[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3020 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3020

   To exclude voyages to or from Puerto Rico from laws applicable to 
                            coastwise trade.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 6, 1996

Mr. Gutierrez (for himself, Ms. Velazquez, and Mr. Serrano) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on National 
                                Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To exclude voyages to or from Puerto Rico from laws applicable to 
                            coastwise trade.

    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 ``Puerto Rico Fair Trade Act of 
1996''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On October 30, 1995, the House of Representatives and 
        Senate of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico unanimously adopted a 
        concurrent resolution urging the United States Congress to 
        exclude Puerto Rico from the coastwise trade laws of the United 
        States.
            (2) Although Puerto Rico benefits from some Federal 
        programs, Puerto Rico is partially or totally excluded from the 
        benefits of other Federal programs.
            (3) The economy of Puerto Rico suffers from high levels of 
        unemployment and low rates of labor force participation and has 
        an average per-capita income level that is one-third of the 
        level in the United States.
            (4) Without voting representation in the United States 
        Congress, Puerto Rico was never consulted about and did not 
        approve of the inclusion of Puerto Rico under the coastwise 
        trade laws of the United States.
            (5) It has been estimated that the inclusion of Puerto Rico 
        under such coastwise trade laws costs the consumers and the 
        economy of Puerto Rico between $100,000,000 and $500,000,000 
        per year.

SEC. 3. EXCLUSION OF PUERTO RICO FROM COASTWISE TRADE LAWS.

    (a) In General.--Section 21 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 
U.S.C. App. 877) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``The 
coastwise laws of the United States shall not extend to Puerto Rico.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 U.S.C. 
        App. 883) is amended in the eighth proviso by striking ``the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico''.
            (2) Section 9 of the Act entitled ``An Act to Temporarily 
        provide revenues and a civil government of Porto Rico, and for 
        other purposes'' (48 U.S.C. 744) is repealed.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect 60 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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