The Americas Act outlines its short title and provides a detailed table of contents, which includes various sections and titles focused on different areas like digital governance, trade, investment, people-to-people activities, revenue, and branding. The sections cover creating frameworks, offering incentives for businesses, developing grants, enhancing trade enforcement, and managing investment initiatives in the Americas.

The section provides definitions for various terms used in the Act, including “Americas partner country” as a nation with a specific partnership with the U.S., “near-shore” and “re-shore” as moving operations or production away from China, and “United States business” and “United States person” to identify entities and individuals with strong ties to the U.S. It also defines “USMCA” and “USMCA country” in the context of the trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

The Americas Institute for Digital Governance is a nonprofit organization established to manage a digital governance framework in the Americas. The bill outlines the structure of the Institute’s Board of Directors, including the appointment process, terms, ethics requirements, and responsibilities, as well as the powers of its Chief Executive and staff, emphasizing its nonprofit status and corporate powers.

The section outlines a plan to create an e-governance system for countries in the Americas to improve their government services through shared data and collaboration between public and private sectors. It emphasizes principles like data privacy, security, and multilingual support, and provides guidelines for compliance, privacy protection, and cybersecurity, with provisions for handling noncompliance.

The section describes the responsibilities of the Institute in promoting international cooperation for the development and deployment of e-governance systems with Americas partner countries, which includes offering technical assistance, developing standards, and partnering with private entities. It also outlines procurement restrictions to protect privacy and security, prohibiting the involvement of certain countries and allowing the exclusion of others as necessary.

The section outlines that $10 million is approved for the creation of the Institute. Additionally, it specifies that more funds, if needed, will be available from a specific account called the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account.

The Secretary of State is allowed to make partnership agreements with Western Hemisphere countries, adding new members to the USMCA, but must avoid countries involved in corruption or terrorism. Ineligible countries can receive guidance on how to qualify. If a partner country violates agreements, it may be suspended until compliant, and support programs are available to help countries become eligible.

The Americas Partnership business advisory board is created to help support discussions on the business environments of partner countries in the Americas. It will consist of members from private sector entities, civil society, and labor organizations, and will discuss topics like regulatory and labor issues, investment challenges, and technology regulations, as well as work with regulatory bodies and submit reports annually on these matters.

The section outlines the responsibilities of various U.S. government bodies, including the Department of Commerce and the State Department, in managing partnerships and trade relations under a new initiative. It also specifies funding allocations for hiring additional staff and resources needed to support this initiative, with funds coming from the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account.

The section outlines the establishment of the "Americas Partnership Secretariat" within 180 days of the Act's enactment to handle diplomatic and partnership efforts among American countries. The secretariat's duties include fostering partnerships between local leaders, civil organizations, and private entities, alongside providing policy support. It will receive $10 million annually from 2024 to 2026 for these activities.

The section requires the Under Secretary to submit a report on activities conducted under this title to certain congressional committees within 180 days of the Act's enactment and every year after. These committees include specific ones from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, covering finance, foreign relations, ways and means, and foreign affairs.

The section expresses Congress's opinion that relocating industries from China back to the United States is important for national security and fits the national security exceptions in article XXI of the GATT 1994, which is a trade agreement explained in another law.

The bill section provides incentives for companies to move their operations from China to the U.S. or nearby countries by offering loans, grants, and duty-free import status for certain goods. It also sets conditions and consequences for companies that fail to meet the requirements, includes procedures for approval, and outlines specific administrative roles and reports involving multiple government offices.

The section introduces a tax credit for companies that move their operations from China to the United States or to an Americas partner country. Companies can receive a credit for 50% of their approved re-shoring expenses or 35% of their approved near-shoring expenses, with the total credits capped at $10 billion, and the program is designed to encourage job creation and capital investment.

The section provides tax credits for companies moving their operations from China either back to the United States or to partner countries in the Americas, with credits covering 50% of re-shoring costs and 35% of near-shoring costs. The program has a $10 billion cap, requires certification by the Secretary, and includes criteria for awarding credits, such as job creation and investment, while also introducing a recapture rule if a company reverses its decision within ten years.

The section outlines a plan for the United States to increase certain trade tariffs and engage in international negotiations to ensure fair trading practices. It highlights that the U.S. aims to raise its maximum allowable duty rates, particularly focusing on products from countries that harm U.S. industries or act unfairly, while defining key terms related to these trade practices.

Congress suggests that expanding the USMCA to include more high-standard economies, like Costa Rica and Uruguay, would be beneficial and has called for the creation of a mechanism to enable this expansion. The bill also mandates studies to assess impacts on the textile and apparel sectors, and it stresses that countries benefiting from current free trade agreements with the U.S. will retain these benefits unless they join the USMCA.

The Americas Partnership Threshold Program is a plan created by the Department of Commerce to help countries in the Americas potentially join a trade agreement called the USMCA by meeting its standards. The program involves evaluating these countries' current trade practices, creating strategies to align them with USMCA standards, and coordinating with other U.S. departments to provide the necessary support, all without forcing any country to join the USMCA as a condition for receiving the benefits.

