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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2060 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2060

  To promote economic partnership and cooperation between the United 
  States and Mexico, particularly in the areas of academic exchange, 
           entrepreneurship, and infrastructure integration.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2015

 Mr. Cuellar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To promote economic partnership and cooperation between the United 
  States and Mexico, particularly in the areas of academic exchange, 
           entrepreneurship, and infrastructure integration.

    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 ``United States-Mexico Economic 
Partnership Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to promote economic partnership and 
cooperation between the United States and Mexico, particularly in the 
areas of academic exchange, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure 
integration.

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF UNITED STATES-MEXICO ACADEMIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The President is authorized to expand United 
States-Mexico academic exchange programs at the secondary, post-
secondary, and post-graduate levels.
    (b) Priority.--The programs described in subsection (a) should give 
priority to strengthening ties between communities and academic 
institutions located in the covered United States-Mexico border region.
    (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
programs described in subsection (a) should reflect the goals of the 
100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative and should seek to double the 
number of students studying in each other's country by not later than 5 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITED STATES-MEXICO ENTREPRENEURSHIP 
              COOPERATION, TRAINING, AND MENTORING PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The President is authorized to establish programs 
to support cooperation, training, and mentoring of entrepreneurs in the 
covered United States-Mexico border region. Such programs shall be 
implemented in coordination with the 100,000 Strong in the Americas 
Initiative.
    (b) Elements.--The programs described in subsection (a) shall seek 
to carry out innovative projects through United States and Mexican 
academic institutions and businesses to assist prospective and 
developing entrepreneurs to strengthen their business skills and 
promote cooperation and joint business initiatives in the covered 
United States-Mexico border region.
    (c) Matching Funds.--The programs described in subsection (a) 
should seek to ensure United States Government funds are matched by 
private sector funds for purposes of carrying out such programs through 
the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative's Innovation Fund.
    (d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
programs described in subsection (a) should reflect the goals of the 
100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative and should seek to provide 
not less than 100 grants of not more than $25,000 each for participants 
in the programs.
    (e) Funding.--Amounts made available for ``Educational and Cultural 
Exchange Programs'' shall be made available to carry out the programs 
described in subsection (a).

SEC. 5. UNITED STATES-MEXICO ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE COORDINATION AND 
              COOPERATION PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The President is authorized to promote United 
States-Mexico energy infrastructure coordination and cooperation 
through programs to support vocational-level education, internships, 
and exchanges between the two countries particularly in the region in 
which the Eagle Ford Shale is located and in proximity to such region.
    (b) Elements.--The programs described in subsection (a) shall seek 
to promote energy extraction related skills that can be provided by 
educational institutions located in the region described in subsection 
(a) or in proximity to such region, including by seeking to provide 
such skills to individuals in Mexico who are seeking vocational level 
jobs in Mexico's energy sector.
    (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
programs described in subsection (a) should seek to provide education, 
internships, and exchanges for at least 1,000 participants in the 
programs.
    (d) Funding.--Amounts made available for ``Educational and Cultural 
Exchange Programs'' shall be made available to carry out the programs 
described in subsection (a).

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) 100,000 strong in the americas initiative.--The term 
        ``100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative'' means the 
        initiative established in March 2011 by the United States 
        Government to increase educational exchanges in the Western 
        Hemisphere.
            (2) Covered united states-mexico border region.--The term 
        ``covered United States-Mexico border region'' means those 
        portions of the United States and Mexico that are within 100 
        kilometers of the international boundary between those 
        countries.
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