I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 502 

To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize assistance to 

improve security and promote economic development in Mexico. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 17, 2007 

Mr. CUELLAR (for himself and Mr. REYES) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize 

assistance to improve security and promote economic development in Mexico. 

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 ‘‘Prosperous and Secure 

5 Neighbor Alliance Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) An alarming increase in illicit drugs and 

9 drug-related violence in Mexico and on the United 


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1 States–Mexico border has made life gradually more 

2 difficult for Americans living in border communities. 

3 (2) The precarious security situation on the 

4 United States–Mexico border has also had a broader 

5 negative impact in the United States with illicit 

6 drugs continuing to get into the hands of our Na7 tion’s children. 

8 (3) United States Director of National Intel9 ligence John Negroponte named Mexico in the An10 nual Threat Assessment of the Director of National 

11 Intelligence for the Senate Select Committee on In12 telligence (February 2, 2006) as a country of con13 cern regarding the capacity of drug trafficking orga14 nizations to undermine already weak state authority. 

15 (4) As a neighbor and as the second largest 

16 trading partner of the United States, Mexico de17 serves the support of the United States in taking 

18 steps to improve security and promote economic de19 velopment in Mexico. 

20 (b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is, therefore, the 

21 policy of the United States to increase United States for22 eign assistance to improve security and promote economic 

23 development in Mexico, both of which are crucial to more 

24 effectively combat illicit drugs and drug-related violence 


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1 and other criminal activities in Mexico and the United 

2 States. 

3 SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 

4 1961. 

5 Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 

6 U.S.C. 2151 et seq) is amended by adding at the end the 

7 following: 

8 ‘‘CHAPTER 13—ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE 

9 SECURITY AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC 

10 DEVELOPMENT IN MEXICO 

11 ‘‘SEC. 499H. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE. 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through 

13 the Director of Foreign Assistance, shall provide assist14 ance to improve security and promote economic develop15 ment in Mexico by— 

16 ‘‘(1) professionalizing Mexican law enforcement 

17 personnel to prepare such law enforcement personnel 

18 to more effectively combat illicit drugs and drug-re19 lated violence and other criminal activities, including 

20 by providing funding to coordinate United States 

21 and Mexican efforts to find missing United States 

22 citizens and to carry out DNA testing and forensic 

23 examinations; 


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1 ‘‘(2) providing technology to assist Mexican law 

2 enforcement personnel to more effectively combat il3 licit drugs and drug-related violence; 

4 ‘‘(3) strengthening the Mexican judicial branch 

5 through the training of judges and prosecutors; 

6 ‘‘(4) supporting anti-corruption programs in 

7 Mexico, including the vetting of Mexican law en8 forcement personnel who are working with United 

9 States Government personnel; and 

10 ‘‘(5) reducing poverty through targeted funding 

11 to enhance social development in Mexico, including 

12 micro-lending and trade capacity building. 

13 ‘‘(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Assistance under 

14 this chapter may be provided on such terms and conditions 

15 as the President may determine. 

16 ‘‘SEC. 499I. EVALUATION. 

17 ‘‘The President shall conduct an annual evaluation 

18 of the results of the specific programs, projects, and activi19 ties carried out under this chapter during the preceding 

20 year in order to ensure transparency and accountability, 

21 including transparency and accountability of recipients of 

22 assistance provided under this chapter. 

23 ‘‘SEC. 499J. REPORT. 

24 ‘‘The President shall prepare and transmit to the 

25 Committee on International Relations of the House of 


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1 Representatives, the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

2 the Senate, and other appropriate congressional commit3 tees an annual report on the specific programs, projects, 

4 and activities carried out under this chapter during the 

5 preceding year, including the evaluation conducted under 

6 section 499I. 

7 ‘‘SEC. 499K. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap9 propriated to the President to carry out this chapter 

10 $170,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 

11 2012. 

12 ‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITIES.—Amounts appro13 priated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations 

14 under subsection (a)— 

15 ‘‘(1) are authorized to remain available until ex16 pended; and 

17 ‘‘(2) are in addition to amounts otherwise avail18 able for such purposes. 

19 ‘‘(c) FUNDING LIMITATION.—Not more than 5 per20 cent of the amounts appropriated pursuant to the author21 ization of appropriations under subsection (a) for a fiscal 

22 year may be used for administrative expenses. 

23 ‘‘(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con24 gress that, of the amounts appropriated pursuant to the 


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1 authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) for 

2 a fiscal year— 

3 ‘‘(1) $40,000,000 should be made available to 

4 carry out section 499H(a)(1); 

5 ‘‘(2) $50,000,000 should be made available to 

6 carry out section 499H(a)(2); 

7 ‘‘(3) $20,000,000 should be made available to 

8 carry out section 499H(a)(3); 

9 ‘‘(4) $10,000,000 should be made available to 

10 carry out section 499H(a)(4); and 

11 ‘‘(5) $50,000,000 should be made available to 

12 carry out section 499H(a)(5).’’. 

13 SEC. 4. REPORT BY GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OF14 FICE. 

15 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact16 ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 

17 States shall submit to Congress a report that contains a 

18 description and analysis of the most effective strategies 

19 to reduce the demand for illicit drugs in the United States, 

20 specifically (but not limited to) strategies that reduce the 

21 demand for illicit drugs produced in or transported 

22 through Mexico. 

Æ 


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