Congress suggests that trade benefits from the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act should include more countries like Uruguay and Ecuador, especially those in America that don't have a trade agreement with the U.S. currently. The U.S. Trade Representative is advised not to include preferences for goods that negatively impact American producers.

Countries that are members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America cannot receive special trade benefits from the United States under certain laws or trade agreements, as determined by the President.

The section extends trade promotion authority to the President for making trade agreements with Americas partner countries to include them in the USMCA. It allows the President to negotiate and modify duties or restrictions, but any agreement requires Congress's approval. Additionally, an annual report on the negotiations and agreements must be submitted to relevant Congressional committees.

The Secretary of Commerce will start a program to give grants to textile and apparel manufacturers in the U.S. or Americas partner countries to help upgrade their facilities or expand operations. These grants can be used for new or retooled equipment and will be given according to specific safety, labor, and environmental standards, with up to $105 million approved for each year from 2025 to 2029.

Congress acknowledges the environmental impact of textiles and their link to forced labor in China. The bill proposes grants and programs to encourage textile recycling and reuse, support eco-friendly transport and facilities, stimulate innovation, educate the public about fast fashion, and ensure recycled textiles are certified, allocating a total of $800 million for these initiatives.

The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection must establish permanent teams to check textile production in partner countries in the Americas to ensure supply chain integrity. These teams must visit each partner country at least once a year, but they cannot visit the same company twice in a row unless there has been a confirmed issue of wrongdoing.

The text outlines tax benefits for companies dealing with textile and apparel products. It allows corporations to exclude certain income from selling finished textile products from specified countries and offers a deduction for domestic textile production activities and for activities related to textile reuse and recycling.

In this section, a corporation's gross income doesn't include income from selling certain textile products in the U.S., as long as the textile products are from a country in the Western Hemisphere that has a free trade agreement with the U.S. The sale shouldn't be to related companies, and the textile products must meet specific criteria and classifications under U.S. trade laws.

In this section, U.S. corporations do not have to include income from selling certain textile products to specific countries in the Western Hemisphere. A "qualifying foreign sale" involves sales in these countries, and the products must fit certain trade agreement criteria or tariff classifications.

In this section, corporations can deduct 9% of either their qualified income from textile production or their overall taxable income, whichever is less, with limitations based on employee wages. It introduces specific rules on qualifying income, includes provisions for groups of companies, and excludes some foreign and related-person transactions from counting towards the deduction.

Under Section 199B, taxpayers can get a 15% deduction on income earned from recycling and reusing textiles, including activities like resale, repair, and remanufacturing. This applies to individual, partnership, and corporate levels and factors in deductions related to textile gross income, without affecting minimum tax calculations.

A special enforcement unit within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been established to ensure goods made with forced labor from China's Xinjiang region don't enter the U.S. market, as part of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. This unit will work with other law enforcement teams and may position agents both domestically and at U.S. embassies in partner countries for effective coordination.

The Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations is allowed to reward whistleblowers who report money laundering or illegal financial transactions to the Secretary of Homeland Security with up to 30% of the assets recovered from these activities.

The program, called the Borders and Ports Protection Program, involves the U.S. working with partner countries in America to set up and manage units that protect borders and ports. The initiative includes providing training, equipment, and support to these units, with strict collaboration and agreement from the partner countries, and aims to improve security and manage customs operations effectively.

The section mandates the establishment of mutual recognition agreements and trade transparency units between the U.S. and customs administrations of Americas partner countries as part of a customs security program. It outlines specific processes and collaboration needed to ensure data sharing is compatible with existing systems and harmonizes collected data across these agreements.

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce is required to create a grant program to support medical equipment, device, and supply manufacturers in the U.S. and in Americas partner countries in expanding their operations and promoting job growth. Grant recipients must use the funds for facilities, equipment, or growing these operations, and must comply with various safety and environmental standards. The program is supported by $105 million annually from 2025 to 2029.

Congress believes that there is a need for significant investments in infrastructure and trade ecosystems in America's partner countries and that China is exploiting trade practices to its advantage, causing negative impacts like unfair competition, environmental harm, and intellectual property theft. To counter this, Congress suggests the use of investment incentives, retaliatory tariffs, and reforms to boost productivity and supply chain movement while encouraging innovative and flexible approaches.

The BUILD Americas Unit is a new group established within a corporation to support U.S. interests by developing infrastructure in the Western Hemisphere, relocating supply chains, and near-shoring industries from China. To achieve these goals, the Unit can appoint personnel, offer grants and loans to U.S. businesses and partner countries, and engage in equity investments and joint ventures, subject to specific guidelines and funding limitations.

The BUILD Americas Unit is created within the Corporation to promote U.S. interests by encouraging industries to move closer from China and supporting infrastructure and supply chain development in the Western Hemisphere. It operates in partner countries across the Americas and is managed by a Deputy Chief appointed by the President, with authority to hire necessary staff, provide grants, loans, and investments, and ensure support emphasizes private sector collaboration and risk mitigation.

