Title: YALI Act of 2021
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Young African Leaders Initiative Act of 2021 or the YALI Act of 2021
This bill provides statutory authority for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), which seeks to build the capacity of young African leaders in sub-Saharan Africa in the areas of civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and business development.
The YALI program must award Mandela Washington Fellowships to young leaders and offer training through regional leadership centers in sub-Saharan Africa to individuals who have demonstrated strong capabilities in entrepreneurship, innovation, public service, and leadership.
The Department of State must oversee all U.S.-based activities carried out under the program, and the United States should continue to support overseas initiatives of the program. The State Department must also submit (1) a strategy for implementing the program; (2) annual reports on program progress; and (3) a final report evaluating program implementation and outcomes, including recommendations related to reauthorizing the program and any changes to improve it.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 965 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 965

  To establish a comprehensive United States Government initiative to 
 build the capacity of young leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 2021

   Ms. Bass introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a comprehensive United States Government initiative to 
 build the capacity of young leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa, 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 African Leaders Initiative Act 
of 2021'' or the ``YALI Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Young African Leaders Initiative, launched in 2010, 
        is a signature effort to invest in the next generation of 
        African leaders;
            (2) Africa is a continent of strategic importance and it is 
        vital for the United States to support strong and enduring 
        partnerships with the next generation of African leaders; and
            (3) the United States Government should prioritize 
        investments to build the capacity of young emerging African 
        leaders in sub-Saharan Africa, including through efforts to 
        enhance leadership skills, encourage entrepreneurship, 
        strengthen public administration and the role of civil society, 
        and connect young African leaders continentally and globally 
        across the private, civic, and public sectors.

SEC. 3. YOUNG AFRICAN LEADERS INITIATIVE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the Department of State 
the Young African Leaders Initiative (``YALI'') program.
    (b) Duties.--The YALI program shall seek to build to capacity of 
young African leaders in sub-Saharan Africa in the areas of civic 
engagement, entrepreneurship and business development, including 
through efforts to--
            (1) support young African leaders by offering professional 
        development and a global network to share expertise, including 
        in the areas of civic leadership, elections, human rights, good 
        governance and public management;
            (2) provide increased economic and technical assistance to 
        young African leaders and entrepreneurs, to strengthen ties 
        between United States and African businesses.
    (c) Fellowships.--The YALI program shall award Mandela Washington 
Fellowships to young leaders who have demonstrated strong capabilities 
in entrepreneurship, innovation, public service, and leadership, and 
who have had a positive impact in their communities, organizations, or 
institutions.
    (d) Regional Leadership Centers.--The YALI program shall offer 
training to young leaders who have demonstrated strong capabilities in 
entrepreneurship, innovation, public service and leadership, and who 
have had a positive impact in their communities, organizations, or 
institutions, by seeking to establish regional leadership centers in 
sub-Saharan Africa.
    (e) Activities.--
            (1) United states-based activities.--The Secretary of 
        State, in coordination with the Administrator for the United 
        States Agency for International Development, shall oversee all 
        United States-based activities carried out under the YALI 
        program, including the following:
                    (A) The participation of Mandela Washington Fellows 
                in a six-week Leadership Institute at a United States 
                university or college in business, civic engagement, or 
                public management, including academic sessions, site 
                visits, professional networking opportunities, 
                leadership training, community service, and organized 
                cultural activities.
                    (B) The participation by Mandela Washington Fellows 
                in an annual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, to 
                provide such Fellows the opportunity to meet with 
                United States leaders from the private, public, and 
                non-profit sectors.
            (2) Africa-based activities.--The United States should 
        continue to support overseas initiatives of the program, 
        including the following:
                    (A) Quality leadership training, professional 
                development, and networking opportunities for Mandela 
                Washington Fellowship alumni upon their return to their 
                home countries, including online courses.
                    (B) Training for young African leaders at regional 
                leadership centers established in accordance with 
                subsection (d), and through online courses offered by 
                such centers.
                    (C) Opportunities for networking with--
                            (i) alumni of the Mandela Washington 
                        Fellowship;
                            (ii) alumni of the programs at YALI 
                        Regional Leadership Centers established in 
                        accordance with subsection (d), who offer 
                        leadership training programs at higher 
                        education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa; 
                        and
                            (iii) American and African professionals 
                        and experts.
                    (D) Opportunities through the United States Africa 
                Development Foundation to facilitate professional 
                development and sharing of expertise in the home 
                countries of Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni and 
                throughout the African continent.
            (3) Implementation.--To carry out this subsection, United 
        States diplomatic and consular posts, the Administrator of the 
        United States Agency for International Development, the 
        Secretary of State, and agency external partners managing and 
        implementing the YALI program--
                    (A) shall promote United States policy goals in 
                Africa by providing tools and resources to help young 
                African 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 YALI 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 YALI program.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) Strategy.--The Secretary of State, in coordination with 
        the Administrator of USAID, shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees a strategy for implementing the YALI 
        program, including the following:
                    (A) YALI program goals, targets, and planned 
                outcomes for each year and, separately, for the YALI 
                program generally during the duration of its 
                implementation.
                    (B) A YALI program monitoring and evaluation plan, 
                including metrics for measuring YALI program progress 
                and determining whether YALI program goals, targets, 
                and planned outcomes of growing the United States and 
                Africa trade relationship, strengthening civil society 
                and public administration, and supporting innovation 
                and investment in the next generation of African 
                leaders have been met annually and, separately, for the 
                YALI program generally, during the duration of its 
                implementation.
            (2) Annual reports.--The Secretary of State, in 
        coordination with the Administrator of USAID, shall submit to 
        the appropriate congressional committees and publish in a 
        publicly accessible, internet-based form, an annual report for 
        the 5-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of 
        this Act on--
                    (A) YALI program progress and an assessment of the 
                metrics, goals, targets, and outcomes referred to in 
                paragraph (1)(A), including information relating to 
                YALI program implementation and outcome activities 
                during the year covered by each report; and
                    (B) recommendations for improvements or amendments 
                to the YALI program and strategy, if any, that would 
                improve their effectiveness during subsequent years of 
                YALI program implementation.
            (3) Final report.--Not later than December 1, 2025, the 
        Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of 
        USAID, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
        a final assessment report that evaluates YALI program 
        implementation and outcomes during the entire duration of YALI 
        program operation, including recommendations regarding whether 
        the YALI program should be reauthorized and any changes that 
        would improve its effectiveness.
    (g) 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.
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