,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #dcg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #ae1      
#bjbc,mr4 ,durbin introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,foreign 
,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,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 affordable1           
fit-for-purpose bicycles1 provide       
support to sustainably increase access  
to rural areas1 and for other purposes4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,bicycles for ,rural ,african   
,transport ,act4  #b4 ,rural mobility   
program in sub-,saharan ,africa  7a7    
,establishment  7#a7 ,in general ,the   
,administrator of the ,united ,states   
,agency for ,international ,development 
7referred to in this ,act as ,,usaid7   
shall establish1 within the ,office of  

,gender ,equality and ,women's          
,empowerment1 a rural mobility program  
7referred to in this section as the     
,program7 to carry out the purposes     
described in paragraph 7#b71 including  
through grants made to eligible         
nongovernmental partner organizations1  
prioritizing those organizations with   
demonstrated success conducting rural   
mobility programs in the region to so   
carry out such purposes4  7#b7 ,purpose 
,the ,program shall focus on            
country-driven projects within          
sub-,saharan ,africa-- 7,a7 to promote  
rural communities' access to critical   
services and opportunities1 including   
education1 health care1 and livelihood  
opportunities1 through access to        
affordable1 fit-for-purpose bicycles2   
and  7,b7 to provide support to         
sustainably increase access to critical 
services1 such as education1 health     
care1 and livelihood opportunities in   
rural areas1 including through support  
for rural-based mechanics1 access to    

spare parts1 reduction of social and    
gender-based stigma1 and community      
project management capacity4  7#c7      
,partnerships ,to the greatest extent   
practicable1 the ,program shall partner 
with existing entities overseas that    
have successful models for providing    
access to affordable bicycles to achieve
 development objectives4  7#d7          
,authorization of appropriations ,to    
carry out this section1 there is        
authorized to be appropriated-- 7,a7    
#c1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbd2  7,b7 
#c1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbe2  7,c7 
#f1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbf2  7,d7 
#f1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbg2 and   
7,e7 #ab1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbh  
and for each fiscal year thereafter4    
7b7 ,report  7#a7 ,prior projects ,not  
later than #cj days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,administrator of ,,usaid shall submit a
 report to the ,committee on ,foreign   
,relations of the ,senate1 the          
,committee on ,appropriations of the    

,senate1 the ,committee on ,foreign     
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives1 and the ,committee on 
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives regarding projects     
carried out by ,,usaid during each of   
the fiscal years #bjbj1 #bjba1 #bjbb1   
and #bjbc relating to the purposes      
described in subsection 7a77#b74 ,the   
report shall-- 7,a7 identify in which   
countries ,,usaid embedded rural bicycle
 mobility into strategies1 programs1 and
 projects of ,,usaid2  7,b7 describe the
 mechanisms by which rural bicycle      
mobility was so embedded2  7,c7 specify 
the number of bicycles distributed each 
fiscal year2  7,d7 assess the outcomes  
for and impacts on participants in such 
projects2 and  7,e7 assess ,,usaid's    
efforts to disseminate lessons learned  
from such projects4  7#b7 ,current      
projects ,not later than ,december #cj1 
#bjbe1 and not later than each ,december
 #cj thereafter1 the ,administrator of  
,,usaid shall submit a report to the    

congressional committees listed in      
paragraph 7#a7 regarding projects       
carried out by ,,usaid during the       
immediately preceding fiscal year4 ,each
 such report shall include information  
relating to the matters described in    
subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,e7 of      
paragraph 7#a74