</committee-name>.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id670A710C9B2E4CDBA68EC7692907F4FA"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Qualifications</header><text>Each member of the Board of Directors—</text><clause id="id2544F4444F2543B789001061587AD806"><enum>(i)</enum><text>shall be a citizen of an Americas partner country; </text></clause><clause id="idDBD7A4656DAC49A5B34CD4EE90E736F3"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>may not be closely affiliated with any government, civil society organization, academic institution, think tank, or any other not-for-profit entity; and</text></clause><clause id="idDA425346FCB446A3B7E8B3103B73BBF2"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>shall have demonstrated experience and expertise in the areas of private sector development in which the Fund is to be involved. </text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id0D02F54BD75C49529A2B803F5B02CC7D"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Term</header><text>Each member of the Board of Directors shall serve for a term of 5 years.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idB060B259BCC145909C979F2FA73514F5"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Chairperson</header><text>At its first meeting, the Board of Directors shall elect a Chairperson, who may only serve in such position for a single term.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF65E86C088EF4488B78EA610D252B81B"><enum>(F)</enum><header>Meetings</header><text>The Board of Directors shall meet not less frequently than quarterly. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id576C270EFFAA4505877DDB2C62160507"><enum>(G)</enum><header>Appointment of executive director</header><text>The Board of Directors shall unanimously appoint a qualified individual to serve as Executive Director of the Fund. The Executive Director shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4E3B27FFC671410895A986F880C7B65F"><enum>(H)</enum><header>Vacancies</header><text>If a vacancy occurs before the expiration of the term of a member of the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint an individual with the qualifications described in subparagraph (C) to fill the remainder of such term, in the manner described in subparagraph (B).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id76a8d07411fd44ec9e8c2737ce08aa74"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Staffing</header><subparagraph id="id2AC0CAE69CC845E6B2942943A4321120"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund shall hire sufficient host country nationals to staff the central office to ensure that Fund resources are managed appropriately and to carry out the day-to-day operations of the central office, including—</text><clause id="id48AB76C581744B3FA60D2E4730E92E6B"><enum>(i)</enum><text>program managers, who—</text><subclause id="idC13A2A74B7974E77A1A414D288AC5661"><enum>(I)</enum><text>shall head the core management unit;</text></subclause><subclause id="id107EC279DA1F48F0817F570A8B9AE9BF"><enum>(II)</enum><text>may approve program expenditures of up to $150,000; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id8932E60CEA8149D49D5DD6615DA8E109"><enum>(III)</enum><text>shall be evaluated primarily on the success of their respective portfolios; and</text></subclause></clause><clause id="idAB9C1204203141CCB64D8D2755796E5A"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>additional support staff, provided that not more than 25 percent of the Fund’s annual expenditures are used for staffing and administration.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id18a23ec3f8ae45d689f9c0311e7227fa"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Ethics officer</header><text>The Fund shall have an ethics officer, who—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0f57eca8a2f540d4acaec3f27b128467"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">shall be responsible for oversight of the host country nationals;</text></clause><clause id="iddafb4c0428a148eead7dd1f050bf4b8e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>shall develop ethical standards for the management of the Fund;</text></clause><clause id="id598ad9e4e5b84ea7b9904e247aa11d31" commented="no"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>shall facilitate the mainstreaming of ethics with respect to the staff of the Fund;</text></clause><clause id="id69daa725066943f7a840d671ef1794be"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>may evaluate individual activities, as needed; and</text></clause><clause id="id71084dd9666046af8825f2145d703a1d" commented="no"><enum>(v)</enum><text>should develop standard investment procedures that do not affect the flexibility and speed of the investment activities.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf1bd97b70c4943d085f19a7995e3d876"><enum>(C)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Partners</header><text>The Fund shall partner with local entities, wholly-owned subsidiaries, and other instruments, as appropriate, to carry out investment activities in Americas partner countries, under the supervision of the central office.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id826262E14C314CE587D91E9E0885D588"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Limitation on compensation</header><text>None of the amounts managed by the Fund may be used to provide any benefit to any member of the Board of Directors or to any officer or employee of the Fund, other than a reasonable salary as compensation for services rendered. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ida59d621a04394f7ca8ceddbfa211bb16"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Eligible programs and projects</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8fc9225a3f4047228c012c17219052a6"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Defined term</header><text>In this subsection, the term <term>qualified private sector entity</term> means a business organization that is duly registered in the United States or in an Americas partner country. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id202ae83c055547a08de43ccb4353991c"><enum>(2)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund may provide grants, loans, technical assistance, goods, and services to qualified private sector entities, in accordance with paragraphs (3) through (7), for programs and projects that are consistent with the purposes described in subsection (b).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id25deac14349047ca91889b870a157d5d"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Grants</header><subparagraph id="id1AC2EC7AB0F1469BBEFE114EBA7BF7B3"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund shall establish a process for awarding grants to qualified private sector entities to carry out activities that are consistent with the purposes described in subsection (b).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7ED9AC38D3C84C42802D2CE6D829C0BE"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Selection of grantees</header><text>Not later than 20 working days after receiving an application for a grant under this paragraph, the Fund shall complete its review and evaluation of the application, using anticipated return on investment as the sole criterion for determining whether a grant will be awarded to the applicant.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ide5a2d9cdb5e345c2a67a48723ee883c6"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Loans</header><subparagraph id="id1647A92B23F943FAAB081F1F65D54827"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund shall establish a process for providing low-interest loans to qualified private sector entities to carry out activities that are consistent with the purposes described in subsection (b). Loans authorized under this paragraph may be offered in the form of equity if the Fund determines that such form is appropriate.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id84A231EC661740088C3269042A32D484"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Selection of loan recipients</header><text>Not later than 20 working days after receiving an application for a loan under this paragraph, the Fund shall complete its review and evaluation of the application, using anticipated return on investment as the sole criterion for determining whether a loan will be awarded to the applicant. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idDE08370C94E94C88A265168CDF67EDFE"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Partnerships with commercial banks</header><text>The Fund may enter into partnerships with commercial banks to manage loan portfolios under this paragraph.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="ida4540bb4b6d6467e9c52f82048a66010"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Technical assistance</header><subparagraph id="idF7F7E5CB868D4E2AAFC7703C201FA6E0"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund, with support from United States entities, such as the United States Trade and Development Agency and other agencies or offices based in the United States, may hire or contract with individuals and entities capable of providing technical assistance in support of the purposes described in subsection (b).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id142F2E1B6DFD44B1BDDFD2AE62E90941"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Selection of technical assistance recipients</header><text>Not later than 20 working days after receiving an application for technical assistance under this paragraph, the Fund shall complete its review and evaluation of the application, using anticipated return on investment as the sole criterion for determining whether the requested technical assistance will be awarded to the applicant. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idb5f2160477884eda90b7ec4274b4cda1"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Eligible partner countries</header><text>Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the United States Trade and Development Agency may work in any Americas partner country regardless of income status designation.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb294ff51e86d4081b55d92afdc844543"><enum>(D)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated to the United States Trade and Development Agency $10,000,000, which shall be expended on activities related to partnership agreements entered into under section 201.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id667acf4d16a94f26ae6e5ed2d57f3c2a"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Goods and services</header><subparagraph id="id48ECB54498AD4A1593FA3B5EB8AFF573"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund may directly procure and deploy goods and services to the extent required to support the purposes described in subsection (b).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idA1312CB6EE954D9CAAF5360255B4464D"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Selection of goods and services recipients</header><text>Not later than 20 working days after receiving an application for goods or services under this paragraph, the Fund shall complete its review and evaluation of the application, using anticipated return on investment as the sole criterion for determining whether the requested goods or services will be provided to the applicant. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idd46a1ddd1d1a4b05b83f4c28f2ca43bd"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Government support</header><subparagraph id="idAE97CE024B4A48C3B8DD23A785BFF1BC"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund may provide cash and in-kind goods or services to foreign governmental entities in order to advance the purposes described in subsection (b).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id8B8611616AFB4737922F7666C9E8FAA5"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Selection of government recipients</header><text>Not later than 20 working days after receiving an application from a foreign government for cash or in-kind goods or services under this paragraph, the Fund shall complete its review and evaluation of such application. </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id5ce1c6f47eef4361b5f9205ec44145dd"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Funding</header><paragraph id="id9A3AD56C27504AA9AFC21FB3BCA0A7A0" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Authorization</header><text>During the first fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Fund shall receive $1,000,000,000 from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 for initial capitalization. The Fund may be recapitalized in accordance with paragraph (4).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id769a5438f59e4ab38c73b5d1bd8f01e6"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Financial instruments</header><text>In order to maximize the resources available to carry out the activities authorized under this Act, the Fund should establish financial instruments that enable private businesses in Americas partner countries with a commercial nexus in the United States to effectively multiply the impact of United States grants awarded by the Fund. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id3496675444e34354bd0543c3bafb5710"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Distribution of return on investments</header><subparagraph id="idF23150B3899C4FC7B6D883B7FDCD6844"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund may distribute financial returns on Fund investments, include private venture capital, equity, or loan repayments, at such times and in such amounts as the Board of Directors may determine, to the central account of the Fund.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idA3DA8E23E5CF4E71B87D978DBC0DAE94"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Sense of congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that the return on investment described in subparagraph (A) should—</text><clause id="idF027A2D53D364FEC852C291147009F17"><enum>(i)</enum><text>recapitalize the central account of the Fund;</text></clause><clause id="id2D9037CD9A1D4B8CB4410638FE150103"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>guarantee the sustainability of the Fund;</text></clause><clause id="id24743FFCBDC3459EB29F734BC5760888"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>limit the need for additional appropriations to the Fund;</text></clause><clause id="id6307890cb26b4ad7bc59b2515dab9ac6"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>spur additional investment;</text></clause><clause id="id370957147cee422182a8dcabb0129e5b"><enum>(v)</enum><text>promote small and medium-sized enterprises;</text></clause><clause id="idd705b46a4da5406eafed69c929ded15f"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>advance good governance and transparency; and</text></clause><clause id="idf80def02a1a244a499535641bf8ae8c3"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>promote job creation.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id477A37FD411340329DE6306D97E89133" commented="no"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Additional revenue</header><text>After 80 percent of the initial capital in the Fund has been expended pursuant to paragraph (1), the Board of Directors may request additional capital for the Fund by—</text><subparagraph id="id6F34D1E0AE32430588717FE4EEABC579" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><text>submitting a request to the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account that identifies the additional amount needed for the Fund; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF746F4F37A5248F88AF80CF2AA83F94A" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>submitting a report to Congress that details the Fund's activities and justifies the need for the additional capital.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id4f9f9b51ca9b4b038a91105e454a41e2"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Nonapplicability of other laws</header><text>Notwithstanding any other provision of law, amounts appropriated pursuant to this subsection may be made available to the Fund and used for the purposes set forth in this section.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id11a1f285786843c88de213402c8693a7"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Limitations on assistance</header><paragraph id="id25B8239282164C1C8FAC2C0CFF6A7F6C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Major expenditures</header><text>The Fund may not provide any grant, loan, technical assistance, or government support valued in excess of $499,999 unless the Board of Directors approves such action in advance.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idF000A7F32B6D4C5C832FA609AB68F11C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Recordkeeping</header><text>The Fund shall use the e-governance platform to maintain a database containing relevant information, as established by the Secretary of Commerce, regarding activities of the Fund, which shall be accessible by any member of the Board of Directors at any time.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idD633BEBFEBD64C3DAD1F53D89F69B859" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Minor expenditures</header><text>A member of the Board of Directors may not approve, deny, or influence the approval or denial of an expenditure by the Fund valued at less than $500,000 unless the Board of Directors determines that the individual authorized to approve or deny such expenditure, subject to the thresholds under this section, has engaged in independently verified malfeasance. