I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3042 
To modify the requirements for candidate countries under the Millennium 
Challenge Act of 2003, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 2, 2023 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself, Mrs. KIM of California, and Mr. MEEKS) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To modify the requirements for candidate countries under 
the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, 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 ‘‘Millennium Challenge 
Corporation Candidate Country Reform Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS OF REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A 
CANDIDATE COUNTRY. 
Section 606 of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 
(22 U.S.C. 7705) is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘SEC. 606. CANDIDATE COUNTRIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A country shall be a candidate 
country for purposes of eligibility to receive assistance 
under section 605 if— 
‘‘(1) the per capita income of the country in a 
fiscal year is equal to or less than the World Bank 
threshold for initiating the International Bank for 
Reconstruction and Development graduation process 
for the fiscal year; and 
‘‘(2) subject to subsection (b), the country is 
not ineligible to receive United States economic as-
sistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act 
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) by reason of the 
application of any provision of the Foreign Assist-
ance Act of 1961 or any other provision of law. 
‘‘(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—For the purposes of 
determining whether a country is eligible, pursuant to sub-
section (a)(2), to receive assistance under section 605, the 
exercise by the President, the Secretary of State, or any 
other officer or employee of the United States Government 
of any waiver or suspension of any provision of law re-
ferred to in subsection (a)(2), and notification to the ap-
propriate congressional committees in accordance with 
such provision of law, shall be construed as satisfying the 
requirements under subsection (a). 
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‘‘(c) DETERMINATION BY THE BOARD.—The Board 
shall determine whether a country is a candidate country 
for purposes of this section.’’. 
SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) AMENDMENT TO REPORT IDENTIFYING CAN-
DIDATE COUNTRIES.—Section 608(a)(1) of the Millen-
nium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7707(a)(1)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘section 606(a)(1)(B)’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 606(a)(2)’’. 
(b) AMENDMENT TO MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE COM-
PACT AUTHORITY.—Section 609(b)(2) of such Act (22 
U.S.C. 7708(b)(2)) is amended— 
(1) by amending the paragraph heading to read 
as follows: ‘‘COUNTRY CONTRIBUTIONS’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘with respect to a lower middle 
income country described in section 606(b),’’. 
(c) AMENDMENT TO AUTHORIZATION TO PROVIDE 
ASSISTANCE
FOR
CANDIDATE
COUNTRIES.—Section 
616(b)(1) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 7715(b)(1)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘subsection (a) or (b) of section 606’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 606(a)’’. 
SEC. 4. MODIFICATION TO FACTORS IN DETERMINING ELI-
GIBILITY. 
Section 607(c)(2) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 
2003 (22 U.S.C. 7706(c)(2)) is amended in the matter 
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preceding subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘consider’’ and 
inserting ‘‘prioritize need and impact by considering’’. 
Æ 
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