119-hr4332

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4332 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4332

 To establish a comprehensive United States Government initiative to 
 build the capacity of young leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 10, 2025

Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Mrs. Kim, Ms. Jacobs, Mr. McCaul, Mrs. 
 Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Titus, Mrs. Foushee, Ms. Sewell, Ms. 
 Schakowsky, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Norton, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Ms. Moore 
of Wisconsin, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Keating, and Mr. Lawler) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish a comprehensive United States Government initiative to 
 build the capacity of young leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa, and 
 for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Young African Leaders Initiative Act 
of 2025'' or the ``YALI Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

 It is the sense of Congress that--

    (1) the Young African Leaders Initiative, launched in 2010, 
 is a signature effort to invest in the next generation of 
 African leaders;

    (2) Africa is a continent of strategic importance and it is 
 vital for the United States to support strong and enduring 
 partnerships with the next generation of African leaders;

    (3) the United States Government should prioritize 
 investments to build the capacity of emerging young African 
 leaders in sub-Saharan Africa, including through efforts to--
        (A) enhance leadership skills;
        (B) encourage entrepreneurship;
            (C) strengthen public administration and the role 
 of civil society;
            (D) enhance peace and security in their respective 
 countries of origin and across Africa; and
        (E) connect young African leaders continentally and 
 globally across the private, civic, and public sectors;

    (4) youth in Africa have a positive impact on efforts to 
 foster economic growth, improve public sector transparency and 
 governance, and counter extremism, and should be an area of 
 focus for United States outreach on the African continent; and

    (5) the Secretary of State should--
        (A) increase the number of fellows from Africa 
 participating in the Mandela Washington Fellowship 
 above the estimated 700 fellows who participated during 
 fiscal year 2021; and
        (B) identify additional ways to connect YALI alumni 
 to United States public and private resources and 
 institutions.

SEC. 3. YOUNG AFRICAN LEADERS INITIATIVE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--There is established the Young African Leaders 
Initiative (referred to in this section as ``YALI''), which shall be 
carried out by the Secretary of State.

    (b) 

=== Purpose ===
-YALI shall seek to build the capacity of young 
African leaders in sub-Saharan Africa in the areas of business, civic 
engagement, or public administration, including through efforts--

    (1) to support young African leaders by offering 
 professional development, training, and networking 
 opportunities, particularly in the areas of leadership, 
 innovation, civic engagement, elections, human rights, 
 entrepreneurship, good governance, peace and security, and 
 public administration; and

    (2) to provide increased economic and technical assistance 
 to young African leaders to promote economic growth, strengthen 
 ties between United States and African businesses, build 
 resilience to predatory lending practices, and improve capacity 
 in key economic areas such as tendering, bidding, and contract 
 negotiations, budget management and oversight, anti-corruption, 
 and establishment of clear policy and regulatory practices.
            (c) Fellowships.--

    (1) In general.--YALI shall support the participation in 
 the United States in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for 
 Young African Leaders of fellows from Africa who--
        (A) are between 25 and 35 years of age;
        (B) have demonstrated strong capabilities in 
 entrepreneurship, innovation, public service, and 
 leadership; and
            (C) have had a positive impact in their 
 communities, organizations, or institutions.

    (2) Oversight.--The fellowships described in paragraph

    (1) shall be overseen by the Secretary of State through the Bureau 
 of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

    (3) Eligibility.--The Secretary of State shall establish 
 and publish--
        (A) eligibility criteria for participation as a 
 fellow under paragraph

    (1) ; and
        (B) criteria for determining which eligible 
 applicants will be selected.
            (d) Reciprocal Exchanges.--Subject to the approval of the Secretary 
of State, United States citizens may--

    (1) engage in reciprocal exchanges in connection with 
 alumni of the fellowship described in subsection
            (c) ; and

    (2) collaborate on projects with such fellowship alumni.

    (e) Regional Leadership Centers and Networks.--The Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development shall 
establish--

    (1) not fewer than 4 regional leadership centers in sub-
 Saharan Africa to offer in-person and online training 
 throughout the year on business and entrepreneurship, civic 
 leadership, and public management to young African leaders who 
 are between 18 and 35 years of age, have demonstrated strong 
 capabilities in entrepreneurship, innovation, public service 
 and leadership, and peace-building and conflict resolution, and 
 have had a positive impact in their communities, organizations, 
 or institutions; and

    (2) an online network that provides information and courses 
 on, and connections with leaders in, the private and public 
 sectors of Africa.

