,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dhgg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #ag1 #bjad ,ms4
 ,bass 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,connolly1    
,mr4 ,cicilline1 and ,mr4 ,smith of     
,washington7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs  ,a     
,,bill  ,to amend the ,millennium       
,challenge ,act of #bjjc to authorize   
concurrent compacts for purposes of     
regional economic integration and       
cross-border collaborations1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,millennium    
,compacts for ,regional ,economic       
,integration ,act or ,m-,,core ,act4    
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3  7#a7 ,for more than a       
decade1 six of the world's #aj fastest  
growing economies are located in        
sub-,saharan ,africa4  7#b7 ,many       
,african nations are landlocked and     
their economies are isolated and will   
require greater support to benefit from 

regional integration of markets1        
infrastructure1 and trade promotion type
 policies4  7#c7 ,by connecting isolated
 ,african economies1 there exists the   
potential to increase investment        
opportunities and support market-based  
growth4  7#d7 ,while the ,african       
continent has experienced positive      
economic growth trends1 successfully    
addressing the continent's              
infrastructure gaps could increase gross
 domestic product growth by an estimated
 two percent4  7#e7 ,in recent years1   
the ,world ,bank has doubled its        
investment in ,african regional         
integration from #a4h billion to #c4f   
billion for projects to address         
infrastructure deficiencies1            
unemployment1 and poverty reduction4    
7#f7 ,african nations1 including        
regional economic bodies1 have          
increasingly realized that a key driver 
to economic growth must involve greater 
cross-border collaboration and regional 
economic integration to address         

deficiencies in areas such as           
communications1 transport1 and energy   
networks4  7#g7 ,the ,millennium        
,challenge ,corporation's compacts have 
increased access to reliable power1     
enhanced highway corridors1 and upgraded
 regional trading hubs1 thereby         
promoting economic growth and           
cross-border engagement between and     
among ,african nations4  #c4 ,purpose   
,this purpose of this ,act is to expand 
the ,millennium ,challenge              
,corporation's ability to develop       
compacts with nations1 particularly in  
,africa1 that promote regional economic 
integration and cross-border            
collaborations4  #d4 ,millennium        
,challenge ,compact  7a7 ,concurrent    
compacts ,section #fji of the           
,millennium ,challenge ,act of #bjjc    
7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #ggjh7 is amended--  7#a7
 by striking the first sentence of      
subsection 7k72 and  7#b7 by inserting  
after subsection 7k7 the following new  
subsection3  7l7 ,concurrent compacts   

,in accordance with the requirements of 
this title1 an eligible country and the 
,united ,states may enter into and have 
in effect more than one ,compact at any 
given time1 including a concurrent      
,compact for purposes of regional       
economic integration or cross-border    
collaborations1 only if the ,board      
determines that the country is making   
considerable and demonstrable progress  
in implementing the terms of existing   
,compacts and supplementary agreements  
thereto4  4  7b7 ,applicability ,the    
amendments made by subsection 7a7 apply 
with respect to ,compacts entered into  
between the ,united ,states and an      
eligible country under the ,millennium  
,challenge ,act of #bjjc before1 on1 or 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  7c7 ,conforming amendment        
,section #fac7;b77#b77;,a7 of such ,act 
7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #ggab7;b77#b77;,a77 is   
amended by striking 8the0 before        
8,compact0 and inserting 8any04