I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4877 

To amend the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 to authorize concurrent 

compacts for purposes of regional economic integration and cross-border 

collaborations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 17, 2014 

Ms. BASS (for herself, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. CICILLINE, and Mr. SMITH of 

Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 to authorize 

concurrent compacts for purposes of regional economic 

integration and cross-border collaborations, 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 ‘‘Millennium Compacts 

5 for Regional Economic Integration Act’’ or ‘‘M–CORE 

6 Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) For more than a decade, six of the world’s 

2 10 fastest growing economies are located in sub-Sa3 haran Africa. 

4 (2) Many African nations are landlocked and 

5 their economies are isolated and will require greater 

6 support to benefit from regional integration of mar7 kets, infrastructure, and trade promotion type poli8 cies. 

9 (3) By connecting isolated African economies, 

10 there exists the potential to increase investment op11 portunities and support market-based growth. 

12 (4) While the African continent has experienced 

13 positive economic growth trends, successfully ad14 dressing the continent’s infrastructure gaps could in15 crease gross domestic product growth by an esti16 mated two percent. 

17 (5) In recent years, the World Bank has dou18 bled its investment in African regional integration 

19 from $1.8 billion to $3.6 billion for projects to ad20 dress infrastructure deficiencies, unemployment, and 

21 poverty reduction. 

22 (6) African nations, including regional economic 

23 bodies, have increasingly realized that a key driver 

24 to economic growth must involve greater cross-bor25 der collaboration and regional economic integration 


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1 to address deficiencies in areas such as communica2 tions, transport, and energy networks. 

3 (7) The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s 

4 compacts have increased access to reliable power, en5 hanced highway corridors, and upgraded regional 

6 trading hubs, thereby promoting economic growth 

7 and cross-border engagement between and among 

8 African nations. 

9 SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 

10 This purpose of this Act is to expand the Millennium 

11 Challenge Corporation’s ability to develop compacts with 

12 nations, particularly in Africa, that promote regional eco13 nomic integration and cross-border collaborations. 

14 SEC. 4. MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE COMPACT. 

15 (a) CONCURRENT COMPACTS.—Section 609 of the 

16 Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7708) is 

17 amended— 

18 (1) by striking the first sentence of subsection 

19 (k); and 

20 (2) by inserting after subsection (k) the fol21 lowing new subsection: 

22 ‘‘(l) CONCURRENT COMPACTS.—In accordance with 

23 the requirements of this title, an eligible country and the 

24 United States may enter into and have in effect more than 

25 one Compact at any given time, including a concurrent 


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1 Compact for purposes of regional economic integration or 

2 cross-border collaborations, only if the Board determines 

3 that the country is making considerable and demonstrable 

4 progress in implementing the terms of existing Compacts 

5 and supplementary agreements thereto.’’. 

6 (b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub7 section (a) apply with respect to Compacts entered into 

8 between the United States and an eligible country under 

9 the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 before, on, or after 

10 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

11 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

12 613(b)(2)(A) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 7712(b)(2)(A)) is 

13 amended by striking ‘‘the’’ before ‘‘Compact’’ and insert14 ing ‘‘any’’. 

Æ 


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