[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 402 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 402
To make an exception to the United States embargo on trade with Cuba
for the export of agricultural commodities, medicines, medical
supplies, medical instruments, or medical equipment, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 27, 2001
Mr. Baucus (for himself, Mr. Roberts, and Mrs. Lincoln) introduced the
following bill, which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To make an exception to the United States embargo on trade with Cuba
for the export of agricultural commodities, medicines, medical
supplies, medical instruments, or medical equipment, and for other
purposes.
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 ``Cuban Humanitarian Trade Act of
2001''.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO EMBARGO AUTHORITY IN THE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF
1961.
Section 620(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2370(a)(1)) is amended by inserting striking the period at the end of
the second sentence and inserting the following: ``, except that any
such embargo shall not apply with respect to the export of any
agricultural commodity, medicines, medical supplies, medical
instruments, or medical equipment, or with respect to travel incident
to the delivery of agricultural commodities, medicines, medical
supplies, medical instruments, or medical equipment. As used in this
paragraph, the terms `agricultural commodity' and `medicine' have the
meanings given those terms in section 9 of the Cuban Humanitarian Trade
Act of 2001.''.
SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON EXISTING RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE WITH CUBA.
Upon the enactment of this Act, any regulation, proclamation, or
provision of law, including Presidential Proclamation 3447 of February
3, 1962, the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. 730 and
following), and the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (31 C.F.R. 515),
that prohibits exports to Cuba or transactions involving exports to
Cuba and that is in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act,
shall not apply with respect to the export to Cuba of agricultural
commodities, medicines, medical supplies, medical instruments, or
medical equipment, or with respect to travel incident to the delivery
of agricultural commodities, medicines, medical supplies, medical
instruments, or medical equipment.
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON THE FUTURE EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY.
After the enactment of this Act, the President may not restrict the
exportation to Cuba of agricultural commodities, medicines, medical
supplies, medical instruments, or medical equipment--
(1) under the Export Administration Act of 1979, except to
the extent such restrictions would be permitted under section 5
of that Act for goods containing parts or components on which
export controls are in effect under that section; or
(2) under section 203 of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act, except to the extent the authorities under
that section are exercised to restrict the export of medical
instruments or medical equipment to deal with a threat to the
national security of the United States by virtue of the
technology incorporated in such instruments or equipment.
SEC. 5. OTHER PROVISIONS OF LAW; CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000.--
(1) Inapplicability.--The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export
Enhancement Act of 2000 (title IX of H.R. 5426, as enacted into
law by section 1(a) of Public Law 106-387, and as contained in
the appendix of such Public Law) shall not apply with respect
to exports to Cuba of agricultural commodities, medicines,
medical supplies, medical instruments, or medical equipment.
(2) Conforming amendments.--The Trade Sanctions Reform and
Export Enhancement Act of 2000 is amended--
(A) in section 906(a)(1)--
(i) by striking ``to Cuba or''; and
(ii) by inserting ``(other than Cuba)''
after ``to the government of a country'';
(B) in section 908--
(i) by striking subsection (b);
(ii) in subsection (a)--
(I) by striking ``Prohibition'' and
all that follows through ``(1) In
general.--'' and inserting ``In
general.--'';
(II) by striking ``for exports to
Cuba or'';
(III) by striking paragraph (2);
and
(IV) by redesignating paragraph (3)
as subsection (b) (and conforming the
margin accordingly); and
(iii) in subsection (b) (as redesignated),
by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting
``subsection (a)'';
(C) by striking section 910; and
(D) by redesignating section 911 as section 910.
(b) Sanctions Under Cuban Democracy Act of 1992.--
(1) Inapplicability.--Section 1706(b) of the Cuban
Democracy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 6005(b); prohibiting certain
vessels from entering United States ports) shall not apply with
respect to vessels that transport agricultural commodities,
medicines, medical supplies, medical instruments, or medical
equipment to Cuba, or that transport persons whose travel is
incident to the delivery of agricultural commodities,
medicines, medical supplies, medical instruments, or medical
equipment to Cuba.
