Bicycles for Rural African Transport Act
This bill provides statutory authority for the U.S. Agency for International Development to administer a bicycle mobility program in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
The purpose of the program is to (1) promote rural communities' access to critical services and opportunities by means of affordable bicycles; and (2) provide support to sustainably increase access to critical services in rural areas, including through support for rural-based mechanics, access to spare parts, and reduction of social and gender-based stigma. To the greatest extent practicable, the program must partner with overseas entities that have successful models for providing access to affordable bicycles.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 992 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 992
To establish within the Office of Gender Equality and Womens
Empowerment of the United States Agency for International Development a
rural mobility program to promote mobility in rural communities through
access to affordable, fit-for-purpose bicycles, provide support to
sustainably increase access to rural areas, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 14, 2023
Mr. Blumenauer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish within the Office of Gender Equality and Womens
Empowerment of the United States Agency for International Development a
rural mobility program to promote mobility in rural communities through
access to affordable, fit-for-purpose bicycles, provide support to
sustainably increase access to rural areas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Bicycles for Rural African Transport
Act''.
SEC. 2. RURAL MOBILITY PROGRAM IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) shall establish
within the Office of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment of
USAID a rural mobility program (in this section referred to as
the ``program'') to carry out the purposes described in
paragraph (2), including through grants made to eligible
nongovernmental partner organizations, prioritizing those
organizations with demonstrated success conducting rural
mobility programs in the region to so carry out such purposes.
(2) Purpose.--The program shall focus on country-driven
projects within sub-Saharan Africa to--
(A) promote rural communities' access to critical
services and opportunities, including education, health
care, and livelihood opportunities, through access to
affordable, fit-for-purpose bicycles; and
(B) provide support to sustainably increase access
to critical services such as education, health care,
and livelihood opportunities in rural areas, including
through support for rural-based mechanics, access to
spare parts, reduction of social and gender-based
stigma, and community project management capacity.
(3) Partnerships.--To the greatest extent practicable, the
program shall partner with existing entities overseas that have
successful models for providing access to affordable bicycles
to achieve development objectives.
(4) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this
section, there is authorized to be appropriated--
(A) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;
(B) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;
(C) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;
(D) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and
(E) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and each
fiscal year thereafter.
(b) Report.--
(1) Prior projects.--Not later than 30 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of USAID shall
submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate a report on projects carried out
by USAID during each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023
relating to the purposes described in subsection (a)(2). The
report shall--
(A) identify in which countries USAID embedded
rural bicycle mobility into strategies, programs, and
projects of USAID;
(B) describe the mechanisms by which rural bicycle
mobility was so embedded;
(C) specify the number of bicycles distributed each
fiscal year;
(D) assess the outcomes for and impacts on
participants in such projects; and
(E) assess USAID's efforts to disseminate lessons
learned from such projects.
(2) Current projects.--Not later than December 30, 2025,
and each December 30 thereafter, the Administrator of USAID
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate a report on projects carried out
by USAID during the immediately preceding fiscal year. Each
such report shall include information relating to the matters
described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line