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id6ed55e5b764f4627bac2d208dc59d28c"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Annual reports</header><paragraph id="idA49EF91F03774F69A563AD8366B0961D"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Fund shall submit an annual report to the Board of Directors that—</text><subparagraph id="id6BBEA297023A4ECAB95341A736218F17"><enum>(A)</enum><text>describes the status of the registration and management of the Fund;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idBAFCE38D9F694C0F8AC6B361D4177BE8"><enum>(B)</enum><text>identifies the activities undertaken by the Fund, disaggregated by activity type, country, and strategic sector; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF5C8E6EBE6894F17B64E40439A155102"><enum>(C)</enum><text>details the successes and failures of such activities.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id2EED0752A026439695B28D2E16156C38"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Congress</header><text>The Board of Directors shall annually submit—</text><subparagraph id="id131DBB441F244F0B923A451613611A40"><enum>(A)</enum><text>to Congress a copy of each report received pursuant to paragraph (1); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idd5e7d36caccb4a418712410c4d4a39d7"><enum>(B)</enum><text>to the <committee-name committee-id="SSFI00">Committee on Finance of the Senate</committee-name> and the <committee-name committee-id="">Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives</committee-name> a chapter within the comprehensive Department of Commerce report that identifies, for the reporting period—</text><clause id="id3D40EA64449C431D9A4889447B57732F"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the number of grants, loans, instances of technical assistance, goods and services, and other Government support provided by the Fund;</text></clause><clause id="id2101772FD0274B76B8DB727E1DA9D09C"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the repayment rates for the loans and other support referred to in clause (i);</text></clause><clause id="idE22411F89B724B75A4E4174FAD153F2B"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>a summary of activities conducted by the Fund; </text></clause><clause id="id3E4A68C8DE124212BE37A98DAB2EC04C"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>the countries in which the Fund is conducting such activities;</text></clause><clause id="id3A4572B2E57040189C27C26B2B84EC9C"><enum>(v)</enum><text>success stories involving entities receiving assistance from the Fund;</text></clause><clause id="id92E1AB512E544C45916574F916F17D0D"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>lessons learned from the activities conducted by the Fund; and</text></clause><clause id="id359652B7066D44F589808CDF2405FE59"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>any other information contained in other reports required under this Act that relates to the Fund.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id9a93223507da4eb0a5d33e21f0bdb019"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Audits</header><paragraph id="idF53C3FD327614BEFA9A26E6118C49707"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not less frequently than annually, the activities of the Fund shall be subject to an audit by an independent private entity selected by the Board of Directors.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id248D7DCD3CD6493083D533601EA53984"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Report</header><subparagraph id="id536E529CC7CC4E878230C903DDCB2A64"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Findings</header><text>Each independent private entity referred to in paragraph (1) shall submit a report to the Board of Directors that contains the findings of the audit conducted pursuant to such paragraph. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idAC59A7C649504DE3AB3AAC39C22451D4"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Public accessibility</header><text>The Board of Directors shall post the report received pursuant to subparagraph (A) on the Fund’s publicly accessible website. </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idbdb83205b65c4d0d9e9b80beecbfa2ac"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Duration</header><text>The Fund shall remain operational indefinitely. Venture capital profits, equity, and loan interest shall be returned to the central account of the Fund, with the goal that the Fund become self-sufficient.</text></subsection><subsection id="idEEB8E49D6BFC43A48C415AF089F6B40A" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(j)</enum><header>Nonapplicability of other laws</header><text>Notwithstanding any other provision of law, executive branch agencies may conduct programs and activities and provide services in support of the activities of the Fund. </text></subsection></section><section id="id9E70BEC8E46F42F8AD3D0BBFEE033812"><enum>254.</enum><header>Near-shoring of strategic supply chains and transformational energy investments</header><subsection id="id0d61db6b53804fee93e6951597f9260e"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Statement of policy</header><text>It is the policy of the United States—</text><paragraph id="idAAFD66C9ADF2468882BAFD468BCF7EDB"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to advance United States national security goals and hemispheric foreign policy and development goals by assisting countries in the Western Hemisphere to establish the ecosystems necessary to host strategic industries in order to reduce vulnerabilities of the United States, in particular with respect to supply chains based, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, in the People's Republic of China; </text></paragraph><paragraph id="idb388c302a2654299bf504278ad65f4e9"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to the maximum extent practicable, to seek to identify development opportunities and engage in early-stage project support to promote transformational energy projects to increase competitiveness in the energy sector in the Western Hemisphere; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idF7F8CAF0FBB545EA8A608A7525F8E8C3"><enum>(3)</enum><text>to reduce the influence of the People's Republic of China in the Western Hemisphere.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idD15AF08BB5904C8BAC65A2E3AD06C5CF"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Identification of strategic supply chains, products, and entities and transformational energy investment opportunities</header><paragraph id="idA1233B74A042494DA09BE8B0C368A364"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Report required</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, through the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Americas Partnership established under section 203(c)(1), and in coordination with the United States Trade Representative, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, and other appropriate officials, shall submit to Congress a report identifying—</text><subparagraph id="idF3D6A32E3BDF4DEB9863D615B086A5EC"><enum>(A)</enum><text>supply chains identified under Executive Order 14017 (86 Fed. Reg. 11849; relating to America's supply chains), as amended on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, located in the Western Hemisphere (in this section referred to as <quote>strategic supply chains</quote>); </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id94B77C4CA05248E58B2EAFD47EE739EC"><enum>(B)</enum><text>products produced by such supply chains; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idDA98D21B6019495CB3DF729186FA0ADB"><enum>(C)</enum><text>entities that are part of such supply chains; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4b46f8147e444d97aeafe511c3ce973e" commented="no"><enum>(D)</enum><text>opportunities for transformational energy investments in Americas partner countries.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id997CCFFD0A4B4B95A8C9D4BF06D4B36E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Opportunities for near-shoring and transformational energy investments</header><subparagraph id="id40EC75A169DC4368ADE986BD20068890"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The report required by paragraph (1) shall list—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idef98586f42794b50886d505e86994cbf"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">opportunities for—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5e32aa11285840e78513ebbe4bbc9160"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">near-shoring of products within strategic supply chains; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idec7419684fbf440e8c9b138bd17a319f"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">transformational energy investments in Americas partner countries; and</text></subclause></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddc6627a3253b494689f084c418b693a9"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">support for such near-shoring and energy investments identified under subsection (c).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id78A2B90C8C4C4715AB02B5AFCDFDEAFD"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Consultations</header><text>In identifying opportunities for near-shoring and energy investments under this subsection, the Secretary—</text><clause id="id9C62BE032A1749CD819D3ED1CF855183"><enum>(i)</enum><text>shall consult with United States industry to obtain feasibility studies, viability plans, and letters of commitment relating to such opportunities; and</text></clause><clause id="id60A2289904D74F61AE416E10C1E61345"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>may issue requests for information relating to such opportunities to determine the needs of industry with respect to near-shoring strategic supply chains.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idd5c2f675bc4f43f9bf2e8e5a390476ed"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Work plan</header><text>The report required by paragraph (1) shall include a work plan setting forth a prioritization for the near-shoring of products within strategic supply chains and for transformational energy investments, including the tools to be used and the authorities to be exercised in the implementation of such near-shoring and energy investments as part of a special economic initiative under subsection (d). </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id916effafbd80473fa6eea886a75669f4"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Identification and support for near-Shoring of products in strategic supply chains and for transformational energy investments</header><paragraph id="id4EF653C555F94553BC3B907B4E553E32"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies—</text><subparagraph id="idB0BF192EDC184259A4583627EC77766D"><enum>(A)</enum><text>shall, in partnership with industry and stakeholders, identify opportunities that would be appropriate for near-shoring or for transformational energy investments; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1220c405530746eb9befc106c8ce7e0a"><enum>(B)</enum><text>may provide funding to support such opportunities as provided in this title. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id4b0ae959858244389ab7fdb2a237cc15"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Preferences</header><text>In selecting among opportunities that will receive funding under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall give preference to opportunities that—</text><subparagraph id="id705ecf698d204297a882fadc201c74ae"><enum>(A)</enum><text>have the support of the government of the country in which the production of the product or energy investment will take place; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idba87500acfe14fc5ab03b14c9f88972f"><enum>(B)</enum><text>can attract private investment.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id5e6790c1341b4e299d6b958712addb7d" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Production in non-Americas partner countries</header><text>The Secretary of Commerce may provide funding under this subsection to near-shore the production of a product identified under subsection (b)(1)(B) to a country that is not an Americas partner country if the Secretary determines and certifies to Congress that there are no opportunities appropriate for re-shoring or near-shoring to Americas partner countries.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id6ddac3512916457caa0cda519b298104"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Energy investment in non-Americas partner countries</header><text>The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, may provide funding for a transformational energy project in a country that is not an Americas partner country if the Secretary notifies Congress of the intention of the Secretary to provide the funding before providing the funding.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idcc618a96c3a4415a98eeeb897b6d25de"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Special economic initiative</header><paragraph id="id1391653574de4eb38de9384bcebb0714"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The President shall establish a special economic initiative for strategic supply chains and transformational energy investments, to be administered by the Department of Commerce, under which the tools described in the provisions of and amendments made by this subtitle and subtitle D are made available to Americas partner countries and such other countries as the President considers appropriate.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id80F5E6D0892F4983BBA03E13041F2A0E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Notification to Congress; plan</header><text>Not less than 15 days before exercising the authority provided by paragraph (1) to establish a special economic initiative with respect to a country, the President shall—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida2b30c10b3ef4ba6adb7588c70b75102"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">notify Congress of the intention of the President to exercise that authority; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5943a2b45e2c4d1aa85016ad74a3e415"><enum>(B)</enum><text>submit to Congress a plan for the initiative, which shall include a description of—</text><clause id="ida22006f46548469e90eaa063d49b633c"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the sector involved;</text></clause><clause id="idac819b0063f24d979f495695f4376652"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the projects involved;</text></clause><clause id="id0dd4687998d34fcdb8b6df4af55b03cd"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>an analysis, including environmental analysis, available with respect to the initiative;</text></clause><clause id="idd766f1a0419b401788b16eda128ceca7"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>the agreement with the government of the country with respect to the initiative; and</text></clause><clause id="id918e8a1928e94347a8305fd0af849151"><enum>(v)</enum><text>the cost of the initiative.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id8249d1f134bf412e88bfff4d09410642"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Authority to enter into agreements</header><text>The President may enter into agreements using authorities of Federal agencies, including the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health and Human Services, or any other authorities the President considers appropriate, to advance a special economic initiative under paragraph (1).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id33bf08f7bcae428d874df91808c97639"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Waiver of competition requirements</header><subparagraph id="id9937F3D824F344FEB45CD1C4BE032808"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The President may waive the requirements of title 41, United States Code, relating to competition in the awarding of Government contracts in the case of a contract related to the near-shoring of strategic supply chains or transformational energy investments through a special economic initiative under paragraph (1) if the ethics officer of the agency seeking to enter into the contract evaluates the contract and the certifies that there are no conflicts of interest.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id2e45ae3434bd47599a2f3ebca65bbac5"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Timing of evaluation</header><text>An ethics officer shall have not less than 20 business days to conduct an evaluation described in subparagraph (A). </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idb1e73d6911044ff9b9e5c7b1293f098a"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Additional support for near-shoring and transformational energy investments under special economic initiative</header><subparagraph id="id48803F8772C14D1FB091F29B5A5BF810"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the heads of other agencies that operate under the foreign policy guidance of the Secretary of State, shall, as appropriate, prioritize and expedite the efforts of the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Energy, and such other agencies in supporting the efforts of the United States Government to incentivize near-shoring and transformational energy investments through financial and nonfinancial methods, including methods described in this subsection, and Americas partner countries to support near-shoring and increase investment in entities identified under subsection (b)(1)(C) by—</text><clause id="ide6e26d1d2e904de9ba3fd5b02fb825f5"><enum>(i)</enum><text>providing diplomatic, political, and economic support to such entities in Americas partner countries or other countries in the Western Hemisphere identified by the Secretary of Commerce as necessary;</text></clause><clause id="id725eb770a57a46d2a1c72b3f3ef7df9d"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>facilitating negotiations concerning cross-border infrastructure, such as electric grids, ports, trains, or other infrastructure that crosses borders;</text></clause><clause id="idfecec75134a04d2185be32079eb32abd"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>providing technical and grant assistance to enhance the regulatory and labor environments of Americas partner countries and other such other countries to facilitate United States business investments; and</text></clause><clause id="idc7fdbf04a84648a2b03b3be10c1825c9"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>facilitating both early-stage project support and late-stage project support to such entities with respect to near-shoring.