Reported by Senate committee — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021

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II 
Calendar No. 336 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 133 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JANUARY 11, 2019 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
DECEMBER 17, 2019 
Reported by Mr. RISCH, with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
AN ACT 
To promote economic partnership and cooperation between 
the United States and Mexico. 
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 ‘‘United States-Mexico 
4
Economic Partnership Act’’. 
5
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
6
Congress finds the following: 
7
(1) The United States and Mexico have bene-
8
fitted from a bilateral, mutually beneficial partner-
9
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•HR 133 RS
ship focused on advancing the economic interests of 
1
both countries. 
2
(2) In 2013, Mexico adopted major energy re-
3
forms that opened its energy sector to private invest-
4
ment, increasing energy cooperation between Mexico 
5
and the United States and opening new opportuni-
6
ties for United States energy engagement. 
7
(3) On January 18, 2018, the Principal Deputy 
8
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Af-
9
fairs at the Department of State stated, ‘‘Our ex-
10
change programs build enduring relationships and 
11
networks to advance U.S. national interests and for-
12
eign policy goals . . . The role of our exchanges 
13
. . . in advancing U.S. national security and eco-
14
nomic interests enjoys broad bipartisan support from 
15
Congress and other stakeholders, and provides a 
16
strong return on investment.’’. 
17
(4) According to the Institute of International 
18
Education, in the 2015–2016 academic year, more 
19
than 56,000 United States students studied in other 
20
countries in the Western Hemisphere region while 
21
more than 84,000 non-United States students from 
22
the region studied in the United States, but only 
23
5,000 of those United States students studied in 
24
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•HR 133 RS
Mexico and only 16,000 of those non-United States 
1
students were from Mexico. 
2
(5) In March 2011, the United States launched 
3
the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, which 
4
seeks to increase educational exchanges between the 
5
United States and other countries in the Western 
6
Hemisphere region so that 100,000 United States 
7
students are studying in other countries in the West-
8
ern Hemisphere region and 100,000 non-United 
9
States students from the region are studying in the 
10
United States per year by 2020. 
11
(6) In January 2014, the United States estab-
12
lished the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innova-
13
tion Fund, which seeks to realize the goals of the 
14
100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative by facili-
15
tating a public-private partnership between the De-
16
partment of State and nongovernmental organiza-
17
tions, corporations, and universities in the United 
18
States and other countries of the Western Hemi-
19
sphere region. 
20
(7) To date, the 100,000 Strong in the Amer-
21
icas Innovation Fund has awarded more than 100 
22
grants to more than 250 higher education institu-
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tions from 25 countries in the Western Hemisphere 
24
region, and has raised $9,000,000 in investments, 
25
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•HR 133 RS
75 percent of which was from corporations, founda-
1
tions, and regional governments. 
2
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
3
It is the policy of the United States— 
4
(1) to continue deepening economic cooperation 
5
between the United States and Mexico; and 
6
(2) to seek to prioritize and expand educational 
7
and professional exchange programs with Mexico, in-
8
cluding through the framework of the 100,000 
9
Strong in the Americas Initiative. 
10
SEC.
4.
STRATEGY
TO
PRIORITIZE
AND
EXPAND
EDU-
11
CATIONAL
AND
PROFESSIONAL
EXCHANGE 
12
PROGRAMS WITH MEXICO. 
13
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall de-
14
velop a strategy to carry out the policy described in section 
15
3, to include prioritizing and expanding educational and 
16
professional exchange programs with Mexico through the 
17
framework of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initia-
18
tive. 
19
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under sub-
20
section (a) shall— 
21
(1) encourage more academic exchanges be-
22
tween the United States and Mexico at the sec-
23
ondary, post-secondary, and post-graduate levels, es-
24
pecially with communities and through academic in-
25
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•HR 133 RS
stitutions in the covered United States-Mexico bor-
1
der region; 
2
(2) encourage United States and Mexican aca-
3
demic institutions and businesses to collaborate to 
4
assist prospective and developing entrepreneurs in 
5
strengthening their business skills and promoting co-
6
operation and joint business initiatives across the 
7
United States and Mexico, with a focus on initiatives 
8
in the covered United States-Mexico border region; 
9
(3) promote energy infrastructure coordination 
10
and cooperation through support of vocational-level 
11
education, internships, and exchanges between the 
12
United States and Mexico, particularly in the region 
13
in which the Eagle Ford Shale is located and in 
14
proximity to such region; and 
15
(4) assess the feasibility of fostering partner-
16
ships between universities in the United States and 
17
medical school and nursing programs in Mexico to 
18
ensure that medical school and nursing programs in 
19
Mexico have comparable accreditation standards as 
20
medical school and nursing programs in the United 
21
States by the Accreditation and Standards in For-
22
eign Medical Education, in addition to the Accredi-
23
tation Commission For Education in Nursing, so 
24
that medical students can pass medical licensing 
25
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•HR 133 RS
board exams, and nursing students can pass nursing 
1
licensing exams, in the United States. 
