I 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bicycles for Rural Afri5 can Transport Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RURAL MOBILITY PROGRAM IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRI2 CA. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

5 United States Agency for International Development 

6 (USAID) shall establish within the Office of Gender 

7 Equality and Women’s Empowerment of USAID a 

8 rural mobility program (in this section referred to as 

9 the ‘‘program’’) to carry out the purposes described 

10 in paragraph (2), including through grants made to 

11 eligible nongovernmental partner organizations, 

12 prioritizing those organizations with demonstrated 

13 success conducting rural mobility programs in the 

14 region to so carry out such purposes. 

15 (2) PURPOSE.—The program shall focus on 

16 country-driven projects within sub-Saharan Africa 

17 to— 

18 (A) promote rural communities’ access to 

19 critical services and opportunities, including 

20 education, health care, and livelihood opportuni21 ties, through access to affordable, fit-for-pur22 pose bicycles; and 

23 (B) provide support to sustainably increase 

24 access to critical services such as education, 

25 health care, and livelihood opportunities in 

26 rural areas, including through support for 


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1 rural-based mechanics, access to spare parts, 

2 reduction of social and gender-based stigma, 

3 and community project management capacity. 

4 (3) PARTNERSHIPS.—To the greatest extent 

5 practicable, the program shall partner with existing 

6 entities overseas that have successful models for pro7 viding access to affordable bicycles to achieve devel8 opment objectives. 

9 (4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

10 carry out this section, there is authorized to be ap11 propriated— 

12 (A) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; 

13 (B) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; 

14 (C) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; 

15 (D) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and 

16 (E) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and 

17 each fiscal year thereafter. 

18 (b) REPORT.— 

19 (1) PRIOR PROJECTS.—Not later than 30 days 

20 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad21 ministrator of USAID shall submit to the Com22 mittee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Ap23 propriations of the House of Representatives and the 

24 Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee 

25 on Appropriations of the Senate a report on projects 


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1 carried out by USAID during each of fiscal years 

2 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 relating to the pur3 poses described in subsection (a)(2). The report 

4 shall— 

5 (A) identify in which countries USAID em6 bedded rural bicycle mobility into strategies, 

7 programs, and projects of USAID; 

8 (B) describe the mechanisms by which 

9 rural bicycle mobility was so embedded; 

10 (C) specify the number of bicycles distrib11 uted each fiscal year; 

12 (D) assess the outcomes for and impacts 

13 on participants in such projects; and 

14 (E) assess USAID’s efforts to disseminate 

15 lessons learned from such projects. 

16 (2) CURRENT PROJECTS.—Not later than De17 cember 30, 2025, and each December 30 thereafter, 

18 the Administrator of USAID shall submit to the 

19 Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 

20 Appropriations of the House of Representatives and 

21 the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Com22 mittee on Appropriations of the Senate a report on 

23 projects carried out by USAID during the imme24 diately preceding fiscal year. Each such report shall 


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1 include information relating to the matters described 

2 in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1). 

Æ 


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