The Americas Partnership Enterprise Fund is a program that allows the President to designate a nonprofit organization to support supply chain development and private sector growth in partner countries in the Americas. The fund is managed by a Board of Directors, which includes members from Americas partner countries, and provides grants, loans, and other assistance to qualified private entities.

The proposed legislation establishes a policy to support moving crucial supply chains closer to the United States by assisting countries in the Western Hemisphere to host these industries, with the aim of reducing dependency on and influence from China. It outlines various measures, including identifying supply chain opportunities, providing funding and support for near-shoring, and establishing partnerships with foreign countries, all while involving U.S. government departments and agencies to facilitate the transition.

The proposed bill section highlights the amendments to the BUILD Act of 2018 and the Export-Import Bank Act to facilitate Transformational Energy Development. It outlines the establishment of new roles like the Chief Energy Officer, defines new terms, and emphasizes promoting export and development of clean energy technologies. The bill also suggests modifications to financial mechanisms to support energy projects, focusing particularly on countries where other major governmental influences like Russia or China might impact financing.

The section allows the Corporation to allocate up to 20% of its funds for energy projects in countries that aren't less developed if those projects might instead get financing from Russia or China. It also requires the Chief Energy Officer to evaluate the environmental impact of such projects, especially if concerns about emissions or environmental standards are present, and demands public disclosure of the project terms within 18 months of construction starting.

The section specifies that the Corporation's total contingent liability cannot exceed $90 billion at any given time.

The section outlines the U.S. Congress's plan to strengthen ties with partner countries in the Americas by promoting human rights, facilitating economic advancement, and supporting local businesses through programs and funding. It establishes new initiatives like the Americas Partnership Accelerator Program and the Americas Partnership Fund for Nature to support small industries and conservation efforts, with designated funding from specific accounts.

The section allows the Secretary of State to enhance cultural affairs programs with America's partner countries by offering more English language classes, scholarships, and cultural exchanges. It authorizes the use of additional funds for these programs and enables building upon existing initiatives like the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund.

The section addresses the expansion of the Peace Corps in Americas partner countries by requiring the Director of the Peace Corps to double the number of volunteers within 27 months after a partnership agreement is made, and to establish a presence in countries without current Peace Corps volunteers. The funding for these initiatives should come either from reallocating resources from other countries or a specific account called the Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account.

The U.S. Congress is proposing to establish the American University of the Americas in up to three partner countries, focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. The U.S. will assist in founding, financially supporting, and facilitating accreditation, but the university will remain independent and cannot accept funding from specified foreign governments.

The section outlines a scholarship program, the Caribbean and Latin American Scholarship Program III, to be created by the United States Agency for International Development for students from partner countries. It offers full scholarships for bachelor's and master's degrees in specific fields, requires students to study abroad and return home afterward, and includes $20 million in annual funding from a designated account.

Congress proposes creating a new type of visa called the Concern for Advanced Retired and Elderly (CARE) visa to bring nonimmigrants to the U.S. to assist with elder care due to increasing demand for caregivers. The program ensures applicants are trained and vetted and does not require English proficiency, allowing a maximum of 50,000 visas each year for up to seven years of residency.

The section expresses Congress's opinion that the President should consider discussing the possibility of creating a TN visa category for low-skill workers during the 2026 review of the USMCA agreement.

The section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, with the help of the Secretary of State, to deliver a report to Congress within 90 days to determine if Uruguay and Costa Rica qualify for the visa waiver program. If either country does not qualify, the report should also describe what they need to do to meet the eligibility criteria.

The section authorizes the U.S. government to provide annual grants to a Latin American or Caribbean country to establish and operate "Radio Free Americas," a broadcasting service that includes radio, television, and social media, aimed at offering diverse opinions and timely news to regions lacking freedom of expression. The service is expected to operate cost-effectively, maintain headquarters for accountability, and undergo an effectiveness assessment after three years, ensuring it serves U.S. interests without transforming into a federal agency.

The President must host a summit with partner countries from the Americas at least every two years. During this summit, those countries will present and share their successful projects and programs that are linked to the activities authorized by this Act.

The Re-shoring and Near-shoring Account is a special fund in the U.S. Treasury, created to encourage manufacturing within the U.S. and nearby countries. It starts with $500 million and can use its money for projects without needing further approval and can invest the money in government securities or, in some cases, in stocks, with any gained profits going back into the fund.

This section modifies the rules for small shipments, called "de minimis entries," by setting new dollar limits for these shipments from other countries, requiring certain data from carriers, and restricting shipments from specific countries like China and Russia. It also outlines how revenues from these shipments will support U.S. manufacturing, and details criteria for banning certain articles based on factors like forced labor or public safety concerns.

The bill requires the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with various officials, to submit an annual report to Congress by December 31 about the activities of the Americas program. This report should include details on partner countries, trade negotiations, financial activities, humanitarian aid, and other aspects related to the program's initiatives over the past year, along with financial projections for the upcoming year.

The section outlines that the branding and marketing efforts for the Americas program must align with the Visibly American branding policies set by the Department of State.