(2) Conforming amendments.--(A) Section 1705 of the Cuban
Democracy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 6004) is amended--
(i) in subsection (b)--
(I) in the subsection caption by striking
``, Donations'' and inserting ``, Exports'';
and
(II) by striking ``donations of food to
nongovernmental organizations or individuals in
Cuba'' and inserting ``exports of agricultural
commodities to Cuba'';
(ii) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
``(c) Exports of Medicines and Medical Supplies to Cuba.--Exports
of medicines, medical supplies, medical instruments, or medical
equipment to Cuba shall not be restricted--
``(1) except to the extent such restrictions would be
permitted--
``(A) under section 5 of the Export Administration
Act of 1979 for goods containing parts or components on
which export controls are in effect under that section;
or
``(B) under clause (A), (B), or (C) of section
203(b)(2) of the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act;
``(2) except in a case in which there is a reasonable
likelihood that the item to be exported will be used for
purposes of torture or other human rights abuses;
``(3) except in a case in which there is a reasonable
likelihood that the item to be exported will be reexported; and
``(4) except in a case in which the item to be exported
could be used in the production of any bio-technological
product.
Before imposing restrictions under this subsection, the President shall
submit to the Congress a report describing the restrictions to be
imposed and the reasons for the restrictions.''; and
(iii) by striking subsection (d) and redesignating
subsections (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (d), (e),
and (f), respectively.
(B) Section 1704(b)(2)(C)(i) of the Cuban Democracy Act of
1992 (22 U.S.C. 6003(b)(2)(C)(i)) is amended to read as
follows:
``(i) exports of agricultural commodities
to Cuba; or''.
(C) Section 1704 of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 (22
U.S.C. 6003) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Definitions.--As used in this section and section 1705, the
terms `agricultural commodity' and `medicine' have the meanings given
those terms in section 9 of the Cuban Humanitarian Trade Act of 2001.''
SEC. 6. APPLICATION OF DENIAL OF FOREIGN TAX CREDIT WITH RESPECT TO
CUBA.
Subparagraph (A) of section 901(j)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 (relating to denial of foreign tax credit, etc., with respect
to certain foreign countries) is amended by adding at the end thereof
the following new flush sentence:
``Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, this
subsection shall not apply to Cuba with respect to
income, war profits, or excess profits taxes paid to
Cuba that are attributable to activities with respect
to articles permitted to be exported to Cuba, or travel
incident thereto that is permitted, by virtue of the
enactment of the Cuban Humanitarian Trade Act of 2001.
The preceding sentence shall apply after the date which
is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this
sentence.''
SEC. 7. PROHIBITION ON LIMITING ANNUAL REMITTANCES.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the
Secretary of the Treasury may not limit the amount of remittances to
Cuba that may be made by any person who is subject to the jurisdiction
of the United States, and the Secretary shall rescind all regulations
in effect on the date of enactment of this Act that so limit the amount
of those remittances.
(b) Statutory Construction.--Nothing in subsection (a) may be
construed to prohibit the prosecution or conviction of any person
committing an offense described in section 1956 of title 18, United
States Code (relating to the laundering of monetary instruments) or
section 1957 of such title (relating to engaging in monetary
transactions in property derived from specific unlawful activity).
SEC. 8. INAPPLICABILITY OF OTHER RESTRICTIONS.
This Act and the amendments made by this Act apply notwithstanding
section 102(h) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity
(LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 6032(h)).
SEC. 9. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the President shall transmit to the Congress a report that sets
forth--
(1) the extent (expressed in volume and dollar amounts) of
sales to Cuba of agricultural commodities, medicines, medical
supplies, medical instruments, and medical equipment, since the
enactment of this Act;
(2) a description of the types and end users of the goods
so exported; and
(3) whether there has been any indication that any
medicines, medical supplies, medical instruments, or medical
equipment exported to Cuba since the enactment of this Act--
(A) have been used for purposes of torture or other
human rights abuses;
(B) were reexported; or
(C) were used in the production of any bio-
technological product.
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Agricultural commodity.--The term ``agricultural
commodity''--
(A) has the meaning given the term in section 102
of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602);
and
(B) includes fertilizer.
(2) Medicine.--The term ``medicine'' has the meaning given
the term ``drug'' in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 7321).
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