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idc88b0173d1514fa79a1dbd3c2b4ed086"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Export protection</header><clause id="idBA2EE01C045A4575825EE13AE814FEBC"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>An entity identified under subparagraph (C) of subsection (b)(1) that receives assistance with re-shoring or near-shoring production of a product identified under subparagraph (B) of that subsection is eligible to receive export protection as described in clause (iii).</text></clause><clause id="id6623f2d33fc149ad8614c38282b72bdf"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Report to Department of Commerce</header><text>If the application of an entity submitted under clause (i) is approved, the entity shall submit to the Secretary of Commerce a report specifying the average production level of the product described in that clause in the United States for the 3 calendar years preceding submission of the report.</text></clause><clause id="idfccf6d1de0d14335b54678d49f1ebd24"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Amount of exports provided export protection</header><text>If the quantity of production in the United States of a product described in clause (i) exceeds the level specified under clause (ii), the quantity in excess of that level may be exported without being subject to export controls or any other restrictions on exportation (subject to such exceptions as the President may declare are in the national security interests of the United States).</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="idCEA7DD397EBF44FD90E0EFC166272D78"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Source of funds</header><text>Funding for a special economic initiative under paragraph (1) shall be taken from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id8a372f167daf458e9fd0fed1be520e8f"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Regulatory alignment</header><paragraph id="idED7B51F173CB4CFEBE3DCE667A8A2118"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Americas Partnership business advisory board established by the Americas Partnership Secretariat under section 202, and with support from appropriate officials of the United States Government, such as the Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Americas Partnership established under section 203(b) and the official of the Trade and Development Agency with lead responsibility for the implementation of this title, shall begin a process of regulatory alignment with respect to supply chains, energy investments, and products identified under subsection (b)(1) with—</text><subparagraph id="idC037A15E94EC473D8F575B52E154CFCA"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Americas partner countries; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id52446B523B0C411CA8D6060042CEF722"><enum>(B)</enum><text>any other country that benefits from the near-shoring of the production of a product identified under subsection (b)(1)(B) to the country or transformational energy investments.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id66A4574E0D1D4FB0BFB40CAE0EF7894A"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Prioritization of pharmaceuticals</header><text>In carrying out the process described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall begin with regulatory alignment with respect to pharmaceuticals.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id89d368ac216c4303bcff0a0cd41ef608"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Reports required</header><text>The Secretary shall submit to Congress and make available to the public reports on the success of efforts under paragraph (1) on a continuous basis.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id427E92576FE1414B822C4C82B6AE4A1A"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Duties and subsidies</header><text>An entity organized under the laws of an Americas partner country or another country, as the President considers appropriate, that is part of a strategic supply chain shall be treated not less favorably than a United States person with respect to duties, subsidies, and other related issues. </text></subsection><subsection id="idDDF3C4090D914164A170C86298B55464" commented="no"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Millennium Challenge Corporation</header><text>The Millennium Challenge Corporation may provide assistance under the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/7701">22 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.</external-xref>) to an Americas partner country or another country, as the President considers appropriate, for purposes of supporting the near-shoring of strategic supply chains and transformational energy investments without regard to—</text><paragraph id="idE71A94F0D0A94E4B81BB057E6934B461" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text>any requirement of that Act relating to competitive procedures; or </text></paragraph><paragraph id="idFB4C2EC37E6E45A2A34A16D6BA4A2BA6" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the requirement to enter into a Compact under section 609 of that Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/7708">22 U.S.C. 7708</external-xref>).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idfbba1724417b48f4a51e527818a3d5de"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Trade and Development Agency</header><text>The Trade and Development Agency may provide assistance under the section 661 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/2421">22 U.S.C. 2421</external-xref>) to all Americas partner countries, without regard to the limitation under subsection (a) of that section, for purposes of supporting the near-shoring of strategic supply chains. </text></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="id6A5CB75F972F422AB0B779BE316B1A7D"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Technical assistance</header><text>The United States Agency for International Development, the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the Trade and Development Agency, and other relevant agencies shall provide technical assistance with respect to the near-shoring of strategic supply chains.</text></subsection><subsection id="id040AA14EA37F4A1F92C9A522243C5B94"><enum>(j)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="idb29bd745ebe048dba2345de28a128c8b"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Early-stage project support</header><text>The term <term>early-stage project support</term> includes the following:</text><subparagraph id="id12e48e735ec84140b227f66357a5caef"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Feasibility studies.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idd3272aec5e84428cace2bada6a77e4fc"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Long-term strategic supply chain planning.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7df4fd7b76b84b0d85dac5c7aa3d8ecd"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Resource evaluations.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idbff346fb1bc74e1980d5b2b45a3aa130"><enum>(D)</enum><text>Project appraisal and costing.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id30c445167db8467d942b19924ef78a4c"><enum>(E)</enum><text>Pilot projects.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id314c61536d7242e0bddbb265f4407bbd"><enum>(F)</enum><text>Commercial support, such as trade missions, reverse trade missions, technical workshops, international buyer programs, and international partner searchers to link suppliers to projects.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id07179914a4c14fa2ba10efc70e72b6e7"><enum>(G)</enum><text>Technical assistance and other guidance to improve the local regulatory environment and market frameworks to encourage transparent competition.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idf6827451acfe448aaff8521e2b2f0a83" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Late-stage project support</header><text>The term <term>late-stage project support</term> includes support of the type provided by the BUILD Americas Unit. </text></paragraph></subsection></section></subtitle><subtitle style="OLC" id="id4FB39E7A5E724F08A7EB420FA9D4E671" commented="no" level-type="subsequent"><enum>D</enum><header>People-to-People activities</header><section id="id26A52E5E7C0F41C69DBFADBF728CA9B6"><enum>261.</enum><header>Humanitarian and business development assistance</header><subsection id="id8d4b5b0e098e4f249aad83553589339f"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that—</text><paragraph id="id8948A3783B054DAC8363DD24B421C51B"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the promotion of human rights and democracy around the world is essential;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idEEAD03BA07884923A3A642D48BABFC83"><enum>(2)</enum><text>such promotion should continue to be incorporated into ongoing programs, such as those of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the Department of State, the Office of Democracy and Governance of the United States Agency for International Development, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Commercial Law Development Program at the Department of Commerce, and other governmental and nongovernmental entities;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id6D60FD9786A04B3DB80E63F826A5DA58" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><text>the activities authorized under this subtitle should remain focused on the objectives of this subtitle; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id1D5C925E26D14D778A4DAE19902024F5" commented="no"><enum>(4)</enum><text>any funds appropriated pursuant to this subtitle should be expended on such activities.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id489F4B186D244EA8B6D024E7FE29EF94"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Purpose</header><text>The purposes of this section are—</text><paragraph id="idBC51A96A02BF4A319130AAE3EDA4DF95"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to deepen the cultural and people-to-people ties between the people of Americas partner countries;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idC40A1D5D0C8C4685BA85C3CE538B11A2"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to facilitate the establishment of sustainable market solutions to increase the economic advancement interdependence of the countries in the Western Hemisphere; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ida6372969cb9846f588c8d1fdee336f79"><enum>(3)</enum><text>to advance the objectives of this subtitle through support to businesses, which should remain focused on those endeavors.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id4fca817282c347bdb499c44ce5c023a0"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Assistance authorized</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6e0f085a3f254df8acc47385ceafd9b9"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, the Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency, and the Secretary of Commerce, shall establish a people-to-people assistance program through which individuals in Americas partner countries may participate in programs funded by the United States Government.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfb8bb16fdeb8453bb766dc6f19d8708c"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Program elements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The programs established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall remain focused on achieving the objectives of the Americas Partnership Threshold Program established under section 223(a), and may include grants and contracts for—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2f552391bf6c48e98380fcc1ccece68a"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">training programs related to public administration, such as the Global Procurement Initiative of the United States Trade and Development Agency, and good regulatory practices and practices of internal governance; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id767DCD762924441E912EA39F51A96AE3"><enum>(B)</enum><text>technical assistance related to—</text><clause id="idb21e70ab592e448b95de6a90d59de146"><enum>(i)</enum><text>improved service delivery for public services;</text></clause><clause id="id0d84451965ab4309ad42d8940a7131b9"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>studies, reports, and other deliverables needed related to engineering, construction, maintenance of public or private infrastructure;</text></clause><clause id="id0a744b226c8f4f6187564338d7c37503"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>feasibility studies related to private sector investments;</text></clause><clause id="id80FEFC6517314799AFE521CD4C30488E"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>startup grants, venture capital, and equity for establishing and growing businesses; and</text></clause><clause id="id2a653ec29e5d4dbaabe6ba532192b334"><enum>(v)</enum><text>other activities to support the Americas Partnership Threshold Program; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id65731EAD24E847C1B830054E41CD481E" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><text>other people-to-people assistance authorized by the Secretary of State.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id14b319624d7f4abf855a1c7aececb61e"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Implementation</header><text>The Secretary of State is authorized to enter into contracts with for-profit private sector entities to implement the people-to-people assistance program authorized under this subsection.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id36c3da34711d43279133e147dcfde187" commented="no"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Americas Partnership Accelerator Program</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8d78a6e6ac194b00bf9ddaa60fbeca07"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is established within the United States Agency for International Development a program to be known as the Americas Partnership Accelerator Program, which shall catalyze small and medium industries within Americas partner countries by providing short-term, tangible successes, which will help people recognize entrepreneurs in their communities who are benefiting from the Americas program.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4729f1cd806748e082361c0e55cf97fa"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $15,000,000 to carry out the program established under paragraph (1).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ide22d594539c747bd9bad11d9ec094cfb"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Americas Partnership Fund for Nature</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id417ec79ee68349e8a55e0fae9a9a6801"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Establishment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is established in the Treasury of the United States the Americas Partnership Fund for Nature, which shall be used by the United States Agency for International Development to assist Americas partner countries by catalyzing activities advancing conservation efforts through grants, technical assistance, and other tools.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida88c6111b91c40e09623dc2e2ec412b3"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $10,000,000 to carry out the activities described in paragraph (1).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4e9f3be6431646beb7901b61cb02a66a"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Funding</header><text>The Secretary of State may expend such sums as may be necessary from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 to carry out this section.</text></subsection></section><section id="id48c207e0468c42f1b31709aa5dde9402"><enum>262.</enum><header>Department of State</header><subsection id="ideafdf4cd3d2c4f14b76187b42b183d4f"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Cultural affairs programs</header><text>The Secretary of State may provide Americas partner countries with additional cultural affairs programming, including—</text><paragraph id="id0422e7534b194e3d911539b24a4256ab"><enum>(1)</enum><text>additional English language programming;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id46e4061005da4b6aa0bd758239f185a1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>additional scholarship slots for the J. William Fulbright Educational Exchange Program authorized under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/2451">22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8fadff65c7e940bc9ab8e11289c6b4d4"><enum>(3)</enum><text>increased participation in the Fulbright-Hays Program authorized under section 102 of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/2452">22 U.S.C. 2452</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id5B4F99BF61B9413D943563782C6FA192"><enum>(4)</enum><text>additional slots in exchange programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that benefit outbound American citizens; </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id0fde2a234d5949709089e167afce67c0"><enum>(5)</enum><text>additional cultural exchange programs in music and the arts;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id6b22bbf9a77d45e3ace0c31da6d93d25"><enum>(6)</enum><text>establishing additional <quote>American Corners</quote> or other outreach mechanisms; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id99119b512b8346dab5135b106b16bb67"><enum>(7)</enum><text>the appropriation of additional amounts for the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/2151">22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.