I 

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. 

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 ‘‘United States-Mexico 

5 Economic Partnership Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

7 The purpose of this Act is to promote economic part8 nership and cooperation between the United States and 


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1 Mexico, particularly in the areas of academic exchange, 

2 entrepreneurship, and infrastructure integration. 

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

4 EXCHANGE PROGRAMS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to ex6 pand United States-Mexico academic exchange programs 

7 at the secondary, post-secondary, and post-graduate levels. 

8 (b) PRIORITY.—The programs described in sub9 section (a) should give priority to strengthening ties be10 tween communities and academic institutions located in 

11 the covered United States-Mexico border region. 

12 (c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con13 gress that the programs described in subsection (a) should 

14 reflect the goals of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas 

15 Initiative and should seek to double the number of stu16 dents studying in each other’s country by not later than 

17 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

18 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITED STATES-MEXICO EN19 TREPRENEURSHIP COOPERATION, TRAINING, 

20 AND MENTORING PROGRAMS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to es22 tablish programs to support cooperation, training, and 

23 mentoring of entrepreneurs in the covered United States24 Mexico border region. Such programs shall be impleVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:29 May 07, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2060.IH H2060

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1 mented in coordination with the 100,000 Strong in the 

2 Americas Initiative. 

3 (b) ELEMENTS.—The programs described in sub4 section (a) shall seek to carry out innovative projects 

5 through United States and Mexican academic institutions 

6 and businesses to assist prospective and developing entre7 preneurs to strengthen their business skills and promote 

8 cooperation and joint business initiatives in the covered 

9 United States-Mexico border region. 

10 (c) MATCHING FUNDS.—The programs described in 

11 subsection (a) should seek to ensure United States Gov12 ernment funds are matched by private sector funds for 

13 purposes of carrying out such programs through the 

14 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative’s Innovation 

15 Fund. 

16 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con17 gress that the programs described in subsection (a) should 

18 reflect the goals of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas 

19 Initiative and should seek to provide not less than 100 

20 grants of not more than $25,000 each for participants in 

21 the programs. 

22 (e) FUNDING.—Amounts made available for ‘‘Edu23 cational and Cultural Exchange Programs’’ shall be made 

24 available to carry out the programs described in subsection 

25 (a). 


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1 SEC. 5. UNITED STATES-MEXICO ENERGY INFRASTRUC2 TURE COORDINATION AND COOPERATION 

3 PROGRAMS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 

5 promote United States-Mexico energy infrastructure co6 ordination and cooperation through programs to support 

7 vocational-level education, internships, and exchanges be8 tween the two countries particularly in the region in which 

9 the Eagle Ford Shale is located and in proximity to such 

10 region. 

11 (b) ELEMENTS.—The programs described in sub12 section (a) shall seek to promote energy extraction related 

13 skills that can be provided by educational institutions lo14 cated in the region described in subsection (a) or in prox15 imity to such region, including by seeking to provide such 

16 skills to individuals in Mexico who are seeking vocational 

17 level jobs in Mexico’s energy sector. 

18 (c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con19 gress that the programs described in subsection (a) should 

20 seek to provide education, internships, and exchanges for 

21 at least 1,000 participants in the programs. 

22 (d) FUNDING.—Amounts made available for ‘‘Edu23 cational and Cultural Exchange Programs’’ shall be made 

24 available to carry out the programs described in subsection 

25 (a). 


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1 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) 100,000 STRONG IN THE AMERICAS INITIA4 TIVE.—The term ‘‘100,000 Strong in the Americas 

5 Initiative’’ means the initiative established in March 

6 2011 by the United States Government to increase 

7 educational exchanges in the Western Hemisphere. 

8 (2) COVERED UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER

9 REGION.—The term ‘‘covered United States-Mexico 

10 border region’’ means those portions of the United 

11 States and Mexico that are within 100 kilometers of 

12 the international boundary between those countries. 

Æ 


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