2
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
3
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
4
submit to Congress a report on the strategy required 
5
under subsection (a). 
6
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
7
In this Act: 
8
(1) 100,000 STRONG IN THE AMERICAS INITIA-
9
TIVE.—The term ‘‘100,000 Strong in the Americas 
10
Initiative’’ means the initiative established in March 
11
2011 by the United States Government to increase 
12
educational exchanges in the Western Hemisphere. 
13
(2) COVERED UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER 
14
REGION.—The term ‘‘covered United States-Mexico 
15
border region’’ means those portions of the United 
16
States and Mexico that are within 100 kilometers of 
17
the international boundary between those countries. 
18
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
19
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Mexico 
20
Economic Partnership Act’’. 
21
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
22
Congress finds the following: 
23
(1) The United States and Mexico have bene-
24
fitted from a bilateral, mutually beneficial partner-
25
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•HR 133 RS
ship focused on advancing the economic interests of 
1
both countries. 
2
(2) In 2013, Mexico adopted major energy re-
3
forms that opened its energy sector to private invest-
4
ment, increasing energy cooperation between Mexico 
5
and the United States and opening new opportunities 
6
for United States energy engagement. 
7
(3) On January 18, 2018, the Principal Deputy 
8
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Af-
9
fairs at the Department of State stated, ‘‘Our ex-
10
change programs build enduring relationships and 
11
networks to advance U.S. national interests and for-
12
eign policy goals . . . The role of our exchanges . . . 
13
in advancing U.S. national security and economic in-
14
terests enjoys broad bipartisan support from Congress 
15
and other stakeholders, and provides a strong return 
16
on investment.’’. 
17
(4) According to the Institute of International 
18
Education, in the 2015–2016 academic year, more 
19
than 56,000 United States students studied in other 
20
countries in the Western Hemisphere region while 
21
more than 84,000 non-United States students from 
22
the region studied in the United States, but only 
23
5,000 of those United States students studied in Mex-
24
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•HR 133 RS
ico and only 16,000 of those non-United States stu-
1
dents were from Mexico. 
2
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
3
It is the policy of the United States— 
4
(1) to continue deepening economic cooperation 
5
between the United States and Mexico; 
6
(2) to seek to prioritize and expand educational 
7
and professional exchange programs with Mexico, in-
8
cluding through frameworks such as the 100,000 
9
Strong in the Americas Initiative, the Young Leaders 
10
of the Americas Initiative, Jo´venes en Accio´n (Youth 
11
in Action), the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, 
12
and the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program; and 
13
(3) to promote positive cross-border relations as 
14
a priority for advancing United States foreign policy 
15
and programs. 
16
SEC. 4. STRATEGY TO PRIORITIZE AND EXPAND EDU-
17
CATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE 
18
PROGRAMS WITH MEXICO. 
19
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall develop 
20
a strategy to carry out the policy described in section 3, 
21
to include prioritizing and expanding educational and pro-
22
fessional exchange programs with Mexico through frame-
23
works such as those referred to in section 3(2). 
24
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•HR 133 RS
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under sub-
1
section (a) shall— 
2
(1) encourage more academic exchanges between 
3
the United States and Mexico at the secondary, post- 
4
secondary, and post-graduate levels; 
5
(2) encourage United States and Mexican aca-
6
demic institutions and businesses to collaborate to as-
7
sist prospective and developing entrepreneurs in 
8
strengthening their business skills and promoting co-
9
operation and joint business initiatives across the 
10
United States and Mexico; 
11
(3) promote energy infrastructure coordination 
12
and cooperation through support of vocational-level 
13
education, internships, and exchanges between the 
14
United States and Mexico; and 
15
(4) assess the feasibility of fostering partnerships 
16
between universities in the United States and medical 
17
school and nursing programs in Mexico to ensure that 
18
medical school and nursing programs in Mexico have 
19
comparable accreditation standards as medical school 
20
and nursing programs in the United States by the 
21
Accreditation and Standards in Foreign Medical 
22
Education, in addition to the Accreditation Commis-
23
sion For Education in Nursing, so that medical stu-
24
dents can pass medical licensing board exams, and 
25
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nursing students can pass nursing licensing exams, in 
1
the United States. 
2
(c) BRIEFING.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
3
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
4
brief the appropriate congressional committees regarding 
5
the strategy required under subsection (a). 
6
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
7
In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
8
mittees’’ means— 
9
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
10
Senate; and 
11
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
12
House of Representatives. 
13
SEC. 6. SUNSET PROVISION. 
14
This Act shall remain in effect until December 31, 
15
2023. 
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Calendar No. 336 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 133 
AN ACT 
To promote economic partnership and cooperation 
between the United States and Mexico. 
DECEMBER 17, 2019 
Reported with an amendment 
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