</external-xref>).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idfdd0cde080d042999a9c25ba61737333" commented="no"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Existing programs</header><text>The Secretary of State may build upon existing programs, such as the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, the College Horizons Opportunity Program, Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative, and other programs, as the Secretary deems appropriate.</text></subsection><subsection id="id588F9E81567F4FED8E8769FCF884DA2C" commented="no"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>In addition to any other amounts made available to the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, the Secretary of State may expend such sums as may be necessary from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 to carry out this section. </text></subsection></section><section id="id9e453e2e58f54e8e947003fd891cebb8"><enum>263.</enum><header>Peace Corps</header><subsection id="id85EDA2ACC001447A99C7D46B9CDD73C4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Additional volunteers in Americas partner countries</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Director of the Peace Corps shall take the necessary steps to double the number of Peace Corps volunteers in each Americas partner country during the 27-month period immediately following the date on which such country enters into a partnership agreement pursuant to section 201.</text></subsection><subsection id="id2f357a6e12934e3c9ebf109dfca29e00"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Establishing a Peace Corps volunteers in new countries</header><text>As soon as possible after an Americas partner country that does not have a Peace Corps presence enters into a partnership agreement pursuant to section 201, the Director of the Peace Corps shall take the necessary steps to assign Peace Corps volunteers to such country.</text></subsection><subsection id="ida78aa873a5044a0396c65c61a9ba8944"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Offsets</header><text>The cost of deploying additional Peace Corps volunteers to Americas partner countries under this section shall be paid for—</text><paragraph id="id3348BA52DA884B108767090A292342A5"><enum>(1)</enum><text>with offsets from Peace Corps deployments to other countries; or </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id7232E11B30E545099CC8D51BEBD7C906"><enum>(2)</enum><text>from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="ide322be19282c4092a10fc75749b007c8"><enum>264.</enum><header>American University of the Americas</header><subsection id="ida307312dcaf74922b7d10521a28ab229"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that—</text><paragraph id="id851e783c49af480aa032756b361f43e4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>quality university education is essential for the advancement of free, prosperous societies;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id20832ec7c40549b3acd001c7a9322e70"><enum>(2)</enum><text>there is not a Latin American university included among the top 100 global universities in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2022–2023 rankings;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id69b0fadbf4ec48efaa86cfd8318ec0e0"><enum>(3)</enum><text>there is a significant need for high-quality, nonideological, affordable university education in Latin America, especially education that is focused on science, technology, engineering, and math; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id7ac557a4f8df4e17a618ce6d9ae218e0"><enum>(4)</enum><text>it is essential to protect intellectual diversity on college campuses, while not attempting to limit freedom of speech.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id589B3F195BF84D5D8154AD49B3092BBE"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Establishment</header><paragraph id="id444DA3C3FE6A41C392ED2160D1F74A3C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">During the 2-year period beginning on the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in cooperation with American Schools and Hospitals Abroad, shall establish the American University of the Americas in up to 3 Americas partner countries selected by the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Education. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2512B108CDF44D1083E26567F458B835"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Independence</header><text>The American University of the Americas—</text><subparagraph id="id92E09E3A0D5D449CAE8AA807518CF4C5"><enum>(A)</enum><text>shall be modeled after similar institutions, such as the American University of Armenia, the American University of Dubai, the American University of Nigeria, and the American University of Cairo;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id3C6FF782941C450A82D4280B4F79CF2A"><enum>(B)</enum><text>shall remain independent of the United States Government; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id76EE98F331FA43A78BC8039701D73DD8"><enum>(C)</enum><text>shall be registered as a legal educational entity in the country in which its headquarters is located.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id69593257BEE043449F93EB7F9C8B6682"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Federal government support</header><text>Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the United States Government shall support the American University of the Americas by—</text><subparagraph id="id870EFDC3CDD543DA85B2F9340883B35E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>facilitating its founding, including its registration as a legal educational entity;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idEEC7B735341A4138AB197233C823DDF3"><enum>(B)</enum><text>offering assistance with the development of academic programs;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id8EB5501E00474AF7B6E7F38CA9F5581B"><enum>(C)</enum><text>providing needed financial assistance;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id02D03DD033B14A949F30D595E70453AE"><enum>(D)</enum><text>advising the Center of Excellence for Combating Corruption established pursuant to subsection (h); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idE9976537AC464B4B9BC5A2A441F6E848"><enum>(E)</enum><text>retaining a seat on the Board for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Americas Partnership.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idb7590d7936074ca395d1923beba5ff2a"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Authorized campuses</header><subparagraph id="idACEA9CB2F2AB4BFB9B78D212CE55BD39"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Of the campuses of the American University of the Americas authorized to be established under paragraph (1)—</text><clause id="ideaa8a8bd2029441382544a0a4b92817e"><enum>(i)</enum><text>1 campus may be established in Central America;</text></clause><clause id="ide49dbf855ecf4bd290918117fc76a02f"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>1 campus may be established in the Caribbean; and</text></clause><clause id="idb59f98ba761b4f17ba8840a3a4e91776"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>1 campus may be established in the Southern Cone.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idadf317fc4df14eb89b06b153618155aa"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Joint operations</header><text>The 3 campuses established pursuant to subparagraph (A) may share administrative, legal, and academic resources. </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idF5E83C011516402CB43F91808399602F"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Host country selection</header><paragraph id="idF029721E3A6E4AD2B1DCC68EA8761843"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Solicitation of proposals</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Administrator shall solicit proposals from Americas partner countries desiring to host the American University of the Americas.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4e07a78e1d804797894da26876c6f223"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Proposal contents</header><text>Proposals submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall—</text><subparagraph id="id41F9B71C7F9B453CABE4DDB033F4F431"><enum>(A)</enum><text>identify the proposed location of the institution;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idabb2e6baf3754faba1817296a723d519"><enum>(B)</enum><text>evaluate the financial viability of the institution;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idf7494d80f05a4c8d823324af47baf3b5"><enum>(C)</enum><text>describe the support that the host government is committed to provide to the institution;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ide048f303f2bc4399bf0d5588e1708549"><enum>(D)</enum><text>include a sustainability plan for the institution;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida3e8cd8479024a8e920dc219098ab28c"><enum>(E)</enum><text>identify possible private-sector, nonprofit, and other partners who have committed to work with the institution; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF3F604DBA55445D2BB63FC26C5D9AD41"><enum>(F)</enum><text>identify individuals who have agreed to serve on the institution’s board of directors, with letters of commitment; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1b21852b622c433a9768832f870fdae5"><enum>(G)</enum><text>identify any local legislation that will need to be enacted in order to establish the institution in the host country, along with a plan to enact such legislation. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id1d9a13544bf14b98ac115ff990875811"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Grant</header><subparagraph id="id732DA21DC17F44EBA20406F6E518418C"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Administrator shall award a grant to each country selected to host a campus of the American University of the Americas to provide startup funding. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id2EE44922BA1A4306A1EADC2FC43F924F"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Eligible entities</header><text>A grant authorized under subparagraph (A) may be given to a university, the ministry of higher education of the host country, or any other organization that is capable of facilitating the establishment of a campus of the American University of the Americas in accordance with this section.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id9ceccad73ded4ebdacc418931b442f7b"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Legal registration</header><text>After a country is selected to host the American University of the Americas, the Administrator shall formally register the institution in such country.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ida35f461104e141e08ebe9364b890fb35"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Accreditation</header><paragraph id="idCC1A6DBE4A864017A02690105D2BD155"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 5 years after the date on which the American University of the Americas begins operations, the institution shall seek accreditation with an accrediting agency recognized by the Department of Education in accordance with subtitle B of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idec1488454834413186e816d3abeb2124"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Foreign accreditation</header><text>The representative of the United States in the Americas Partnership business advisory board established pursuant to section 202 shall encourage collaboration with Americas partner countries to ensure the accreditation of science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine degrees with the appropriate education ministries or departments of Americas partner country governments.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id9b9b4a0ace7d4cdeba37870806c52dde"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Degrees; coursework</header><paragraph id="id908AC254F48B458C9D74516E2D70F2A3"><enum>(1)</enum><header>STEM and business development degrees</header><text>Federal funding for the American University of the Americas may only be used to subsidize courses leading to a degree in science, technology, engineering, math, medicine, business development, or management. Prerequisites may only be allowed for coursework related to such degrees.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id79d916fc68e143d18281cbd485a9ba84"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Exchange programs; virtual learning</header><text>The American University of the Americas shall offer exchange programs and virtual learning programs.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id632381d32220495b878b0c3946ef3084"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Languages</header><text>The languages of instruction for the American University of the Americas—</text><subparagraph id="id06E5229D4811467AB50DA9713BE0E010"><enum>(A)</enum><text>shall be governed by local law and accompanying regulations of accreditation agencies, with an effort to assure fully bilingual graduates; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id071473A253E64AC58C43B5EC6D51D7F7"><enum>(B)</enum><text>shall include the English language. </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id32a7cf17ac904f6f9f789d462bd65200"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Funding limitation</header><text>The American University of the Americas may not accept any funding from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Government of the Republic of Cuba, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, or any individual or institution working on behalf of any such government. If any funding is accepted by the American University of the Americas in violation of this subsection, the relationship between the United States and the institution shall be immediately terminated.</text></subsection><subsection id="id77139053e8e14c7096b50bb54de9d6ce"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Centers of excellence</header><text>The American University of the Americas shall include a Center of Excellence for Combating Corruption, Human, and Other Trafficking and Organized Crime that carries out research and pubic education related to corruption, money laundering (including trade-based money laundering), human trafficking, drug trafficking, and other related criminal activities in Americas partner countries and throughout the Americas.</text></subsection><subsection id="id0B99AF7AB44D44418BC6806061EBFF78" commented="no"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>The Secretary of State may expend such sums as may be necessary from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 to carry out this section. </text></subsection></section><section id="ida0bf31f08ddb4e4bad6a9d4d803fd031"><enum>265.</enum><header>United States Agency for International Development Caribbean and Latin American Scholarship Program III</header><subsection id="idb98f90569c07466fa878309e2d1bbdd2"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development shall establish a scholarship program, which be known as the Caribbean and Latin American Scholarship Program III—</text><paragraph id="id9dac18a803654a03ac4033cbeae84f70"><enum>(1)</enum><text>shall be modeled after the second phase of the Caribbean and Latin American Scholarship Program (commonly known as CLASP–II);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id0908869317ab4716926e39bba4077136"><enum>(2)</enum><text>shall offer full ride scholarships (including tuition, fees, and reasonable accommodations) to qualifying students in partner countries;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idcc709e3fa34c41aca58a489e4f277f12"><enum>(3)</enum><text>shall offer bachelor's and master's degrees in science, technology, engineering, math, and the English language; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idb16c51f4014048a1a3dbd6099b837423"><enum>(4)</enum><text>shall require students—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id47208f0f42444b329d8ee2636f78ffbf"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to study outside of their respective countries of citizenship; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4766ed1075fa44199a89549ae1c9996d"><enum>(B)</enum><text>to commit to return to their respective countries of origin following the completion of their studies.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id1efa7275e9cb4f87974def19db48c91e"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated, from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301, $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 and each successive fiscal year to carry out the scholarship program authorized under subsection (a) in Americas partner countries.