Assistance for Small and Medium Enterprises in Sub-Saharan African Countries Act of 2005
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Assistance for Small and Medium Enterprises in Sub-Saharan African Countries Act of 2005 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to provide technical assistance to small and medium enterprises in sub-Saharan African countries.
Authorizes the President, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to provide assistance to small and medium enterprises in such countries for: (1) financial sector improvement; (2) financial institution lending programs; (3) technology and information resources; (4) rural and peri-urban business development; (5) small business development in post-conflict states; (6) youth entrepreneurship programs; (7) intellectual property rights protection; and (8) anti-corruption initiatives.
Directs: (1) the U.S. Trade Representative to develop a comprehensive plan to expand agricultural trade between sub-Saharan African countries and the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act; (2) the Secretary of State to undertake actions to strengthen internationally recognized labor rights and standards in sub-Saharan African countries; (3) the Secretary of Labor to undertake activities to promote social dialog among business, government, labor, and nongovernmental organizations; (4) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to provide training and technical assistance to producers to ensure that their exports meet U.S. requirements; (5) the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Foreign Agriculture Service, to undertake activities to improve market access for U.S. agricultural products in sub-Saharan African countries; (6) the President, through USAID, to provide technical assistance to eligible sub-Saharan countries to meet African Growth and Opportunity Act eligibility requirements, and to provide such countries with transportation and communications infrastructure; and (7) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to conduct trade training programs for U.S. small businesses which convey basic information on selling goods to foreign markets, including markets in sub-Saharan African countries.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4319: Assistance for Small and Medium Enterprises in Sub-Saharan African Countries Act of 2005. 109th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-4319/
"H.R. 4319: Assistance for Small and Medium Enterprises in Sub-Saharan African Countries Act of 2005." 109th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-4319/.
H.R. 4319, 109th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-4319/.
[H.R. 4319: Assistance for Small and Medium Enterprises in Sub-Saharan African Countries Act of 2005](https://openamerica.io/bill/109-HR-4319/)