[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2592. Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 
4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and 
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe 
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle F of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1291. PARTNERSHIPS AND EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE 
                   OPPORTUNITIES WITH SUB-SAHARAN AFRICANS.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) it is in the strategic interest of the United States to 
     strengthen relations with Sub-Saharan African countries to 
     promote shared interests in the areas of--
       (A) democracy and good governance;
       (B) education and human capital;
       (C) trade and economic development;
       (D) science and technology;
       (E) biodiversity, food, and agriculture; and
       (F) the preservation and management of natural resources, 
     including critical minerals; and
       (2) historically Black colleges and universities (referred 
     to in this section as ``HBCUs'') have a long history of--
       (A) cultivating diaspora relations with Sub-Saharan African 
     states; and
       (B) developing innovative solutions to some of the world's 
     most pressing challenges.
       (b) Strengthened Partnerships.--The Secretary of State and 
     the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
     International Development should seek to strengthen and 
     expand partnerships and educational exchange opportunities, 
     including by working with HBCUs, which build the capacity and 
     expertise of students, scholars, and experts from Sub-Saharan 
     Africa in key development sectors.
       (c) Technical Assistance.--The Administrator of the United 
     States Agency for International Development may--
       (1) provide technical assistance to HBCUs to assist in 
     fulfilling the goals of this section, including in developing 
     contracts, operating agreements, legal documents, and related 
     infrastructure; and
       (2) upon request, provide feedback to HBCUs, to the maximum 
     extent practicable, after a grant rejection from relevant 
     Federal programs in order to improve future grant 
     applications, as appropriate.
       (d) Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
     Programming.--The Secretary of State, working through the 
     Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, may establish a 
     short-term graduate and technical expert exchange program for 
     Sub-Saharan African students, scholars, and technical experts 
     to spend a semester or academic year of nondegree study at 
     institutions that have a demonstrated history of cultivating 
     relations with diaspora populations from Sub-Saharan African 
     states, including HBCU's, to support knowledge and skills 
     training in the sectors referred to in subsection (a)(1).
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