</text></subsection></section><section id="idB57AA073D5794A06BDE16CEA887F50E1"><enum>266.</enum><header>Concern for Advanced Retired and Elderly nonimmigrant visa program for aliens who provide direct care for elderly populations</header><subsection id="id8FDD234775E2447086B9C78DED4FBF72"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Findings</header><text>Congress makes the following findings:</text><paragraph id="id5EFE2AB373734B42BC8D70BC31647749"><enum>(1)</enum><text>In 2015, there were an estimated 47,800,000 individuals in the United States who were 65 years of age or older, and by 2030, it is expected that there will be nearly 73,000,000 individuals in the United States who are 65 years of age or older, which is approximately <fraction>1/5</fraction> of the population.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id14B06D53C47E49D9A8DFB1859EA5A9E4"><enum>(2)</enum><text>In 2020—</text><subparagraph id="idF1DCFFA78F1748149F76E14063A31F54"><enum>(A)</enum><text>45 percent of individuals caring for an elderly family member in the United States experienced financial hardship as a result of such caregiving, of whom 28 percent stopped saving and 22 percent exhausted their personal short-term savings; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id92BE76E2523B425981801C3717C09B0E"><enum>(B)</enum><text>15 percent of United States workers transitioned from full-time employment to part-time employment due to the need to provide care for an elderly family member; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idDDD55EA5C07D4621B75220EBABA38A51"><enum>(C)</enum><text>6 percent of United States workers left the workforce entirely to care for an elderly loved one; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idCF3AC9FC5B104C67BF0C280208947D3B"><enum>(D)</enum><text>27 percent of United States workers reported finding affordable elder care services very difficult, and 33 percent of such workers reported finding such services moderately difficult.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idF4B97C5A3BC245758591897A68E1DAFB"><enum>(3)</enum><text>If working family caregivers aged 50 years and older are provided the support they need to care for their loved ones, the gross domestic product of the United States could grow by an additional $1,700,000,000,000 by 2030.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id102D2A0ECC824A69B8C82415D426EDD9"><enum>(4)</enum><text>In the United States, nursing assistants and home health aides—</text><subparagraph id="id1E47B26DDA5B45E9825851CEC4527A26"><enum>(A)</enum><text>comprise the largest group of workers in the long-term care workforce; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idAB13AC9F7A56423CB5ED2640E4FA7A97"><enum>(B)</enum><text>are among the 10 occupations experiencing the highest levels of job growth.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id87800FC859AA40F4943F7A0F89FF83E0"><enum>(5)</enum><text>In 2014, there were approximately 1,220,000 nursing assistants and 704,500 home health aides in the United States.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idC5842D76266E4276A8A1EED4FBC32939" commented="no"><enum>(6)</enum><text>The need for workers providing direct care for elderly populations is expected to grow by 34 percent by 2030, which is significantly higher than the capacity of United States workers to fill the need.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idE76BFA1DD6034984B10D63C795D3B8DF"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Sense of Congress</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that—</text><paragraph id="id813265F903D9436E8B22F9A4673B44A8"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the increasing care needs of the elderly population of the United States is of increasing significance, both in terms of cost and time, as United States family size decreases and the overall population ages; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8008C82EEB4D4AC9925B352AA376011E"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the establishment of a nonimmigrant visa category to increase the availability of caregivers and lower the cost of caring for the elderly will allow the family members of the elderly, particularly women and single heads of household who historically have taken a greater role in caring for elderly parents, to continuing working rather than taking on a caregiving role. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id044016D68F9F44E095E85F1B0CCA3DF8"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Concern for Advanced Retired and Elderly nonimmigrant visa program</header><paragraph id="idF5BA456931994F5392BB3A43B077313E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/8/1101">8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><subparagraph id="id43A43F54240B49CEA0D9B71469234862"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subparagraph (T)(ii)(III), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idE686BD5846394F6290D686D781D92D6E"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subparagraph (U)(iii), by striking <quote>or</quote> at the end;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idB7F66DCFF91841ABB6297248D1DFA1F1"><enum>(C)</enum><text>in subparagraph (V)(ii)(II), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; or</quote>; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id744C4368501B46BCAC71F759599924EA"><enum>(D)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id570E2F0FE6354BBB845602CDA3A843C8"><subparagraph id="id0050AB37BF884D11933AF6D84F220787" indent="up1"><enum>(W)</enum><clause commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id1f15a29c24b24a6684b7f13532eac245"><enum>(i)</enum><text>subject to section 214(s), an alien who seeks admission to the United States temporarily for the purpose of providing direct care, as a nursing assistant, a home health aide, a personal care aide, a psychiatric assistant or aide, a mobility assistant, or a child care provider, for 1 or more individuals who are—</text><subclause indent="up1" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8c8130331267487289e564b8566f20b3"><enum>(I)</enum><text>retired or elderly;</text></subclause><subclause indent="up1" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaeb5fdebca7e4feaa3bfe97e8b47d259"><enum>(II)</enum><text>receiving—</text><item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id95a766b0262a4cd8b8bef6290b9d395b"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>disability insurance benefits under section 223 of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/423">42 U.S.C. 423</external-xref>) or monthly insurance benefits under section 202 of such Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/402">42 U.S.C. 402</external-xref>) based on such individuals’ disability; or</text></item><item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb7ce1448cbdc456cb56ea55a370484a4"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>supplemental security income benefits under title XVI of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1381">42 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.</external-xref>) on the basis of blindness or disability; or</text></item></subclause><subclause indent="up1" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id67967671183740fe825e39513d8da0b3"><enum>(III)</enum><text>too young to be eligible for a free public education (as defined in section 8101 of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/7801">20 U.S.C. 7801</external-xref>)) in the State or territory in which such individuals are residing; and</text></subclause></clause><clause indent="up1" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id345b6bf9ddc1476c9f3e7fe34613bc3a"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the spouse or minor child of an alien described in clause (i), if accompanying or following to join such alien.</text></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id6B52C22B51514842A50BC2C29E6E65A6"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Requirements applicable to the Concern for Advanced Retired and Elderly nonimmigrant visa program</header><text>Section 214 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/8/1184">8 U.S.C. 1184</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following: </text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id24A052ACCEF54CA6ACBF7F82F05A4543"><subsection id="id4B847E37ADD746C996C25A7977239C9F"><enum>(s)</enum><header>Concern for Advanced Retired and Elderly (CARE) nonimmigrant visa program</header><paragraph id="id881566F3A143466582D7D6427DF64D04"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Defined term</header><text>The term <term>CARE visa</term> means a visa issued to an alien described in section 101(a)(15)(W) in accordance with the requirements under this section.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id5E84258D9F114D6EB0F2D125C1D7C61C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Selection of applicants</header><subparagraph id="id9AEC87B6812A40CE95C6C1548BDBBEA1"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall work with the Americas partner country (as defined in section 2 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>) to identify, vet, train, and certify applicants for CARE visas. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idD80727B56FEE47C2B71C6C4F320023EC"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Application process</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7b2665ebd7644f7b997e0a82a94cdd37"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Americas partner country and private entities, shall establish a process by which an alien may apply to be considered for a CARE visa.</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7c0f7383f8eb4d038490257c6e959e45"><enum>(ii)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Certification required</header><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5101f6db7ea3462381bf52c319850666"><enum>(I)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of State may not approve an application for a CARE visa unless the alien has first applied to the Secretary of Labor for, and obtained, a certification that—</text><item id="idf0c702897f664b68b1e223d8f8f4d7f8"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>there are not sufficient workers who are able, willing, and qualified, and who will be available at the time and place needed, to perform the labor or services involved in the application; and</text></item><item id="idf97edf8ea8d64ab8b7c701750541906d"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>the employment of the alien in such labor or services will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed.</text></item></subclause><subclause id="id2dbb7ae39dd74a35a39dcd1923a5bb77"><enum>(II)</enum><header>Fees</header><text>The Secretary of Labor may require, by regulation, as a condition of issuing a certification under subclause (I), the payment of a fee to recover the reasonable costs of processing applications for certification.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idAC218E2935544268A557EBB3C60BE791"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Training</header><text>With respect to each alien selected to apply for a CARE visa, the Secretary of State shall coordinate with the Secretary of Labor and the applicable Americas partner country to provide training on direct care of individuals described in section 101(a)(15)(W)(i)—</text><clause id="idEBA75B26A8424147B717BA966EB32165"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in the primary language of the Americas partner country, as applicable; </text></clause><clause id="idFD7718C9D1CC49D986445AED8AA8DE18"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>with respect to the direct care of retired or elderly individuals, in accordance with the standards applicable to a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program under sections 483.152 and 483.154 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); and</text></clause><clause id="id694045079F4B42E7BEC612B9B8933081"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>for the purpose of serving temporarily as a nursing assistant, home health aide, personal care aide, psychiatric assistant, mobility assistant, or child care provider in the United States. </text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id3A63CDCA85BA4423A0F5E1D88BACF194"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Competency evaluation and certification</header><clause id="id81957D6AAD0B4856A9E33441B3771BB2"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>On completion of the training provided under subparagraph (C), an alien seeking a CARE visa for the purpose of providing direct care for an individual described in section 101(a)(15)(W)(i)(I) shall be evaluated for competency in accordance with the standards applicable to a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program under sections 483.152 and 483.154 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).</text></clause><clause id="idBFB8545C85044B019196378C112ADD9D"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Certification</header><text>If the Secretary of State makes a determination that an alien seeking a CARE visa described in clause (i) has attained competency in accordance with the standards referred to in such clause, the Secretary may certify such individual for a CARE visa.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5F2E46F95CEC4E7893DDDC87953CE76F"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Numerical limitation</header><text>Not more than 50,000 CARE visas may be issued annually under this subsection.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id0EF08CF5E07D4573BADBF3773057F85A"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Prohibition</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of State may not issue a CARE visa to any individual who—</text><subparagraph id="id17F988AD28F0478C9C12C18B5BDFA877"><enum>(A)</enum><text>has not been certified under paragraph (2)(D)(ii) (unless such individual will only be providing direct care to an individual described in subclause (II) or (III) of section 101(a)(15)(W)(i)); or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id79163E93B0C64C83A995366BC8969888"><enum>(B)</enum><text>has not completed security and law enforcement background checks to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland Security.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id6FBC1801A2324351BC5BC3B0975E94F4"><enum>(4)</enum><header>English language not required</header><text>The issuance of a CARE visa or the admission of an alien to the United States pursuant to a CARE visa may not be conditioned on English-language competency. </text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc46e13f515404c099092b9fc9ddd407a"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Portability</header><subparagraph id="idcb24203b548341adb5ea25d62ba2b717"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A nonimmigrant described in subparagraph (B) who was previously issued a CARE visa may accept new employment upon the filing by the prospective employer of a new petition on behalf of such nonimmigrant. Employment authorization shall continue for such nonimmigrant until the new petition is adjudicated. If the new petition is denied, the employment authorization of the alien shall cease to have effect.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idcf14b827ad304921b06991d3b51176d5"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Nonimmigrant described</header><text>A nonimmigrant described in this subparagraph is a nonimmigrant—</text><clause id="idc611d48d530048f1bd2a9d9fb3c14062"><enum>(i)</enum><text>who has been admitted to the United States;</text></clause><clause id="idcf3746b2a1af44b88ff84136966e7a54"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>on whose behalf an employer has filed a nonfrivolous petition for new employment before the date on which the nonimmigrant's period of authorized admission expires; and</text></clause><clause id="idaf96a9500ef34208bb813c2f2b08f222"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>who, after such admission, has not been employed without authorization in the United States before the filing of such petition.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id74b2915a102f4f9d8e133ec132fd731c"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Noncompete clauses</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf689abf428ec479a9f48c8e4b4714540"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An agreement between an employer and a CARE visa holder may not include a noncompete clause.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6cc04cdd98914965a07a2df89e2c8932"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Noncompete clause defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this paragraph, the term <term>noncompete clause</term> means a contractual term between an employer and a worker that prevents, or has the effect of prohibiting, the worker from seeking or accepting employment with a person after the conclusion of the worker’s employment with the employer. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idE163B3D6983A4C929E591030009CD4F7"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Period of authorized admission</header><text>The period of authorized admission for a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(W) who has been issued a CARE visa shall be not more than 7 years and may not be renewed or extended for any reason.