What This Bill Does
This bill establishes a rural mobility program within a specific office at the U.S. Agency for International Development (a federal agency that provides aid to other countries). The program will distribute affordable bicycles in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa (countries south of the Sahara Desert) to help people access education, health care and job opportunities. The program will also support mechanics, spare parts access and community training to make this sustainable (long-lasting).
Who It Affects
The bill directly affects USAID administrators who will run the program. It impacts nongovernmental partner organizations (private groups not run by governments) that will receive grants to carry out the work. Rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa will receive bicycles and support services.
Key Provisions
• USAID must create the program within its Office of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and give grants to eligible nongovernmental partner organizations, prioritizing groups with proven experience running similar programs in the region (Sec. 2(a)(1))
• The program focuses on country-driven projects in sub-Saharan Africa to provide affordable bicycles and support access to education, health care and livelihood opportunities (Sec. 2(a)(2)(A))
• The program must provide support for rural mechanics, spare parts access, reduction of social and gender-based stigma (prejudice against certain groups), and community project management training (Sec. 2(a)(2)(B))
• USAID must partner with existing overseas organizations that already have successful bicycle access programs whenever possible (Sec. 2(a)(3))
• USAID must submit a report within 30 days describing past bicycle mobility projects from 2020-2023, including which countries involved bicycles, how many were distributed, and what outcomes resulted (Sec. 2(b)(1))
What Changes
If this becomes law, USAID will establish a new bicycle program in sub-Saharan Africa. The agency will distribute funds to nongovernmental organizations to purchase and deliver bicycles. USAID will begin tracking and reporting on how many bicycles are distributed and what impact they have on people's access to services.
Important Definitions
The bill does not explicitly define any key terms.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 992
To establish within the Office of Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment
of the United States Agency for International Development a rural mobil-
ity program to promote mobility in rural communities through access
to affordable, fit-for-purpose bicycles, provide support to sustainably in-
crease access to rural areas, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 14, 2023
Mr. BLUMENAUER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
A BILL
To establish within the Office of Gender Equality and Wom-
ens Empowerment of the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development a rural mobility program to pro-
mote 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 Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bicycles for Rural Afri-
4
can Transport Act’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
05:55 Mar 07, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H992.IH
H992
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2
•HR 992 IH
SEC. 2. RURAL MOBILITY PROGRAM IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRI-
1
CA.
2
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—
3
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the
4
United States Agency for International Development
5
(USAID) shall establish within the Office of Gender
6
Equality and Women’s Empowerment of USAID a
7
rural mobility program (in this section referred to as
8
the ‘‘program’’) to carry out the purposes described
9
in paragraph (2), including through grants made to
10
eligible
nongovernmental
partner
organizations,
11
prioritizing those organizations with demonstrated
12
success conducting rural mobility programs in the
13
region to so carry out such purposes.
14
(2) PURPOSE.—The program shall focus on
15
country-driven projects within sub-Saharan Africa
16
to—
17
(A) promote rural communities’ access to
18
critical services and opportunities, including
19
education, health care, and livelihood opportuni-
20
ties, through access to affordable, fit-for-pur-
21
pose bicycles; and
22
(B) provide support to sustainably increase
23
access to critical services such as education,
24
health care, and livelihood opportunities in
25
rural areas, including through support for
26
VerDate Sep 11 2014
05:55 Mar 07, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H992.IH
H992
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3
•HR 992 IH
rural-based mechanics, access to spare parts,
1
reduction of social and gender-based stigma,
2
and community project management capacity.
3
(3) PARTNERSHIPS.—To the greatest extent
4
practicable, the program shall partner with existing
5
entities overseas that have successful models for pro-
6
viding access to affordable bicycles to achieve devel-
7
opment objectives.
8
(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To
9
carry out this section, there is authorized to be ap-
10
propriated—
11
(A) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;
12
(B) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;
13
(C) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;
14
(D) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and
15
(E) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and
16
each fiscal year thereafter.
17
(b) REPORT.—
18
(1) PRIOR PROJECTS.—Not later than 30 days
19
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad-
20
ministrator of USAID shall submit to the Com-
21
mittee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Ap-
22
propriations of the House of Representatives and the
23
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee
24
on Appropriations of the Senate a report on projects
25
VerDate Sep 11 2014
05:55 Mar 07, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H992.IH
H992
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4
•HR 992 IH
carried out by USAID during each of fiscal years
1
2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 relating to the pur-
2
poses described in subsection (a)(2). The report
3
shall—
4
(A) identify in which countries USAID em-
5
bedded rural bicycle mobility into strategies,
6
programs, and projects of USAID;
7
(B) describe the mechanisms by which
8
rural bicycle mobility was so embedded;
9
(C) specify the number of bicycles distrib-
10
uted each fiscal year;
11
(D) assess the outcomes for and impacts
12
on participants in such projects; and
13
(E) assess USAID’s efforts to disseminate
14
lessons learned from such projects.
15
(2) CURRENT PROJECTS.—Not later than De-
16
cember 30, 2025, and each December 30 thereafter,
17
the Administrator of USAID shall submit to the
18
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
19
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and
20
the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Com-
21
mittee on Appropriations of the Senate a report on
22
projects carried out by USAID during the imme-
23
diately preceding fiscal year. Each such report shall
24
VerDate Sep 11 2014
05:55 Mar 07, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H992.IH
H992
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5
•HR 992 IH
include information relating to the matters described
1
in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1).
2
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
05:55 Mar 07, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H992.IH
H992
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS