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<bill bill-type="olc" bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-MDM23201-D7F-2F-376"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>104 S538 IS: Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2023-02-27</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">II</distribution-code><congress>118th CONGRESS</congress><session>1st Session</session><legis-num>S. 538</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20230227">February 27, 2023</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S350">Mr. Rubio</sponsor> (for himself, <cosponsor name-id="S355">Mr. Cruz</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="S404">Mr. Scott of Florida</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSFR00">Committee on Foreign Relations</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To prohibit the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism until Cuba satisfies certain conditions, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body style="OLC" display-enacting-clause="yes-display-enacting-clause" id="HE5BF9C71D1514EB198CE2010B6FE1308"><section section-type="section-one" id="HB2025F3B1CB94EA2AEAB1FE20A49D3C1"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short titles</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Fighting Oppression until the Reign of Castro Ends Act</short-title></quote> or the <quote><short-title>FORCE Act</short-title></quote>. </text></section><section id="id5E569ED1E4C341D3B653FB91FF0983F6"><enum>2.</enum><header>Statement of policy</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">It shall be the policy of the United States—</text><paragraph id="id43259168cc2e4d349ec66cddbfc84317"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to support the Cuban people’s desire to hold free and fair elections, which are supervised by respected international observers that respect the people of Cuba’s desire for freedom and democracy;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ide939a115c1f74546918660a7586c940e"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to encourage the international community to raise their voices in support of the Cuban people’s desire to live freely; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9510d20ba42049738cb9055d4e034b06" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(3)</enum><text>to demand the release of all political prisoners in Cuba. </text></paragraph></section><section id="H20FC4FAEE11342C090C71FC676E51359"><enum>3.</enum><header>Prohibition on removal</header><subsection id="H160F67518E034D7EB247BB454A83DB38"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of law, neither the President nor the Secretary of State may remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism until the President makes the determination described in section 205 of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/6065">22 U.S.C. 6065</external-xref>).</text></subsection><subsection id="H892AC919445740EFB5E8598BF73EEA16"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Defined term</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section, the term <term>state sponsor of terrorism</term> means a country the government of which the Secretary of State determines has repeatedly provided support for international terrorism pursuant to—</text><paragraph id="H9B1527A12F9941728CAC3B642044D709"><enum>(1)</enum><text>section 1754(c)(1)(A) of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/4318">50 U.S.C. 4318(c)(1)(A)</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H14CBEC9AA774439CB36DD18626DC42A5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/2371">22 U.S.C. 2371</external-xref>);</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H5C98FDCA4D2E42B2A987F2E6FEB1544C"><enum>(3)</enum><text>section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/2780">22 U.S.C. 2780</external-xref>); or</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H4A15E747B4CD485D939CFD1E599167EF"><enum>(4)</enum><text>any other provision of law.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id7742a5cb5bea4cd0b0a00672f0be0b6a"><enum>4.</enum><header>Report</header><subsection id="id320ed38fdf324e6e8101b322a6b823a6"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit a report to the <committee-name committee-id="SSFR00">Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate</committee-name>, the <committee-name committee-id="SLIN00">Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate</committee-name>, the <committee-name committee-id="">Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives</committee-name>, and the <committee-name committee-id="">Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives</committee-name> that identifies all terrorists and fugitives who—</text><paragraph id="id9BD88BCD02744BCF82501979E829939D"><enum>(1)</enum><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id8459F3E80D294920B9B8D12F4AAF6F02"><enum>(A)</enum><text>have been convicted for a terrorism-related offense in a United States court;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id6967456A52774BF2AC10B3B5162EB6CD" indent="up1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>fled the United States after being indicted for a terrorism-related offense, but before standing trial; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph indent="up1" id="idAB3DA969BD7840559DB82A1AAF058DF9"><enum>(C)</enum><text>are members of a foreign terrorist organization; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7F0964BED26841059CADB454B0ED7C30"><enum>(2)</enum><text>are being provided safe haven in Cuba. </text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id1ec6b7c9033b4abbbbee9a4610429b39"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Form</header><text>Each report submitted under this section shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. </text></subsection></section><section id="id4DAF8728F8CB45AABF3AF465A258D7FC" commented="no"><enum>5.</enum><header>Prohibition of financial transactions benefitting the Cuban regime</header><subsection id="id26766052947843509CC7B2A9EDE1CA0D" commented="no"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>No person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States may engage in a direct financial transaction, including electronic remittances, with any entity or subentity that the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, determines to be under the control of, or acting for or on behalf of, the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services or personnel with which direct financial transactions would disproportionately benefit such services or personnel at the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba.</text></subsection><subsection id="id599a491aa6554476afc48b1578dd0f42" commented="no"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Sense of Congress regarding sanctions</header><text>It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Treasury should expand and tighten sanctions programs to ensure beneficial ownership disclosure and material support clauses to penalize tax havens for entities used by sanctioned countries, as was recently disclosed in the OpenLux investigation of the Cuban military’s use of destinations such as Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Hong Kong.</text></subsection></section><section id="idcb80b134c91b43dd8790d7d0ce492268"><enum>6.