    (f) Activities.--

    (1) United states-based activities.--The Secretary of 
 State, in coordination with the heads of relevant Federal 
 departments and agencies, shall oversee all United States-based 
 activities carried out under YALI, including--
        (A) the participation of Mandela Washington Fellows 
 in a 6-week Leadership Institute at a United States 
 educational institution in business, civic engagement, 
 or public management, including academic sessions, site 
 visits, professional networking opportunities, 
 leadership training, community service, and organized 
 cultural activities; and
        (B) the participation by Mandela Washington fellows 
 in an annual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, to 
 provide such Fellows the opportunity to meet with 
 United States leaders from the private, public, and 
 nonprofit sectors.

    (2) Africa-based activities.--The Secretary of State, in 
 coordination with the Administrator for the United States 
 Agency for International Development and the heads of other 
 relevant Federal departments and agencies, should continue to 
 support YALI activities in sub-Saharan Africa, including--
        (A) continued leadership training and other 
 professional development opportunities for Mandela 
 Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders alumni 
 upon their return to their home countries, including 
 online courses, technical assistance, and access to 
 funding;
        (B) training for young African leaders at regional 
 leadership centers established pursuant to subsection

    (e) , and through online and in-person courses offered 
 by such centers; and
            (C) opportunities for networking and engagement 
 with--
            (i) alumni of the Mandela Washington 
 Fellowship for Young African Leaders;
            (ii) alumni of programs at regional 
 leadership centers established pursuant to 
 subsection

    (e) ;
            (iii) United States and like-minded 
 diplomatic missions, business leaders, and 
 others as appropriate; and
            (iv) where practicable and appropriate, 
 other United States-funded regional leadership 
 programs, including the Young Southeast Asian 
 Leaders Initiative

    (YSEALI) , the Young Leaders 
 of the Americas Initiative

    (YLAI) , the Young 
 Pacific Leaders

    (YPL) , and the Young 
 Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative

    (YTILI) , and through Department of State 
 programs such as the Community Engagement 
 Exchange Program and other initiatives.

    (3) Implementation.--To carry out this subsection, the 
 Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of 
 the United States Agency for International Development and the 
 heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall 
 seek to partner with the private sector to pursue public-
 private partnerships, leverage private sector expertise, expand 
 networking opportunities, and identify funding opportunities 
 and fellowship and employment opportunities for YALI.

    (g) Implementation Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with 
the Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and 
agencies, shall submit a plan to the appropriate congressional 
committees for implementing YALI, including--

    (1) a description of clearly defined program goals, 
 targets, and planned outcomes for each year and for the 
 duration of implementation of the program;

    (2) a strategy to monitor and evaluate the program and 
 progress made toward achieving such goals, targets, and planned 
 outcomes; and

    (3) a strategy to ensure the program is promoting United 
 States foreign policy goals in Africa, including ensuring that 
 the program is clearly branded, paired with robust public 
 diplomacy efforts, and incorporates diversity among 
 participants as practicable, including countries and 
 communities in Africa facing economic distress, civil conflict, 
 marginalization, and other challenges.

    (h) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter for the following 4 years, the 
Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees and publish in a publicly 
accessible, internet-based form, a report that includes--

    (1) a description of the progress made toward achieving the 
 goals, targets, and planned outcomes described in subsection

    (g)

    (1) , including an overview of the program implemented in the 
 previous year and an estimated number of beneficiaries;

    (2) an assessment of how YALI is contributing to and 
 promoting United States-Africa relations, particularly in areas 
 of increased private sector investment, trade promotion, 
 support to civil society, improved public administration, 
 promoting peace and security, and fostering entrepreneurship 
 and youth empowerment;

    (3) recommendations for improvements or changes to YALI and 
 the implementation plan, if any, that would improve their 
 effectiveness during subsequent years of YALI's implementation; 
 and

    (4) for the first report submitted under this subsection, 
 an assessment of the feasibility of expanding YALI to Morocco, 
 Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt.
            (i) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
congressional committees'' means--

    (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;

    (2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;

    (3) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
 Representatives; and

    (4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
 Representatives.

    (j) Sunset.--This section shall cease to have effect on the date 
that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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