I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4213 
To establish the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 29, 2021 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself and Ms. TENNEY) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To establish the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Young Southeast Asian 
Leaders Initiative Act’’ or the ‘‘YSEALI Act’’. 
SEC. 2. YOUNG SOUTHEAST ASIAN LEADERS INITIATIVE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Department of State the Young Southeast Asian Leaders 
Initiative (‘‘YSEALI’’) program. 
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(b) GOALS.—The YSEALI program shall seek to 
build to capacity of young leaders in Southeast Asia to— 
(1) support young leaders from Southeast Asia 
by offering professional development and a global 
network to share expertise, including in the areas of 
civic engagement, economic empowerment and social 
entrepreneurship, 
education 
and 
environmental 
issues; and 
(2) further strengthen the enduring partnership 
between the United States and Southeast Asia and 
connect United States experts with YSEALI partici-
pants. 
(c) YSEALI PROGRAMS.— 
(1) YSEALI ACADEMIC FELLOWS PROGRAM.— 
There is established the YSEALI Academic Fellows 
Program to bring students from YSEALI partner 
countries to the United States for the purposes of 
building practical expertise, leadership skills, and 
professional networks relating to one or more of the 
YSEALI themes. The Secretary of State may award 
fellowships under the Academic Fellows Program to 
eligible individuals based on the following: 
(A) 
Citizenship 
and 
residency 
in 
a 
YSEALI partner country. 
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(B) Status as a full-time undergraduate 
student, or recent graduate of college, univer-
sity, or other institutions of higher learning. 
(C) Other criteria determined appropriate 
by the Secretary. 
(2) YSEALI PROFESSIONAL
FELLOWS
PRO-
GRAM.—There is established the YSEALI Profes-
sional Fellows Program to bring professionals from 
YSEALI partner countries to the United States for 
the purposes of building practical expertise, leader-
ship skills, and professional networks relating to one 
or more of the YSEALI themes. The Secretary of 
State may award fellowships under the Professional 
Fellows Program to eligible individuals based on the 
following: 
(A) 
Citizenship 
and 
residency 
in 
a 
YSEALI partner country. 
(B) Status as an emerging leader in gov-
ernment, civil society, or the private sector, and 
demonstrated expertise relating to one or more 
of the YSEALI themes. 
(C) Current employment, and two or more 
years of professional work experience relevant 
to one or more YSEALI themes. 
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(D) Other criteria determined appropriate 
by the Secretary. 
(3) OTHER
INITIATIVES.—The Secretary of 
State may designate other initiatives as YSEALI 
initiatives under this section if they advance the 
goals of the YSEALI program as described in sub-
section (b). 
(d) ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) UNITED
STATES-BASED
ACTIVITIES.—The 
Secretary of State shall oversee all United States- 
based activities carried out under the YSEALI pro-
gram, including the participation of YSEALI Aca-
demic Fellows in a program at a United States uni-
versity or college, and the participation of YSEALI 
Professional Fellows at United States private and 
public sector organizations for individually tailored 
work placements. Both fellowships may include site 
visits, professional networking opportunities, leader-
ship training, community service, and organized cul-
tural activities, as appropriate. 
(2) SOUTHEAST ASIA-BASED ACTIVITIES.—The 
Secretary of State should continue to support over-
seas initiatives of the program, including the fol-
lowing: 
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(A) Quality leadership training, profes-
sional development, and networking opportuni-
ties for YSEALI alumni. 
(B) Reciprocal exchanges for YSEALI 
Professional Fellows Program’s United States 
professional hosts and interlocutors to support 
post-United States exchange action plans and 
other related public diplomacy goals, as appro-
priate. 
(C) Opportunities for networking with 
YSEALI alumni and professionals and experts 
who are American and Southeast Asian. 
(D) The YSEALI Regional Workshop pro-
gram, offering networking, mentoring, hands-on 
training, and the tools necessary to lead com-
munities in addressing economic, environ-
mental, educational, and civic engagement 
issues. 
