YSEALI Act
Bill: H.R.4213 | Sponsor: Rep. Castro, Joaquin (D-TX)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Act or the YSEALI Act
This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of State's Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.
The initiative shall include an academic fellows program and a professional fellows program to bring eligible students and professionals to the United States for building practical expertise, leadership skills, and professional networks. The fellows programs shall be open to qualified individuals who are citizens and residents of a member country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or a country that the State Department determines to be appropriate for the programs.
The State Department shall oversee all U.S.-based activities carried out under the initiative.

To establish the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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.
    (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 participants.
    (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.
                    (B) Status as a full-time undergraduate student, or 
                recent graduate of college, university, or other 
                institutions of higher learning.
                    (C) Other criteria determined appropriate by the 
                Secretary.
            (2) YSEALI professional fellows program.--There is 
        established the YSEALI Professional Fellows Program to bring 
        professionals 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 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 government, 
                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.
                    (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 subsection (b).
    (d) Activities.--
            (1) United states-based activities.--The Secretary of State 
        shall oversee all United States-based activities carried out 
        under the YSEALI program, including the participation of YSEALI 
        Academic Fellows in a program at a United States university 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, 
        leadership training, community service, and organized cultural 
        activities, as appropriate.
            (2) Southeast asia-based activities.--The Secretary of 
        State should continue to support overseas initiatives of the 
        program, including the following:
                    (A) Quality leadership training, professional 
                development, and networking opportunities 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 appropriate.
                    (C) Opportunities for networking with YSEALI alumni 
                and professionals and experts who are American and 
                Southeast Asian.
                    (D) The YSEALI Regional Workshop program, offering 
                networking, mentoring, hands-on training, and the tools 
                necessary to lead communities in addressing economic, 
                environmental, 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 towards one or more of the themes of 
                civic engagement, economic empowerment and social 
                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 innovation, 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 advancing 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 participants and YSEALI alumni 
        through a platform to promote networking opportunities within 
        the YSEALI community.
            (4) Implementation.--To carry out this subsection, United 
        States diplomatic and consular posts, the Secretary of State, 
        and agency external partners managing and implementing the 
        YSEALI program--
                    (A) shall promote United States policy goals in 
                Southeast Asia by providing tools and resources to help 
                young Southeast Asian leaders develop important skills 
                and connections, including through online campaigns and 
                public diplomacy initiatives;
                    (B) shall establish a system for monitoring, 
                evaluating, and improving the YSEALI program; and
                    (C) may accept financial contributions from 
                foundations, corporations, private donors, program 
                partners, and implementing agency external 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 progress identification of annual YSEALI 
                program goals, and targets.
            (2) Annual reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 4 
        years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees and publish on a publicly available 
        website of the Department a report on--
                    (A) YSEALI program progress and an assessment of 
                the metrics, goals, targets, and outcomes described in 
                paragraph (1)(A), including information relating to 
                YSEALI program implementation 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 effectiveness 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 duration of YSEALI program operation, including 
        recommendations regarding whether the YSEALI program should be 
        reauthorized and any changes that would improve its 
        effectiveness.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' 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 partners.--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.
            (3) YSEALI theme.--The term ``YSEALI theme'' means--
                    (A) civic engagement;
                    (B) economic empowerment and social 
                entrepreneurship;
                    (C) education;
                    (D) environmental issues; or
                    (E) any other theme included by the Secretary of 
                State.
            (4) YSEALI partner countries.--The term ``YSEALI partner 
        countries'' includes each member country of the Association of 
        Southeast Asian Nations and each other country or political 
        entity the Secretary of State determines appropriate to include 
        in the programs established under this section.
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