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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="H0CEC1E5331D343E899BC9B76EFFAE7D3" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>118 HR 5035 IH: Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Enhancement for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2023-07-27</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code><congress display="yes">118th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">1st Session</session><legis-num display="yes">H. R. 5035</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20230727">July 27, 2023</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="P000610">Ms. Plaskett</sponsor> (for herself, <cosponsor name-id="S001185">Ms. Sewell</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="B000574">Mr. Blumenauer</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HWM00">Committee on Ways and Means</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To modify the special rules for Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, to extend preferential duty treatment program for Haiti under that Act, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body id="H0723927364074099A4931B4860D5097A" style="OLC"><section id="H5B14B47DF75E462CAEEEDEC44D430D25" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Enhancement for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023</short-title></quote> or the <quote><short-title>HOPE for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="H91E17F6CA3044448827D3828221433A4"><enum>2.</enum><header>Modification of special rules for Haiti under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act</header><subsection id="HF4348D900824449BA973345525064917"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Eligibility requirements</header><text>Section 213A(d)(4) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703a">19 U.S.C. 2703a(d)(4)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="H8D0EE33129DA47D0826E585CBF8E5991"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>Any interested party</quote> and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block id="H41A5DE677E3D4FD2B44BF2918CF2D25C" style="OLC"><subparagraph id="H0F36EA41BCD04F958F8AB04BC4C111E5"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Any interested party</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="H0119F61E503D4D2D91E04A5165477B29"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking <quote>paragraph (1),</quote> and inserting <quote>paragraph (1).</quote>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H81443F3E574A497DA329B860FE396E6D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by striking <quote>and the President shall provide for this purpose</quote> and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block id="H10446F682549444FA60D51D57B9BF68A" style="OLC"><subparagraph id="H704DBEEEFAA04004ADB1DDB2DFA9BA5F"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Applicable procedures</header><text>The President shall provide for the purpose of subparagraph (A) and the purpose of subparagraph (B)</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="H40EF3BECF251430A819B1C48C80700C9"><enum>(4)</enum><text>by inserting after subparagraph (A) (as so designated) the following:</text><quoted-block id="H073E46023E9F43789FD932BB098CE4EE" style="OLC"><subparagraph id="H97267F631E11494BB5581C02878BE70A"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Compliance with core labor standards and with the labor laws of haiti</header><text>Any interested party may file a request to have the status of individual producers reviewed with respect to compliance with core labor standards and with the labor laws of Haiti that directly relate to and are consistent with core labor standards and with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HD12761015A2D43C99A291562E176B6F1"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Technical assistance improvement and compliance needs assessment and remediation program</header><text>Section 213A(e)(4)(B) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703a">19 U.S.C. 2703a(e)(4)(B)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="H97608C06849346F8853DEA1054ED59D4"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in clause (i)—</text><subparagraph id="HD6D38DB612F54DA8B5B4E351CD7DADE8"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking <quote>a biennial basis</quote> and inserting <quote>an annual basis</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HCFBC9D99BB7445FFBAD6ECC85943E896"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the end before the period the following: <quote>or with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work</quote>;</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H9DAFDB54D40A4B7AB3C72B374ABA0D47"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in clause (ii)—</text><subparagraph id="HD123DF56E54848FCB0A63A08B3BF5982"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in the first sentence, by adding at the end before the period the following: <quote>and with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H7FC1265D00294F37AF500891122BDF17"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by inserting after the first sentence the following new sentence: <quote>The President may withdraw, suspend, or limit the application of preferential treatment under subsection (b) to articles of such producer during the period in which assistance described in the preceding sentence is being provided to the producer.</quote>; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H1C415D5119E944A3B44F69F4708C6491"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in clause (iii), by inserting after <quote>and are consistent with core labor standards</quote> the following: <quote>and with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work</quote>.