H.R. 8423 – Bicycles for Rural African Transport Act

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Updated February 8, 2026 at 4:42 PM UTC

The bill creates a rural mobility program within USAID’s Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment to provide affordable, fit‑for‑purpose bicycles in sub‑Saharan Africa. It aims to improve rural people’s access to education, health care, and livelihood opportunities, especially for women, by supporting bicycle distribution, mechanics, spare parts, and community management. The program is funded starting at $3 million in FY2023 and rising to $12 million annually after FY2027, and USAID must report on past and ongoing bicycle projects.

Key Provisions

Establish a rural mobility program inside USAID’s Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
Target country‑driven projects that deliver affordable bicycles to rural communities to enhance access to education, health services, and livelihoods.
Partner with NGOs and existing overseas entities that have successful bicycle‑distribution models.
Provide support for rural mechanics, spare parts, reduce social and gender‑based stigma, and build community project‑management capacity.
Authorize appropriations: $3 M for FY2023, $3 M for FY2024, $6 M for FY2025, $6 M for FY2026, and $12 M for FY2027 and each fiscal year thereafter.
Require USAID to submit a report within 30 days of enactment on bicycle projects from FY2019‑FY2022, and annual reports each December 30 thereafter detailing distribution, outcomes, and lessons learned.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Affairs Committee

July 19, 2022

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 19, 2022

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E753)

July 19, 2022

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Affairs Committee

July 19, 2022

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 19, 2022

I

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 8423

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 19, 2022

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 Women’s Empowerment of the United States Agency for International Development a rural mobility program to promote 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.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Bicycles for Rural African Transport Act.

2.

Rural mobility program in sub-Saharan Africa

(a)

Establishment

(1)

In general

The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) shall establish within the Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment of USAID a rural mobility program (in this section referred to as the program) to carry out the purposes described in paragraph (2), including through grants made to eligible nongovernmental partner organizations, prioritizing those organizations with demonstrated success conducting rural mobility programs in the region to so carry out such purposes.

(2)

Purpose

The program shall focus on country-driven projects within sub-Saharan Africa to—

(A)

promote rural communities’ access to critical services and opportunities, including education, health care, and livelihood opportunities, through access to affordable, fit-for-purpose bicycles; and

(B)

provide support to sustainably increase access to critical services such as education, health care, and livelihood opportunities in rural areas, including through support for rural-based mechanics, access to spare parts, reduction of social and gender-based stigma, and community project management capacity.

(3)

Partnerships

To the greatest extent practicable, the program shall partner with existing entities overseas that have successful models for providing access to affordable bicycles to achieve development objectives.

(4)

Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated—

(A)

$3,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;

(B)

$3,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;

(C)

$6,000,000 for fiscal year 2025;

(D)

$6,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and

(E)

$12,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(b)

Report

(1)

Prior projects

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of USAID shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report on projects carried out by USAID during each of fiscal years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 relating to the purposes described in subsection (a)(2). The report shall—

(A)

identify in which countries USAID embedded rural bicycle mobility into strategies, programs, and projects of USAID;

(B)

describe the mechanisms by which rural bicycle mobility was so embedded;

(C)

specify the number of bicycles distributed each fiscal year;

(D)

assess the outcomes for and impacts on participants in such projects; and

(E)

assess USAID’s efforts to disseminate lessons learned from such projects.

(2)

Current projects

Not later than December 30, 2024, and each December 30 thereafter, the Administrator of USAID shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report on projects carried out by USAID during the immediately preceding fiscal year. Each such report shall include information relating to the matters described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1).