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="id08A63D1C5F454BCAABBC0DAA95C6E48B"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Protections for victims of trafficking</header><text>Section 203 of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/8/1375c">8 U.S.C. 1375c</external-xref>) is amended—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9DC4233EB04040098CE76DD6F51421A4"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the section heading, by striking <quote><header-in-text style="OLC" level="section">and G–5</header-in-text></quote> and inserting <quote><header-in-text style="OLC" level="section">, G–5, and CARE</header-in-text></quote>;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6727ED65F36C435C915C03771B07179F"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subsection (a)—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idDD3BD8B36A3142BBB5ED1A8FCEF7078B"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the subsection heading, by striking <quote><header-in-text style="OLC" level="subsection">and G–5</header-in-text></quote> and inserting <quote><header-in-text style="OLC" level="subsection">, G–5, and CARE</header-in-text></quote>; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idEA8A19342396480D8C7AA17378EA23DC"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in paragraph (1)—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8413E93179014845AB20B796B90B3039"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (A)—</text><item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idBEC590FD49C94C419C543A397F911A34"><enum>(aa)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>subsection (d)(2)</quote> and inserting <quote>subsection (b)(2)</quote>; and</text></item><item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id278B1459E27B4AA6A1F2EE9DDE4CC94E"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>by striking <quote>; or</quote> and inserting a semicolon;</text></item></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1F5FC2BF3E9E4A49873751147409DEC8"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>; and </text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id647F945401B943F2848AE23533F1C727"><enum>(III)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id43534C9D458C4E4BB3B411030D10A591"><subparagraph id="id593537A8031F44A58972CF0C75A7CD84" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><text>a CARE visa unless the applicant is employed, or has signed a contract to be employed to provide direct care, as a nursing assistant, a home health aide, a personal care aide, a psychiatric assistant or aide, a mobility assistant, or a child care for individual described in section 101(a)(15)(W) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/8/1101">8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(W)</external-xref>).</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id928D7C17D36F4B61A1A74CD715D34088"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (b)—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9C07968F3CC9457692359FCF99BF1EDD"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the subsection heading—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6B3C59E790FE427885C3156CA2D1A2EC"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote><header-in-text style="OLC" level="subsection">and G–5</header-in-text></quote> and inserting <quote><header-in-text style="OLC" level="subsection">, G–5, and CARE</header-in-text></quote>; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idD1445CAB9ADF4B04A7E2143882DEDCCA"><enum>(II)</enum><text>by striking <quote><header-in-text style="OLC" level="subsection">employed by diplomats and staff of international organizations</header-in-text></quote>;</text></subclause></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idDAF6633AC3FC45DC94459D9575475306"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking <quote>or a G–5 visa</quote> and inserting <quote>, a G–5 visa, or a CARE visa</quote>; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id30E6154C760C4F97ACB7E9A727325BFD"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>in paragraph (4)(A), by striking <quote>or a G–5 visa</quote> and inserting <quote>, a G–5 visa, or a CARE visa</quote>;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idC4F9612E5D8F4C7ABC53B55F30B99206"><enum>(D)</enum><text>in subsection (c)(1)—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idAF017CB7889B43B9B85CED5730B673DE"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (A), by striking <quote>or a G–5 visa</quote> and inserting <quote>, a G–5 visa, or a CARE visa</quote>; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7877B58D13DD43F38F615BDD2332A9D0"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in subparagraph (C)—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id229BE74CC96F42CBAA0B56E86E05BCFE"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>or a G–5 visa</quote> and inserting <quote>, a G–5 visa, or a CARE visa</quote>; and </text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6D47B3FB51C24079B73B28BCC4816A19"><enum>(II)</enum><text>by striking <quote>or G–5 nonimmigrant</quote> and inserting <quote>, G–5, or CARE nonimmigrant</quote>;</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0081D84A30A2468BB125379A220A49E7"><enum>(E)</enum><text>in subsection (e), by striking <quote>or a G–5 visa</quote> and inserting <quote>, a G–5 visa, or a CARE visa</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id993B26D38DA74AB8863946ECA3921B1C"><enum>(F)</enum><text>in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3329342004854368B8F4CC881578B5D3"><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idA810653F58794C6AA247578849FEF44C"><enum>(5)</enum><header>CARE visa</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>CARE visa</term> means a nonimmigrant visa issued pursuant to subparagraph (W) of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/8/1101">8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)</external-xref>).</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide3aaae1cab0840c9b5010b26f9bb1754"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Authorization To hire additional embassy personnel</header><text>The Secretary of State may increase the number of foreign service officers stationed at United States embassies in order to ensure the efficient adjudication of visa applications associated with the Concern for Advanced Retired and Elderly nonimmigrant visa program.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf98a38535cd04ff7a2e12b78aa1c5748"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Rule of construction</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Nothing in this section or an amendment made by this section may be construed to prevent an alien from changing from any nonimmigrant classification to any other nonimmigrant classification under section 248 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/8/1258">8 U.S.C. 1258</external-xref>). </text></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id09ff0172c599403bbd204a5f4b4235ee"><enum>267.</enum><header>Sense of Congress on TN visa program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">It is the sense of Congress that the President should incorporate into the periodic review of the USMCA for 2026 a discussion of the establishment of a TN visa category for low-skill workers.</text></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section" id="id3fe74fac76dd4f999644783afb5103f4"><enum>268.</enum><header>Assessment of visa waiver program eligibility for Uruguay and Costa Rica</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to Congress a report that includes—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2fc2381afde7415cbcd7aaa0de149b77"><enum>(1)</enum><text>an assessment as to whether Uruguay meets the eligibility criteria for designation as a program country for purposes of the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/8/1187">8 U.S.C. 1187</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id76adcff130594dd2a7ee5e8bb5508fb1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>an assessment as to whether Costa Rica meets such eligibility criteria; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2eddcd7940fc4a11b357be6294224c32"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in the case of an assessment that Uruguay or Costa Rica does not meet such eligibility criteria, a description of the actions required of such country in order to meet such criteria. </text></paragraph></section><section id="id1954161d548c483db0c9beaba17b2a0c"><enum>269.</enum><header>Radio Free Americas</header><subsection id="ida5d18c4e689f453b8e5484f7c0773ed4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Authority</header><text>The Secretary of State, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, the Secretary of Commerce, or the head of any other relevant Federal department may award annual grants to a country in Latin America or the Caribbean for the purpose of carrying out a broadcasting service, which—</text><paragraph id="id0DA85D01D610425ABA0D320A1D204D6F"><enum>(1)</enum><text>shall be known as <quote>Radio Free Americas</quote>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2CFC6346F8014473900E89D6330776C4"><enum>(2)</enum><text>shall consist of radio, television, social media, and other public communications efforts; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idafa5253ed36b4adc80bbd47381915cb5"><enum>(3)</enum><text>may not result in any curtailment of the ongoing work of Radio Martí.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id360201ea823d439597b21e440f1aa64c"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Functions</header><text>Radio Free Americas shall—</text><paragraph id="id676e49d4381b4fceaa361be18d81a723"><enum>(1)</enum><text>provide accurate and timely information, news, and commentary about events in the Americas and in other places around the world; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id288d9d94ee644086ba0dd4a5d400404e"><enum>(2)</enum><text>be a forum for a variety of opinions and voices from within nations in the Western Hemisphere whose people do not fully enjoy freedom of expression.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id580f2ef0b71e47bcb2376774e2bd7bbf"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Grant agreement</header><paragraph id="idC76D930E1EDF46A88D2AE55C6A8B7D19"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Any grant awarded under this section shall be subject to the limitations and restrictions set forth in paragraphs (2) through (5).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id4021eadf42bf48e08cea0f5274965cc9"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Location of headquarters</header><text>No grant may be awarded under this section unless the headquarters of Radio Free Americas and its senior administrative and managerial staff are in a location that ensures economy, operational effectiveness, and accountability to the United States Government.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idacbcc6c9d59042048152b25029b2be93"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Obligations</header><text>Any agreement governing a grant awarded under this section shall require that any contract entered into by the grantee on behalf of Radio Free Americas specifies that all obligations related to the functions described in subsection (b) be assumed by Radio Free Americas and not by the United States Government.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id705b9831e8154599ac1cf1224a516cfc"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Lease agreements</header><text>Any such grant agreement shall require that any lease agreements entered into by the grantee on behalf of Radio Free Americas be assignable to the United States Government, to the maximum extent possible.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id39cbff62bd2844a99912e9b2e19f9776"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Limitation on activities; terminations</header><text>Grants awarded under this section shall be made pursuant to a grant agreement—</text><subparagraph id="id5BD9B30441674BA1A824A00F46F05F66"><enum>(A)</enum><text>requiring that grant funds be used only for activities in accordance with this section; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idCE1DE859CE2F46A9B70E20CDD6B91B95"><enum>(B)</enum><text>specifying that failure to comply with the requirements under this section authorizes the termination of the agreement without fiscal obligation to the United States.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idd822056d2d0b45689c2a7501ece97aab"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Sense of Congress regarding administrative and managerial costs</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that administrative and managerial costs for the operation of Radio Free Americas—</text><paragraph id="id9D29934D602040438F13CD7B26101586"><enum>(1)</enum><text>should be kept to a minimum; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id5B2E279A5EAC47C88BB02B443E7A01B7"><enum>(2)</enum><text>should not exceed the costs that would have been incurred if Radio Free Americas had been operated as a Federal entity rather than through a grantee.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id8708da034aaf45798449ecfac5605abe"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Assessment of the effectiveness of Radio Free Americas</header><text>Not later than 3 years after the date on which initial funding is provided for the purpose of operating Radio Free Americas, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding—</text><paragraph id="id9890e1a42d7b4effab706eea9a796cb0"><enum>(1)</enum><text>whether Radio Free Americas—</text><subparagraph id="idDD1C41847C444B7CA7090C8DA4F408F3"><enum>(A)</enum><text>is technically sound and cost-effective;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idfe2ea5149ddd4f2c89a6bcb69d1106d8"><enum>(B)</enum><text>consistently meets the standards for quality and objectivity established under this section; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idef1059f4336e410982aeb0e2ed42b60a"><enum>(C)</enum><text>is received by a sufficient audience to warrant its continued operations;</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id6da2b20520d548d6a9ae9b82b17e570e"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the extent to which the information, news, and commentary provided by Radio Free Americas is also being received by the target audience from other credible sources; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id62588104bb8b4d1cb549eee5eaf81828"><enum>(3)</enum><text>the extent to which the interests of the United States are being served by maintaining the operations of Radio Free Americas.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idd49e597f3af143c39299ae19b45620b5"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Notification and consultation regarding displacement of Voice of America broadcasting</header><text>The Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media shall notify the appropriate congressional committees before—</text><paragraph id="id369da15f6f314cbfb3b0dc596ca8a8eb"><enum>(1)</enum><text>entering into any agreement for the utilization of Voice of America transmitters, equipment, or other resources that will significantly reduce the broadcasting activities of the Voice of America in the Americas or in any other region in order to accommodate the broadcasting activities of Radio Free Americas; or</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ida9be9c1b48a24d6a861c4d43421a88cd"><enum>(2)</enum><text>entering into any agreements in regard to the utilization of Radio Free Americas transmitters, equipment, or other resources that will significantly reduce the broadcasting activities of Radio Free Americas.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idc04c423278964ad68ada939857fc7426"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Alternative grantee</header><text>If the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media determines that Radio Free Americas is not carrying out the functions described in subsection (b) in an effective and economical manner, the Chief Executive Officer may award the grant to carry out such functions to another entity.</text></subsection><subsection id="id1f74f9dcdc2e4126b325425a3a4876e2"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Federal status</header><text>Nothing in this section may be construed to make Radio Free Americas a Federal agency or instrumentality.</text></subsection><subsection id="idD3F55B2AF37E4B029969DC59DD9309C0" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Funding</header><text>The Secretary of State may expend such sums as may be necessary from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 to carry out this section. </text></subsection></section><section id="id1c3c4800b636472881440033b25c4a68" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>270.</enum><header>Biennial presidential summit</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Not less frequently than biennially, the President, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall host a summit for Americas partner countries during which such countries shall highlight and showcase successful investments, endeavors, and programs associated with activities authorized under this Act. </text></section></subtitle><enum>III</enum><header>Revenue and financial management</header><section id="id5D9C25273B1540B0AADB53F1B49E00CA" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>301.