Bicycles for Rural African Transport Act
Bill: H.R.8423 | Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl (D-OR)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Bicycles for Rural African Transport Act
The bill requires the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish a program to provide bicycles in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa.  The program must focus on providing bicycles to rural communities to promote access to education, health care, and livelihood opportunities.

To establish within the Office of Gender Equality and Women's 
Empowerment of the United States Agency for International Development a 
rural mobility program to promote mobility in rural communities through 
  access to affordable, fit-for-purpose bicycles, provide support to 
  sustainably increase access to rural areas, 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 ``Bicycles for Rural African Transport 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RURAL MOBILITY PROGRAM IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator of the United States 
        Agency for International Development (USAID) shall establish 
        within the Office of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment of 
        USAID a rural mobility program (in this section referred to as 
        the ``program'') to carry out the purposes described in 
        paragraph (2), including through grants made to eligible 
        nongovernmental partner organizations, prioritizing those 
        organizations with demonstrated success conducting rural 
        mobility programs in the region to so carry out such purposes.
            (2) Purpose.--The program shall focus on country-driven 
        projects within sub-Saharan Africa to--
                    (A) promote rural communities' access to critical 
                services and opportunities, including education, health 
                care, and livelihood opportunities, through access to 
                affordable, fit-for-purpose bicycles; and
                    (B) provide support to sustainably increase access 
                to critical services such as education, health care, 
                and livelihood opportunities in rural areas, including 
                through support for rural-based mechanics, access to 
                spare parts, reduction of social and gender-based 
                stigma, and community project management capacity.
            (3) Partnerships.--To the greatest extent practicable, the 
        program shall partner with existing entities overseas that have 
        successful models for providing access to affordable bicycles 
        to achieve development objectives.
            (4) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this 
        section, there is authorized to be appropriated--
                    (A) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
                    (B) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;
                    (C) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;
                    (D) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
                    (E) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each 
                fiscal year thereafter.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) Prior projects.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of USAID shall 
        submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate a report on projects carried out 
        by USAID during each of fiscal years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 
        relating to the purposes described in subsection (a)(2). The 
        report shall--
                    (A) identify in which countries USAID embedded 
                rural bicycle mobility into strategies, programs, and 
                projects of USAID;
                    (B) describe the mechanisms by which rural bicycle 
                mobility was so embedded;
                    (C) specify the number of bicycles distributed each 
                fiscal year;
                    (D) assess the outcomes for and impacts on 
                participants in such projects; and
                    (E) assess USAID's efforts to disseminate lessons 
                learned from such projects.
            (2) Current projects.--Not later than December 30, 2024, 
        and each December 30 thereafter, the Administrator of USAID 
        shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
        Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and 
        the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate a report on projects carried out 
        by USAID during the immediately preceding fiscal year. Each 
        such report shall include information relating to the matters 
        described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1).
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