SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Mexico 
Economic Partnership Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States and Mexico have bene-
fitted from a bilateral, mutually beneficial partner-
ship focused on advancing the economic interests of 
both countries. 
(2) In 2013, Mexico adopted major energy re-
forms that opened its energy sector to private invest-
ment, increasing energy cooperation between Mexico 
and the United States and opening new opportuni-
ties for United States energy engagement. 
(3) On January 18, 2018, the Principal Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Af-
fairs at the Department of State stated, ‘‘Our ex-
change programs build enduring relationships and 
networks to advance U.S. national interests and for-
eign policy goals. . . The role of our exchanges. . . 
in advancing U.S. national security and economic in-
terests enjoys broad bipartisan support from Con-
gress and other stakeholders, and provides a strong 
return on investment.’’. 
(4) According to the Institute of International 
Education, in the 2015-2016 academic year, more
than 56,000 United States students studied in other 
countries in the Western Hemisphere region while 
more than 84,000 non-United States students from 
the region studied in the United States, but only 
5,000 of those United States students studied in 
Mexico and only 16,000 of those non-United States 
students were from Mexico. 
(5) In March 2011, the United States launched 
the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, which 
seeks to increase educational exchanges between the 
United States and other countries in the Western 
Hemisphere region so that 100,000 United States 
students are studying in other countries in the West-
ern Hemisphere region and 100,000 non-United 
States students from the region are studying in the 
United States per year by 2020. 
(6) In January 2014, the United States estab-
lished the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innova-
tion Fund, which seeks to realize the goals of the 
100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative by facili-
tating a public-private partnership between the De-
partment of State and nongovernmental organiza-
tions, corporations, and universities in the United 
States and other countries of the Western Hemi-
sphere region.
(7) To date, the 100,000 Strong in the Amer-
icas Innovation Fund has awarded more than 100 
grants to more than 250 higher education institu-
tions from 25 countries in the Western Hemisphere 
region, and has raised $9,000,000 in investments, 
75 percent of which was from corporations, founda-
tions, and regional governments. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States— 
(1) to continue deepening economic cooperation 
between the United States and Mexico; and 
(2) to seek to prioritize and expand educational 
and professional exchange programs with Mexico, in-
cluding through the framework of the 100,000 
Strong in the Americas Initiative. 
SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO PRIORITIZE AND EXPAND EDU-
CATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE 
PROGRAMS WITH MEXICO. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall de-
velop a strategy to carry out the policy described in section 
3, to include prioritizing and expanding educational and 
professional exchange programs with Mexico through the 
framework of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initia-
tive.
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under sub-
section (a) shall— 
(1) encourage more academic exchanges be-
tween the United States and Mexico at the sec-
ondary, post-secondary, and post-graduate levels, es-
pecially with communities and through academic in-
stitutions in the covered United States-Mexico bor-
der region; 
(2) encourage United States and Mexican aca-
demic institutions and businesses to collaborate to 
assist prospective and developing entrepreneurs in 
strengthening their business skills and promoting co-
operation and joint business initiatives across the 
United States and Mexico, with a focus on initiatives 
in the covered United States-Mexico border region; 
(3) promote energy infrastructure coordination 
and cooperation through support of vocational-level 
education, internships, and exchanges between the 
United States and Mexico, particularly in the region 
in which the Eagle Ford Shale is located and in 
proximity to such region; and 
(4) assess the feasibility of fostering partner-
ships between universities in the United States and 
medical school and nursing programs in Mexico to 
ensure that medical school and nursing programs in
Mexico have comparable accreditation standards as 
medical school and nursing programs in the United 
States by the Accreditation and Standards in For-
eign Medical Education, in addition to the Accredi-
tation Commission For Education in Nursing, so 
that medical students can pass medical licensing 
board exams, and nursing students can pass nursing 
licensing exams, in the United States. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
submit to Congress a report on the strategy required 
under subsection (a). 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 100,000 STRONG IN THE AMERICAS INITIA-
TIVE.—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. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 27, 
2018. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1567 
AN ACT 
To promote economic partnership and cooperation 
between the United States and Mexico.