</enum><header>Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account</header><subsection id="id8C400F8953424EDD973C9C592045C1E5"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>There is established within the Treasury of the United States an account to be known as the <quote>Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account</quote> (in this section referred to as the <quote>Account</quote>), consisting of such amounts as are—</text><paragraph id="id11DEF5B0EC5C4C45B3E043B22DEBA533"><enum>(1)</enum><text>appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under subsection (c); </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id71F87C165C384F3D9303EB29FCFF468B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>deposited into or transferred to the Account as specified in title II or subsection (c) of section 321 of Tariff Act of 1930, as added by section 302; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idA19ED249223E4EA09731CDA9231866B5"><enum>(3)</enum><text>credited to the Account under subsection (d).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id7F9FE3B9311D4BACB5D90FEC82C1CB17"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Use of amounts</header><text>Amounts in the Account shall be available, without further appropriation, to carry out titles I and II.</text></subsection><subsection id="idD42331A795554D4BBF64E4870674F5EB"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><paragraph id="idA99461BD1A434DC09B67F2738E1D9BF5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>There are authorized to be appropriated $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 for initial capitalization of the Account. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id398DF213E3A84D8C9A9C7AEA07107C04" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Reimbursement of treasury</header><text>Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Account shall reimburse the treasury for the amount appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under paragraph (1).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id2a364a5e97bb493faebb12866325270e"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Investment of amounts</header><paragraph id="id2636f0d3b5f94530b00738e64ea8a707"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Treasury shall invest such portion of the Account as is not required to meet current withdrawals in interest-bearing obligations of the United States or in obligations guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id24328DEB02DE4A94B86C5485A971B6EC"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorization of investment in other instruments</header><subparagraph id="id1B7033E7DC7D47A39159301D9BA80A44"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary of the Treasury may invest such portion of the Account as the Secretary anticipates will be held in the Account for not less than 2 years in equity securities or other securities through a commercial bank if the Secretary determines such investments are appropriate.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id3A37DCE290DE46BB973F56D45BB1C26B"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this paragraph, the terms <term>equity security</term> and <term>security</term> have the meanings given those terms in section 3(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/15/78c">15 U.S.C. 78c(a)</external-xref>).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id18f147a7d3bc46a4ac8c637dc1772e18"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Interest and proceeds</header><text>The interest on, and the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any obligations held in the Account shall be credited to and form a part of the Account. </text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id3bba7d36672d457fa226a41f226e55f2"><enum>302.</enum><header>Modification of treatment of de minimis entries of articles</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5d6e5b66175e42bca33e3311891a9a52"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 321 of Tariff Act of 1930 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/1321">19 U.S.C. 1321</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id10d250548d3749eeac4e070c29a6e8c7"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by amending subsection (a)(2)(C) to read as follows:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id23855ED268664BC4BA751B68C1858E86"><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id38b1087f1a1b4dc48e4a231220d62b47"><enum>(C)</enum><text>in any other case, such amount as the Secretary establishes under subsection (c)(1).</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf7e493547fa340b4941e663d959d13f1"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block id="id0EAC18B3311B40A9BCB93506C8332EC7" display-inline="no-display-inline" style="OLC"><subsection id="id4f86760f51fd40929b4ffa7c7f7343f5"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Treatment of de minimis entries</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id332f69c5f917434184e489530d3241da"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Reciprocity with respect to de minimis entries</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id76e38c1db44d43a59d4ac66e38b1ecbd"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Establishment of thresholds</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6649dcfc572846e0a4392f42a249c815"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>, the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe regulations to establish dollar amount thresholds, which may not exceed $800, for de minimis entries for purposes of subsection (a)(2)(C).</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id92da09e3453e47fe81b923c963446402"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Requirements</header><text>The Secretary shall establish a threshold under clause (i) for each country that is equal to the sum of—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id524761f428004e3586d63266cd19d7b8"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the dollar amount threshold of that country for de minimis entries from the United States; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd22a5028367146ce9893628cbf618d9f"><enum>(II)</enum><text>any related thresholds of that country, such as a threshold relating to a value-added tax on imports.</text></subclause></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc647274718fa4b7a8038637ef4a81c0b"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Publication; notification</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddd6b0768c81e4e168be042b1beb1ba5a"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">publish the threshold established under clause (i) in the Federal Register; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfd56527cb5c94cb6ae97431d74143a08"><enum>(II)</enum><text>notify the governments of foreign countries of the threshold.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idE12B95F92ABE4A6D8E6CCAAA13AD2F10"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Transfer of amounts attributable to de minimis entries to Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5c06fb5f0c9643ceb17acf0d458c3cb0"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer to the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301 of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title> from the general fund of the Treasury, for fiscal year 2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, an amount equivalent to the amount received into the general fund during that fiscal year that the Secretary determines is attributable to revenue received as a result of the dollar amount thresholds established under subparagraph (A).</text></clause><clause id="id3d699d5c730f43398563fbcdefe8058f"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Frequency of transfers</header><text>The Secretary shall transfer amounts required by clause (i) to be transferred to the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account not less frequently than quarterly. </text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idee22dc035f0645438e9ba5cb28f3398a"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Prohibition on de minimis entries from certain countries</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id64dd6365b71440148aefa835140fca06"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text>Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of the Treasury shall publish a list of countries the articles of which are not eligible for entry under subsection (a)(2)(C).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6aa5802198dd4e03bdc87383474d41c2"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Criteria for inclusion</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id67aadebf2b314b7fb8ed0ce5340d8374"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>, the Secretary shall establish, and submit to Congress a report on, the conditions for including a country on the list required by subparagraph (A). </text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id50f45dfee57349bda1c0ac15214ee789"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Considerations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In establishing under clause (i) conditions for including a country on the list required by subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider the following:</text><subclause id="id5c308f19805c45d1bf030c168f13c6e9"><enum>(I)</enum><text>Violations by the country of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to ensure that goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China do not enter the United States market, and for other purposes</quote>, approved December 23, 2021 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/117/78">Public Law 117–78</external-xref>; 135 Stat. 1525) (commonly referred to as the <quote>Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act</quote>).</text></subclause><subclause id="id1444cdee3c304713ac41b916858c15a5"><enum>(II)</enum><text>Transshipment through the country of goods from countries on the list.</text></subclause><subclause id="id499aaf37ae524ce7895c8e0e7936541c"><enum>(III)</enum><text>The exportation from the country of counterfeit goods.</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id02fa1117ae5a4e9aa17f5c6f4ab29a86"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>Whether the government of the country is committed to the fight against trafficking in persons, illegal narcotics, and terrorism, as demonstrated by—</text><item id="id22bc2dad52a94c4c8dceb5efc97220fb"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>the government of the country not being listed under subparagraph (C) of section 110(b)(1) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/7107">22 U.S.C. 7107(b)(1)</external-xref>) (commonly referred to as <quote>tier 3</quote>) in the most recent report on trafficking in persons required under such section (commonly referred to as the <quote>Trafficking in Persons Report</quote>); and</text></item><item id="idf6ab5521c88942ceab1d28410716d50d"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>certification by the Department of State that the government is participating in the fight against illegal narcotics and terrorism. </text></item></subclause><subclause id="idb5dbdf90ae3a414da14b3318e778f97b"><enum>(V)</enum><text>Harm to industry in the United States.</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2d19bad7bf2e417299ae8fb93b6bd20c"><enum>(VI)</enum><text>Public safety risks posed by imports from the country to United States consumers.</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id660c764a1e79461d9a20c6190b6d262f"><enum>(VII)</enum><text>The flow of narcotics from the country into the United States.</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbb5d7cf7fee04443b7acfcea30130269"><enum>(VIII)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Such other issues as the Secretary considers appropriate.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id55f8283dc34b485db1a0721a23cb969d"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Countries required to be included</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id24bf1c82abc945299cf73cc16ad0ecf3"><enum>(i)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text>The following countries shall be included on the list required by subparagraph (A), effective on the date of the enactment of the <short-title>Americas Act</short-title>:</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9c2c912cf58e4aaa8c207fa68705cfca"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The People’s Republic of China. </text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id86199f8ed406476f97f80b5e8c811e5a"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Russian Federation.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id5f702a588ebb4a81aea99ffad1d7863e"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Removal from list</header><text>A country specified in clause (i) may not be removed from the list required by subparagraph (A) until the Secretary certifies to Congress that the government of the country has made progress with respect to the considerations described in subparagraph (B)(ii).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idebcff187b07f45d4a90b277e77e02bf1"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Removal</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida4762e346b404e969da758d8ae803602"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The government of a country on the list required by subparagraph (A) may petition the Secretary for removal from the list.</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id796e27055f6c4d17baf73e58ecc418b0"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Response time</header><text>The Secretary shall—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida4479cd72a74400f97aaab5a005a0a68"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">respond to a petition submitted under clause (i) not later than 90 days after receiving the petition; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id02ecc62b00a942e68938e4850ad518b2"><enum>(II)</enum><text>include in that response a description of any measures the government that submitted the petition is required to undertake to be removed from the list.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idbedb9f51fa594d9281baee102ed39c14"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Consultations with Congress</header><text>The Secretary shall consult with Congress before adding a country to or removing a country from the list required by subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id5f36cafbf1774b52bb1f0cbcff9922c5"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Limitations on eligibility of carriers for importation of de minimis entries</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd07a794db0f340dcabfe3ecbe8a8ccd1"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text>An article is eligible for entry under subsection (a)(2)(C) only if the article is transported to the United States by a contract carrier or customs broker.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id67108017412b43dca336de70df4e054d"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Data requirements</header><text>A contract carrier or customs broker seeking to enter an article under subsection (a)(2)(C) shall provide the following data with respect to the article:</text><clause id="id24ea74248f4247cc8745b97c03dd5c31"><enum>(i)</enum><text>The heading or subheading of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States under which the article is classifiable.</text></clause><clause id="id869704648f204213b3a96f1d937b2985"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>The country of origin of the article.</text></clause><clause id="idbe662bea8bbc4a0f8161bfe2f7f922f4"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>The country of manufacture of the article (if different from the country of origin under clause (ii)).</text></clause><clause id="id1f9337cd7275481baba2dfdb23663ce5"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>The shipper of record.</text></clause><clause id="id992f36016ef24ffca3d883b05d4cca6d"><enum>(v)</enum><text>The importer of record.</text></clause><clause id="id07d7138a0865491282c3fdd29a538474"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>A description of the article.</text></clause><clause id="id48909d963f0c4877ac640472763a63e2"><enum>(vii)</enum><text>The fair market value in the United States of the article.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7c9edee666654fcb8546dbdc50947eeb"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Collection of duties and taxes</header><text>A contract carrier or customs broker transporting articles entering under subsection (a)(2)(C) shall be responsible for collecting the duties and taxes owed with respect to such articles and remitting those duties and taxes to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id492ab2984b284600a3331f75bf8071d3"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this paragraph: </text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd283b461e69f4a098bacad436c198874"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Contract carrier</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>contract carrier</term> means a private entity that—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1ef60d45a07b4e65b3ef35cc9016fa7f"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States; and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id99c38fbc333e4ce59ae699786d921923"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">ships small packages into the United States by air or land.</text></subclause></clause><clause id="ida409110ea8354088a65a7855d8e438f7"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Customs broker</header><text>The term <term>customs broker</term> means a person holding a valid customs broker's license issued under section 641(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/1641">19 U.S.C. 1641(b)</external-xref>).