H.R. 1567 — Introduced in House

I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1567 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 16, 2017Mr. Cuellar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To promote economic partnership and cooperation between the United States and Mexico. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act. 2. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to promote economic partnership and cooperation between the United States and Mexico, particularly in the areas of academic exchange, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure integration. 3. Expansion of United States-Mexico academic exchange programs (a) In general It shall be the policy of the United States to increase United States-Mexico academic exchanges at the secondary, post-secondary, and post-graduate levels. (b) Priority The exchanges described in subsection (a) should be across the United States and Mexico, however, priority should be given to strengthening ties between communities and academic institutions in the covered United States-Mexico border region. (c) Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the exchanges described in subsection (a) should reflect the goals of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative; and (2) the United States and Mexico should seek to contribute to doubling the number of students studying in each other’s country by not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 4. Establishment of United States-Mexico entrepreneurship cooperation, training, and mentoring programs (a) In general The President shall develop a plan to implement policies and programs that support cooperation, training, and mentoring of entrepreneurs. (b) Elements The policies and programs described in subsection (a) shall seek to create innovation through United States and Mexican academic institutions and businesses assisting prospective and developing entrepreneurs in strengthen their business skills and promoting cooperation and joint business initiatives across the United States and Mexico, with a focus on the covered United States-Mexico border region. (c) Matching funds The policies and programs described in subsection (a) should seek to ensure United States Government funds are, at a minimum, matched by private sector funds for purposes of carrying out such policies and programs. (d) Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that the policies and programs described in subsection (a) should reflect the goals of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative and should seek to provide not less than 100 grants of not more than $25,000 each for participants in such programs to better leverage participation by the private sector. (e) Report The President shall submit to Congress a report on the plan described in subsection (a) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 5. United States-Mexico energy infrastructure coordination and cooperation programs (a) In general The President shall develop a plan to implement policies and programs that promote United States-Mexico energy infrastructure coordination and cooperation through support of vocational-level education, internships, and exchanges between the two countries, particularly in the region in which the Eagle Ford Shale is located and in proximity to such region. (b) Elements The policies and programs described in subsection (a) shall seek to develop skills related to safe and responsible energy extraction and other innovative energy technologies that can be provided by educational institutions located in the region described in subsection (a) or in proximity to such region, including by seeking to provide such skills to individuals in Mexico who are seeking vocational level jobs in Mexico’s energy sector. (c) Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that the policies and programs described in subsection (a) should seek to provide education, internships, and exchanges for at least 1,000 participants. (d) Report The President shall submit to Congress a report on the plan described in subsection (a) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 6. Medical school pilot program (a) In general The President shall develop a plan, in coordination with the private sector and non-profit organizations, to implement a pilot program to develop a pipeline between undergraduate colleges and universities in the United States and medical school programs in Mexico. The pilot program should be utilized to prepare medical students to become doctors who can pass medical licensing board exams in the United States. (b) Elements The pilot program described in subsection (a) shall seek to ensure that medical school programs in Mexico shall have comparable accreditation standards as medical school program in the United States by the Accreditation and Standards in Foreign Medical Education as well as registered in the International Medical Education Directory. (c) Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that the pilot program described in subsection (a) should seek to increase the number of bilingual medical professionals in a cost-effective manner who can practice in United States under-served communities. (d) Report The President shall submit to Congress a report on the plan described in subsection (a) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 7. Definitions In this Act: (1) 100,000 strong in the Americas initiative The term 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative means the initiative established in March 2011 by the United States Government to increase educational exchanges in the Western Hemisphere. (2) Covered United States-Mexico border region The term covered United States-Mexico border region means those portions of the United States and Mexico that are within 100 kilometers of the international boundary between those countries.