[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1704 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1704

To decrease dependency on People's Republic of China manufacturing and 
    decrease migration due to lost regional economic opportunities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 22, 2023

  Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself and Mr. McCaul) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To decrease dependency on People's Republic of China manufacturing and 
    decrease migration due to lost regional economic opportunities.

    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 ``Latin America and Caribbean 
Nearshoring Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS; STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United 
States has economic and national security interests in securing the 
critical mineral and energy supply chains of Latin American and 
Caribbean countries from control and influence by the People's Republic 
of China.
    (b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States 
to--
            (1) advance United States foreign policy and development 
        goals by assisting Latin American and Caribbean countries to 
        reduce their dependence on critical mineral and energy supply 
        chains controlled or influenced by the People's Republic of 
        China;
            (2) promote private sector-led long-term economic 
        development, economic competitiveness and promoting good 
        governance, human rights, and the rule of law in Latin American 
        and Caribbean countries, particularly in the areas of 
        investment, sustainable development, commercial relations, 
        anti-corruption activities, and infrastructure projects;
            (3) encourage United States public and private sector 
        investment in energy infrastructure projects of such countries 
        to bridge the gap between energy security requirements and 
        commercial demand in a way that is consistent with the region's 
        absorptive capacity;
            (4) encourage United States public and private sector 
        investment in critical mineral mining and refining of such 
        countries; and
            (5) help facilitate the export of United States energy 
        technology and expertise to global markets.

SEC. 3. EFFORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND RELATED AGENCIES.

    The Secretary of State, in coordination with the heads of United 
States agencies that operate under the foreign policy guidance of the 
Secretary of State, shall, as appropriate, prioritize and expedite the 
efforts of the Department of State and such agencies--
            (1) to support efforts of Latin American and Caribbean 
        countries to secure their critical mineral and energy supply 
        chains from control and influence by the People's Republic of 
        China; and
            (2) to otherwise carry out the policy described in section 
        2(b).

SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE FROM THE UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
              FINANCE CORPORATION.

    (a) In General.--The United States International Development 
Finance Corporation, in coordination with the Federal agencies and 
officials described in subsection (b), shall provide assistance under 
section 1421 of the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to 
Development Act of 2018 (22 U.S.C. 9621) for each fiscal year beginning 
after the date of the enactment of this Act--
            (1) to support efforts of Latin American and Caribbean 
        countries to secure their critical mineral and energy supply 
        chains from control and influence by the People's Republic of 
        China; and
            (2) to otherwise carry out the policy described in section 
        2(b).
    (b) Federal Agencies and Officials Described.--The Federal agencies 
and officials described in this subsection include--
            (1) the United States Trade and Development Agency, the 
        Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Millenium 
        Challenge Corporation, the United States Army Corps of 
        Engineers, and the United States Agency for International 
        Development; and
            (2) the United States Executive Directors of relevant 
        international financial institutions, including the World Bank 
        Group, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the 
        International Monetary Fund.
    (c) Exceptions.--In providing assistance described in subsection 
(a)--
            (1) the United States International Development Finance 
        Corporation may provide support for projects in Latin American 
        and Caribbean countries with upper-middle-income economies or 
        high-income economies (as those terms are defined by the 
        International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the 
        International Development Association (collectively referred to 
        as the ``World Bank'')); and
            (2) the restriction under section 1412(c)(2) of the Better 
        Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018 
        (22 U.S.C. 9612(c)(2)) shall not apply.
    (d) Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the United States International Development Finance 
Corporation shall develop and submit to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate a plan to streamline the provision of 
assistance described in subsection (a), including to expedite the 
approval process for the provision of such assistance.

SEC. 5. AGREEMENTS FOR COOPERATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 123 OF THE 
              ATOMIC ENERGY ACT OF 1954.

    (a) In General.--The President is authorized to take action to 
initiate negotiations with any Latin American or Caribbean country to 
obtain an agreement for cooperation pursuant to section 123 of the 
Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2153) to approve the sale of 
nuclear reactors to such country but only if--
            (1) the President determines that such sale will not 
        threaten the national security of the United States; and
            (2) the country meets the conditions described in 
        paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (c).
    (b) Technical Assistance and Expertise.--The Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Energy and the United States International 
Development Finance Corporation, may provide technical assistance and 
expertise in electrical grid and energy efficiency improvements related 
to sales under subsection (a), as appropriate.
    (c) Conditions Described.--The conditions described in this 
subsection are the following:
            (1) The country is taking steps to reduce migration in 
        violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
            (2) The country is taking steps to reduce economic 
        dependence on the People's Republic of China.
            (3) The country allows Taiwan to establish and maintain a 
        commercial office in the country.

SEC. 6. LATIN AMERICAN OR CARIBBEAN COUNTRY DEFINED.

    (a) In General.--In this Act, the term ``Latin American or 
Caribbean country''--
            (1) means--
                    (A) a country in the Caribbean Sea, South America, 
                or Central America; and
                    (B) Mexico; and
            (2) except as provided in subsection (b), does not include 
        Cuba or Venezuela.
    (b) Exception.--The term ``Latin American or Caribbean country'' 
shall include Cuba or Venezuela if the Secretary of State determines 
and certifies to Congress that--
            (1) the government of such country--
                    (A) has held free and fair presidential and 
                legislative elections, as determined by independent 
                international observers, and subsequent elections are 
                scheduled;
                    (B) respects and upholds human rights;
                    (C) is taking significant steps to privatize its 
                economy and institute a free market;
                    (D) permits the international community to provide 
                humanitarian, governance, and economic development 
                assistance;
                    (E) has freed all unlawfully detained United States 
                citizens, legal permanent residents, and political 
                prisoners; and
                    (F) has expelled all security services from foreign 
                adversaries from the country; and
            (2) the prior authorities of such country have renounced 
        their illegitimate claim to power.
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