</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9202e9631920457394e9af51b782f649"><enum>(4)</enum><header>De minimis entry defined</header><text>In this subsection, the term <term>de minimis entry</term> means the entry of articles imported by one person on one day with a fair retail value that does not exceed—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id074b2e4ef3c54746987fbc35eb8fde06"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the case of articles entering the United States, the applicable threshold established under paragraph (1)(A); and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id3c331257fdd14e9fb5f8275768818487" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the case of articles entering any other country, an amount determined by the government of that country to be de minimis.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id711af1c5b32b4efd9ab05740362de50a"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Eligibility for de minimis entry procedures of articles withdrawn from a United States foreign trade zone</header><paragraph id="ide5fca415bb65474889fedbbe2110ccaf"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 321(a)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/1321">19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)</external-xref>), as amended by subsection (a), is further amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—</text><subparagraph id="ided36608801444f43840224325cbdc19f"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by inserting <quote>or withdrawal from a foreign trade zone and subsequent entry for consumption</quote> after <quote>by reason of importation</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idfdcd122ac514467bbbdd36a98e8c1b4d"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by inserting <quote>, or in a foreign trade zone of articles withdrawn on one invoice or order for one ultimate consignee on one day,</quote> after <quote>one person on one day</quote>.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id01dfe0c8518d4be0bb96305a46c659a4"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Treatment of e-commerce under Foreign Trade Zones Act</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 15(d) of the Foreign Trade Zones Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/81o">19 U.S.C. 81o(d)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><subparagraph id="id8b565d2b951943a3b2e3c6dcf625cccd"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by inserting <quote>(1)</quote> after “(d) and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id766c848272e94c15bcc1f14a7e5c7d79"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id848ce15df838439799a5c9ff28c7e90c"><paragraph id="id34d01c13ce4d415389885596ce9bf547"><enum>(2)</enum><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id2776bfcced22404d9d2da39f11cccb75"><enum>(A)</enum><text>In this subsection, the term <term>retail trade</term> does not include any e-commerce transaction in which articles with a fair retail value of less than the applicable threshold established under section 321(c)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930 are withdrawn from a zone.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id92bd2c85c5b24a838a9e8df41f278c1f" indent="up1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term <term>e-commerce</term> means the buying or selling of articles over the internet or other electronic exchange network.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7f3c5a52e6534a93a169d9ff2010a326"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Customs procedures</header><subparagraph id="id86f165207e544d6b8f2c81ec750f2d56"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Establishment of process</header><text>Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to trade facilitation and trade enforcement and the Secretary of Commerce with respect to matters relating to foreign trade zones, shall prescribe regulations to implement the amendments made by this subsection.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idcfa29fddceb54090b0de6aa77b12bbf8"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Public comment</header><text>In prescribing regulations under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall—</text><clause id="idd5436cf4610f4bc893c015a93ab20a5f"><enum>(i)</enum><text>publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register;</text></clause><clause id="id49f6e1b23b4448aba6746093c00f2153"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>provide for a period for public review and comment of not less than 30 days; and</text></clause><clause id="idb17ece5731054811b552319237b02595"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>issue final regulations not later than 90 days after the end of the period described in clause (ii) and not less than 60 days before the effective date of such regulations.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id126fb3396b9f4e56b3a7207abadffdee"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Rule of construction</header><text>Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to affect the administration of section 484(i) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/1484">19 U.S.C. 1484(i)</external-xref>) or section 15(d) of the Foreign Trade Zones Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/81o">19 U.S.C. 81o(d)</external-xref>) other than to the extent necessary to make articles withdrawn from a foreign trade zone and entering for consumption eligible for the exemption from duties under section 321(a)(2)(C) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/1321">19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C)</external-xref>).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id212bd7f2e1f54703b5684956458d3650"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The amendments made by this subsection shall apply with respect to articles withdrawn from a foreign trade zone and entered for consumption on or after the date that is 15 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc55d8be411e34ffa9cc89ac42f46a19d"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this subsection:</text><subparagraph id="id0480898BAE6747C79DD0C36D75A9DCF5" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Foreign trade zone</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>foreign trade zone</term> means a zone activated pursuant to the Foreign Trade Zones Act on or before the date of the enactment of this Act. </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id33d6fdaf57434c0e90b1f7420eecf07b" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Foreign Trade Zones Act</header><text>The term <term>Foreign Trade Zones Act</term> means the Act of June 18, 1934 (commonly known as the <quote>Foreign Trade Zones Act</quote>) (48 Stat. 998, chapter 590; <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/81a">19 U.S.C. 81a et seq.</external-xref>). </text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><enum>IV</enum><header>Reporting and branding</header><section id="id5A8B911EF7934E1DB0E899DD7231D1B8"><enum>401.</enum><header>Annual report on Americas program</header><subsection id="idDDCE6F700B784409BC61AA08A9AFEA43"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than December 31 of each year that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the officials specified in subsection (b), shall submit to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives a report on activities carried out under the Americas program during the preceding fiscal year.</text></subsection><subsection id="idCDE3355127CB4E76A487C136365E0DA8"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Officials specified</header><text>The officials specified in this subsection are the following:</text><paragraph id="id9F3CB27D842F414C9C26B80E7BA1DC74"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idC32DA30D595344CAB9787AA2F39FCDEF"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The United States Trade Representative.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idEF5F47DA8FA44BB6A7F06F5803D2E2D8"><enum>(3)</enum><text>The Secretary of State.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id2180E1752CAC4B8182C63AF5D83801D5"><enum>(4)</enum><text>The Secretary of Homeland Security.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idE237A85FE08847F3995B9E462BB59060"><enum>(5)</enum><text>Such other officials as the Secretary of Commerce considers appropriate.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id22D345E902EF4BA5987AA4898A747E5D"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Assessment of activities conducted in preceding year</header><text>Each report required by subsection (a) shall include the following for the fiscal year covered by the report:</text><paragraph id="idECE5BADDA5684CA58213EEA25BBEA967"><enum>(1)</enum><text>A statement of the number of Americas partner countries.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id46CCE49D54324BD880E12D2CCB213854"><enum>(2)</enum><text>An assessment of the effectiveness of loans and other incentives provided under section 212 with respect to re-shoring and near-shoring that includes an estimate of—</text><subparagraph id="id07F5825FA38A4EDD999E5254B0BED4AA"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the number of entities re-shored or near-shored; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id3E4888004EAA4DC0B15F95B9F7A4A326"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the number of jobs created in the United States and Americas partner countries as a result of such re-shoring and near-shoring. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idA7E000A5C85545CABB9DFF6FDD2DDF2F"><enum>(3)</enum><text>An assessment of the status of negotiations for the expansion of the USMCA under section 222 that includes—</text><subparagraph id="id18BF66EA64EA4C5CA437A35D009F7E4A"><enum>(A)</enum><text>an identification of the countries participating in those negotiations;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF8674B8CBA994B5CB071CC189F920BDF"><enum>(B)</enum><text>an estimate of the amount of trade between those countries and the United States; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id093271EEB8894B60B12ECEA70CC71875"><enum>(C)</enum><text>an identification of any significant challenges relating to those negotiations.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id62B9A7ED28E34BE2B29AE2C7B3589DB2" commented="no"><enum>(4)</enum><text>An assessment of the status of negotiations for the expansion of countries that are CBTPA beneficiary countries (as defined in section 213(b)(5) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703">19 U.S.C. 2703(b)</external-xref>), as amended by section 224) that includes—</text><subparagraph id="id35F34FAEFDBA49F4B85537A31B48CA69" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><text>an identification of the countries participating in those negotiations;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idC4DC3463462147C886838B30B95D59CC" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>an estimate of the amount of trade between those countries and the United States; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id56B0D4A3B0414ADD906CBCC322097C6C" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><text>an identification of any significant challenges relating to those negotiations.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id6F06FA2413384894AD96A2CBFB87E15B"><enum>(5)</enum><text>An assessment of the activities of the BUILD Americas Unit that includes—</text><subparagraph id="id7F81EA31C05E44C5A4730802483C4F6A" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a description of the financial instruments used under section 252 and the amounts issued under such instruments;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id98BF8ED70127435BBFF3F887A6385C3E" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>an assessment of the repayment rates;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id572C71DC21934A388998995BF9C35166" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(C)</enum><text>a copy of each grant, loan, guaranty, or insurance agreement;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF01E408A247F4C66816AF59ED89C6B82"><enum>(D)</enum><text>a list of projects carried out using such grants, loans, guaranties, or insurance; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idC11941332D3744F698219C3BF454EF4D"><enum>(E)</enum><text>a statement of the amount expended by the Corporation and the amount provided to the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account established under section 301.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7e21409f822840e3b0d2ac0f12c236f5"><enum>(6)</enum><text>An assessment of the activities of the Americas Partnership Enterprise Fund established under section 253 that includes—</text><subparagraph id="id24ab81b2f3274974ba5eddaec6b8c2f4"><enum>(A)</enum><text>an identification of the country in which the Fund is registered;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id99BAD1EE85014609B6D70A5468137F80"><enum>(B)</enum><text>a copy of the registration documents for the Fund;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7d6db24f61f74824a3888d83596f46f9"><enum>(C)</enum><text>a description of the grants, loans, and technical assistance provided by the Fund; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id56DC182BA2204BF4948F08915AF227FF"><enum>(D)</enum><text>an assessment of the repayment rate of loans provided by the Fund.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id40de4fcb5f5d4b0ab65741c1db3cef04"><enum>(7)</enum><text>An assessment of activities carried out under section 254 relating to near-shoring of strategic supply chains or transformational energy investments. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="idfc3fcad281a34375809e01910c7f277f"><enum>(8)</enum><text>An assessment of humanitarian and business development assistance provided under section 261 that includes—</text><subparagraph id="id67425fe75df94bcca723d5393d318367"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a list of the recipients of such assistance; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id6a1792f6ee594b95a7f88c81b54ad9f3"><enum>(B)</enum><text>a description of the assistance provided.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idf2abaeabe31b491ead94cfb49904ebbc"><enum>(9)</enum><text>A description of the cultural affairs programming provided under section 262.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id3E85017493F34D33833CBA8A0804BD15"><enum>(10)</enum><text>An assessment of efforts conducted under section 263 to increase the number of Peace Corps volunteers in Americas partner countries that includes an identification of the number of such volunteers and the countries to which such volunteers are assigned.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id524f67a834244d88b39ba7b07e659688"><enum>(11)</enum><text>An assessment of activities carried out under section 264 relating to the American University of the Americas that includes—</text><subparagraph id="idedae780111d349b1bc4d8f8d5a68fc2a"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a list of campus locations;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id80b8b3df049c4b219f91859c81df9b77"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the number of students attending each such campus; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id2014500b07824833bd7fdbefb2931467"><enum>(C)</enum><text>a list of degrees offered by the university.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id40b936cced5048db9a2d47ca9a37aafb"><enum>(12)</enum><text>An assessment of the programming provided by the United States Agency for Global Media under section 269 that includes—</text><subparagraph id="id458aefba61bf4e87b5c073eb95a60254"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a list of programs provided; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id31ade93386c04881bea63fa057fb36e7"><enum>(B)</enum><text>an assessment of the number and locations of listeners to such programs.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id9ba40b582a394d4fb2fb93b6ab1b4ead"><enum>(13)</enum><text>If a summit was conducted under section 270 in the year preceding the submission of the report—</text><subparagraph id="id5A979B155F4C473D9086A0300955A2E1"><enum>(A)</enum><text>an assessment of the success of the summit;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id832faf2b31e64a419c4676af9a8adf98"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the location of the summit; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id5f31407b96354d8baca4a49b4423f153"><enum>(C)</enum><text>an identification of the attendees of the summit.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id4637aa494ac3483486e059cca802b32f"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Financial projections for upcoming year</header><text>Each report required by subsection (a) shall include a projection of the amount of funds required for the fiscal year that begins after submission of the report, disaggregated by agency and purpose.</text></subsection></section><section id="idBEBE2CEA265249F7A65715C10BBD42B6"><enum>402.</enum><header>Branding and marketing for Americas program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Branding and marketing for the Americas program shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the Visibly American branding policies of the Department of State.</text></section>