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="HF301E15108364A17B0AD3F23829D4D06"><enum>3.</enum><header>Extension of preferential duty treatment program for Haiti</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703a">19 U.S.C. 2703a</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="H1341392A0E77444E8C1B930DA237C650"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subsection (a)(3)—</text><subparagraph id="H02424EEECE424EBEB39CFE70B1E8E08D"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subparagraph (D), by striking <quote>and</quote> at the end;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H012BD415B6AE4F8C9E9E5F906DE7BFF6"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H164A90E4208D4D099F342AC654825C5A"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="HEFFD66153FC34CED8D1BAF6ACF59731E" display-inline="no-display-inline"><subparagraph id="H7A5C18A066B945C5A02985A24C3374E7"><enum>(F)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a safe and healthy working environment.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H17695D6FD618490498B8F2B788417718"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subsection (b)—</text><subparagraph id="H68C57B8A65854797A6E9C22558B47EDD"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in paragraph (1)—</text><clause id="H48F57B7E6998408D8BD769CCB126E325"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B)(v)(I)—</text><subclause id="HBB5AC0F2F45D416A8FAF8118FF381D4A"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>means</quote> and all that follows through <quote>60 percent</quote> and inserting <quote>means 60 percent</quote>; and</text></subclause><subclause id="HA5E90FEDB1FE4C5896336BDBF632CC1C"><enum>(II)</enum><text>by striking <quote>7 succeeding 1-year periods</quote> and inserting <quote>17 succeeding 1-year periods</quote>; and</text></subclause></clause><clause id="H4F99833BEFA14DB193295D1BDA89A9DF"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (C)—</text><subclause id="H5D7B2ED650E040D1B0D2E37F2ADF6517"><enum>(I)</enum><text>in the table, by striking <quote>16 succeeding 1-year periods</quote> and inserting <quote>28 succeeding 1-year periods</quote>; and</text></subclause><subclause id="HEAC050E0DAFB4CF68016EEF89D43F8D1"><enum>(II)</enum><text>in the matter following the table, by striking <quote>2025</quote> and inserting <quote>2035</quote>; and</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H04DED29FFA2F423AA4CE1FBE2E21977B"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in paragraph (2)—</text><clause id="H5E3A99DEBBAC46B6B7598917E842BBBA"><enum>(i)</enum><text>in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking <quote>16 succeeding 1-year periods</quote> and inserting <quote>26 succeeding 1-year periods</quote>; and</text></clause><clause id="H793EFDE04F1245CE973D76729F20A840"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking <quote>16 succeeding 1-year periods</quote> and inserting <quote>26 succeeding 1-year periods</quote>;</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HCCD80084DBDB49739761F901EA634C2D" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in subsection (d)(1)(A)(vi), by striking <quote>, hours of work, and occupational safety and health</quote> and inserting <quote>and hours of work</quote>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H3071160347C4408080AE83A7BC776B1C"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (e)(3)—</text><subparagraph id="HC44C50754B7A45A8ACF81177210E94A6"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking <quote>, hours of work, and occupational safety and health</quote> and inserting <quote>and hours of work</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H2B7FD54DAF30433CAA2D1DD4DB26AE30"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph and (E)(ii), by striking <quote>, hours of work, and occupational safety and health</quote> and inserting <quote>and hours of work</quote>; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H502C4A177E27469EA649F92112B15AD6"><enum>(5)</enum><text>in subsection (h), by striking <quote>2025</quote> and inserting <quote>2035</quote>.</text></paragraph></section><section id="H6028AC57C76D4C02827AF677A46C3B1E"><enum>4.</enum><header>Technical assistance to increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2703a">19 U.S.C. 2703a</external-xref>), as amended by this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="HEE54C69D4F52436AAC1F403F411B11BE" display-inline="no-display-inline"><subsection id="HFF6A9DB007AE41FB91EAD91BC7B8F2DF"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Technical assistance To increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States</header><paragraph id="HDB2E0423D6FE4B36A02C455C475D7FAA"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Trade Representative shall provide technical assistance to the agencies, entities, and individuals specified in clauses (i) through (v) of paragraph (2)(B), to increase and diversify exports from Haiti to the United States with the objectives of—</text><subparagraph id="H051327E49001478791DC389F3251B68C"><enum>(A)</enum><text>increasing and diversifying export-oriented value chains in Haiti through measures that enhance the competitiveness of firms in Haiti; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H430A3AA2FEF54A979D6BD7E78BBFAFFF"><enum>(B)</enum><text>reinforcing the capacity of trade support institutions to enhance the business climate in Haiti; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H96F34F3AC369406782A523E128756273"><enum>(C)</enum><text>developing utilization strategies for Haiti to further explore export opportunities under United States trade preference programs.