(E) The YSEALI Seeds for the Future 
program, providing small, competitive grants to 
young leaders in Southeast Asia to improve 
their communities, countries, and the region to-
wards one or more of the themes of civic en-
gagement, economic empowerment and social 
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entrepreneurship, education, or environmental 
issues. 
(F) The YSEALI Academy at Fulbright 
University Vietnam, offering executive-level 
seminars for entry to mid-level professionals 
around the themes of technology and innova-
tion, public policy, and entrepreneurship. 
(G) The YSEALI Women’s Leadership 
Academy Program, enhancing people-to-people 
ties and engagement with young and emerging 
leaders by promoting gender equality and ad-
vancing the status of women and girls, such as 
in the public health sector. 
(3) ALUMNI
PLATFORM.—The Secretary of 
State is authorized to convene current YSEALI par-
ticipants and YSEALI alumni through a platform to 
promote 
networking 
opportunities 
within 
the 
YSEALI community. 
(4) IMPLEMENTATION.—To carry out this sub-
section, United States diplomatic and consular posts, 
the Secretary of State, and agency external partners 
managing and implementing the YSEALI pro-
gram— 
(A) shall promote United States policy 
goals in Southeast Asia by providing tools and 
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resources to help young Southeast Asian leaders 
develop important skills and connections, in-
cluding through online campaigns and public di-
plomacy initiatives; 
(B) shall establish a system for moni-
toring, evaluating, and improving the YSEALI 
program; and 
(C) may accept financial contributions 
from foundations, corporations, private donors, 
program partners, and implementing agency ex-
ternal partners intended to foster the goals of 
the YSEALI program. 
(e) REPORTS.— 
(1) STRATEGY.—The Secretary of State shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a strategy for implementing the YSEALI program, 
including the following: 
(A) YSEALI program goals, targets, and 
planned outcomes for each year and, separately, 
for the YSEALI program generally during the 
duration of its implementation. 
(B) The continuation of YSEALI program 
monitoring and evaluation plan, including 
metrics 
for 
measuring 
YSEALI 
program 
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progress identification of annual YSEALI pro-
gram goals, and targets. 
(2) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and an-
nually thereafter for 4 years, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees and publish on a publicly available website 
of the Department a report on— 
(A) YSEALI program progress and an as-
sessment of the metrics, goals, targets, and out-
comes described in paragraph (1)(A), including 
information relating to YSEALI program im-
plementation and outcome activities during the 
year covered by each report; and 
(B) recommendations for improvements or 
amendments to the YSEALI program and 
strategy, if any, that would improve their effec-
tiveness during subsequent years of YSEALI 
program implementation. 
(3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than the date of 
the submission of the last report required under 
paragraph (2), the Secretary of State shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees a final 
assessment report that evaluates YSEALI program 
implementation and outcomes during the entire du-
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ration of YSEALI program operation, including rec-
ommendations regarding whether the YSEALI pro-
gram should be reauthorized and any changes that 
would improve its effectiveness. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives; 
(B) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives; 
(C) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate; and 
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate. 
(2) IMPLEMENTING AGENCY EXTERNAL PART-
NERS.—The term ‘‘implementing agency external 
partners’’ means any external partner that is not a 
United States Government agency, and may include 
one or more of the following entities: 
(A) Local or multinational corporations. 
(B) Nongovernmental organizations. 
(C) Universities. 
(D) Regional institutions. 
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(3) YSEALI THEME.—The term ‘‘YSEALI 
theme’’ means— 
(A) civic engagement; 
(B) economic empowerment and social en-
trepreneurship; 
(C) education; 
(D) environmental issues; or 
(E) any other theme included by the Sec-
retary of State. 
(4) YSEALI PARTNER COUNTRIES.—The term 
‘‘YSEALI partner countries’’ includes each member 
country of the Association of Southeast Asian Na-
tions and each other country or political entity the 
Secretary of State determines appropriate to include 
in the programs established under this section. 
Æ 
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