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 Com-
mittee 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. 
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 Compacts 
for Regional Economic Integration Act’’ or ‘‘M–CORE 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) For more than a decade, six of the world’s 
10 fastest growing economies are located in sub-Sa-
haran Africa. 
(2) Many African nations are landlocked and 
their economies are isolated and will require greater 
support to benefit from regional integration of mar-
kets, infrastructure, and trade promotion type poli-
cies. 
(3) By connecting isolated African economies, 
there exists the potential to increase investment op-
portunities and support market-based growth. 
(4) While the African continent has experienced 
positive economic growth trends, successfully ad-
dressing the continent’s infrastructure gaps could in-
crease gross domestic product growth by an esti-
mated two percent. 
(5) In recent years, the World Bank has dou-
bled its investment in African regional integration 
from $1.8 billion to $3.6 billion for projects to ad-
dress infrastructure deficiencies, unemployment, and 
poverty reduction. 
(6) African nations, including regional economic 
bodies, have increasingly realized that a key driver 
to economic growth must involve greater cross-bor-
der collaboration and regional economic integration 
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to address deficiencies in areas such as communica-
tions, transport, and energy networks. 
(7) The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s 
compacts have increased access to reliable power, en-
hanced highway corridors, and upgraded regional 
trading hubs, thereby promoting economic growth 
and cross-border engagement between and among 
African nations. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
This purpose of this Act is to expand the Millennium 
Challenge Corporation’s ability to develop compacts with 
nations, particularly in Africa, that promote regional eco-
nomic integration and cross-border collaborations. 
SEC. 4. MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE COMPACT. 
(a) CONCURRENT COMPACTS.—Section 609 of the 
Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7708) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking the first sentence of subsection 
(k); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (k) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(l) CONCURRENT COMPACTS.—In accordance with 
the requirements of this title, an eligible country and the 
United States may enter into and have in effect more than 
one Compact at any given time, including a concurrent 
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Compact for purposes of regional economic integration or 
cross-border collaborations, only if the Board determines 
that the country is making considerable and demonstrable 
progress in implementing the terms of existing Compacts 
and supplementary agreements thereto.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub-
section (a) apply with respect to Compacts entered into 
between the United States and an eligible country under 
the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 before, on, or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
613(b)(2)(A) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 7712(b)(2)(A)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘the’’ before ‘‘Compact’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘any’’. 
Æ 
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