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HE647752C9B1749869BA1DF8FA1B45E1B"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Requirements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Trade Representative—</text><subparagraph id="HB303994910CA456995CE059306B8BA01"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">shall seek to coordinate with the International Trade Center to develop and provide technical assistance;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HD2FACE03A318497E9CA7C0692F253C44"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">shall establish a participatory process to develop the technical assistance that includes—</text><clause id="HE8E528FF072F4042B2FCB25377642D3F"><enum>(i)</enum><text>appropriate agencies of the Government of Haiti;</text></clause><clause id="H56F2A178B56E47B48A992358896D45C4"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>trade support institutions in Haiti;</text></clause><clause id="H3D6F55A4337F4D92A3AC29C511B0C990"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>employers in Haiti;</text></clause><clause id="H4D26D00089A949B989F3D3D569DF8101"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>workers in Haiti; and</text></clause><clause id="H2BAD54300D61416C971E253942C6F473"><enum>(v)</enum><text>labor unions in Haiti; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H0D3705FEB13840F6B6BF7E76FEA25476"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">shall consult with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate regarding the development and provision of technical assistance.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HF59EAA1BD2034FEDA5FF26CB2594CB87"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Priority</header><text>Technical assistance provided pursuant to this subsection shall focus on—</text><subparagraph id="H3B90D53373C84A7CA0FBD63D30E05FC2"><enum>(A)</enum><text>developing agricultural processing exports to the United States; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HCB061DC8ADD54F04864D2FC9F49ACCE8"><enum>(B)</enum><text>improving competitiveness and labor compliance in the apparel sector; </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H2FF31B7BEDF34D138C98A6675AEB938F"><enum>(C)</enum><text>improving key services that support the competitiveness of sectors with export potential to the United States; and </text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H40E4BB801AAA4E47A8D0E9722EFCED7D"><enum>(D)</enum><text>providing the institutional capacity for government, non-profit, and private sector bodies to increase and diversify exports to the United States.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H2A580DD308BF4889B13B9CFD2E1DAAA8"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Reports</header><subparagraph id="HEBFA706A150445EAB804D77700648A75" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The President shall include in each report required to be submitted to Congress under section 163(a) of the Trade Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/19/2213">19 U.S.C. 2213(a)</external-xref>) the following:</text><clause id="H183858FFBD7243E2A06E705C638141E3" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A description of the actions taken to provide technical assistance during the preceding calendar year, including metrics related to the outcomes achieved through such assistance.</text></clause><clause id="H704E197523AE4A159DB3586B498411EC" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A description of the actions taken regarding the participatory process under paragraph (3)(B) during the preceding calendar year, including an identification of the agencies, entities, and individuals specified in clauses (i) through (v) of paragraph (2)(B) that participated.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDD1CA3430CA8406FA02F724CF5761AFC"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Coordination</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The President shall seek to coordinate with the International Trade Center in carrying out this paragraph. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HB9534E282DFC448285F20117D049EC55"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this subsection—</text><subparagraph id="H3729BD15B5F94D758E9B176761D0F433"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the term <quote>International Trade Center</quote>—</text><clause id="H9CA64082343741A98CE2C5F6F4B79592"><enum>(i)</enum><text>means the joint agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Trade Organization, originally established by the Contracting Parties of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on March 19, 1964, and from January 1, 1968, operated jointly with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; and</text></clause><clause id="H55CA14C903D94B709217EC374016DF69"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">includes any subdivision, instrumentality, or designee thereof; and</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H990281E3AD244E8287B5BE2B49494CD6"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the term <quote>trade support institutions</quote> means key actors that support the export-oriented business climate, such as—</text><clause id="H7CCBB6AF23564E91B1B844794689EA8C"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the Haitian Ministry of Commerce and Industry; </text></clause><clause id="H2BF8A98A2A64493A99E19327FDA7CDD7"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and</text></clause><clause id="H244753BCE5D04BB5942B5AD5442DF338"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>trade promotion organizations.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section></legis-body></bill> 