</enum><header>Implementation</header><subsection id="id1D83F917EE914E5E8FE03C6CCE63BAA8"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Update and publication of entity list</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall—</text><paragraph id="id57cb849ac86549a0807fed1d10eb3730" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in furtherance of the regulatory changes described in this section, identify the entities or subentities, as appropriate, that are under the control of, or act for or on behalf of, the Cuban military, intelligence, or security services or personnel, including GAESA, its affiliates, subsidiaries, and successors;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id267883cf9476403392c86debbb1dcfd0" commented="no"><enum>(2)</enum><text>update a list of the entities and subentities identified pursuant to paragraph (1) with which direct financial transactions would disproportionately benefit such services or personnel at the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="ida398de4d79934f95aa6a019d9a2adf99" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><text>make the list updated pursuant to paragraph (2) available to the public.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id2f0a12db1d49464889e7570edd51255d"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Limitation</header><paragraph id="id53a6987a672a43b4b97aa356c9fcee80"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Prohibited transactions</header><text>Except as provided in subsection (a) and section 8, the regulatory changes described in this section shall prohibit direct financial transactions with any entity or subentity on the list updated pursuant to subsection (a)(2).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id212e4fe34ed847bca24462be70807d7c"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Allowed transactions</header><text>The regulatory changes described in this section may not prohibit any transaction that the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of State, determines is consistent with the policy of the United States, including transactions concerning—</text><subparagraph id="idb30c96cbecea4b35adc6f10881217c46"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Federal Government operations, including operations at the Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay and at the United States mission in Havana;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id20a6c8c9284a43c99f32c26a7d4533ff"><enum>(B)</enum><text>programs seeking to build democracy in Cuba;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id0644a3261dd34cdc9c81452701e42db8"><enum>(C)</enum><text>air and sea operations that support permissible travel, cargo, or trade;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id84a7d801aa7c41ba9864e74b60a4366c"><enum>(D)</enum><text>the acquisition of visas for permissible travel;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida15604ce09764309a5066741e8752c7d"><enum>(E)</enum><text>the expansion of direct telecommunications and internet access for the Cuban people;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idaf2fe68740d34041851aa03a5c8ea686"><enum>(F)</enum><text>the sale of agricultural commodities, medicines, and medical devices sold to Cuba in accordance with the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/7201">22 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.</external-xref>) and the Cuban Democracy Act of 2002 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/22/6001">22 U.S.C. 6001 et seq.</external-xref>);</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida072d21777704d368c7c03c172aa6566"><enum>(G)</enum><text>sending, processing, or receiving authorized remittances that do not wholly, or in any part, benefit any entity or subentity on the list updated pursuant to subsection (a)(2);</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4877f609ceef4bb19079aa5074b9e1e1"><enum>(H)</enum><text>furthering the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idd060b3c842cf42a9ac527dee5a6a4cf4"><enum>(I)</enum><text>any other activity that is required by law.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id6c22be837f7149fc92ca7cc72cecc5ef" commented="no"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Protection of national interests</header><text>Any activity conducted pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) shall be carried out in a manner that furthers the national interests of the United States, including by appropriately protecting sensitive sources, methods, and operations of the Federal Government. </text></subsection></section><section id="idbf5a07cb25fc41b1a8105c12f1173403"><enum>7.</enum><header>Reporting requirements</header><subsection id="idaf74cbcf72374284a5c99fe6edecf2a9"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Defined term</header><text>In this section, the term <term>appropriate congressional committees</term> means—</text><paragraph id="id0e4c6030f7fe42bab17af8bb0280201d"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the <committee-name committee-id="SSFR00">Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate</committee-name>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idA6BDB0727A9449BE90372EE9E40942C1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the <committee-name committee-id="SLIN00">Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate</committee-name>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id33C4183032A44F02B1604FA235213AE7"><enum>(3)</enum><text>the <committee-name committee-id="SSGA00">Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate</committee-name>;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id0476CA8D6588400BB4CC9062D5275DAE"><enum>(4)</enum><text>the <committee-name committee-id="">Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives</committee-name>; </text></paragraph><paragraph id="id6DC5BE806B0A41CE96A113AC4A122B22"><enum>(5)</enum><text>the <committee-name committee-id="">Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives</committee-name>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idDE803E31FB0442B387F08085606A5B12"><enum>(6)</enum><text>the <committee-name committee-id="">Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives</committee-name>.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id086a3a84a48a4b3089defd1ce91847bc"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Report on the involvement of Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro, and Miguel Díaz-Canel in public corruption and other illicit activities</header><text>Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, acting through the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of State, and in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes—</text><paragraph id="idda643e89ba46485ca4fef2d405034306"><enum>(1)</enum><text>significant acts of public corruption in Cuba that—</text><subparagraph id="id85a3f11308d442dcb8414c81742ccf87"><enum>(A)</enum><text>involve—</text><clause id="id4d31f93e4bb24fc09b215cf8e8897d85"><enum>(i)</enum><text>members of El Partido Comunista de Cuba; or</text></clause><clause id="idde2d24860f7b4868a93fa8a21ed90564"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>senior officials of the Cuban regime, including members of La Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular, GAESA, and the Ministerio del Interior;</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4a8d37a4ba824dd794480bfb431f5d0c"><enum>(B)</enum><text>pose challenges for United States national security and regional stability;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id866121ece51f4285bd241890d97aef6d"><enum>(C)</enum><text>impede the realization of freedom of expression; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id3f3668e4a3394a058a5b2db4499aa0d1"><enum>(D)</enum><text>infringe upon the fundamental freedoms of civil society and political opponents in Cuba; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idced5e68446ef4c7281fb7107b12218fc"><enum>(2)</enum><text>activities of the Maduro regime in Venezuela taking place in Cuba, including—</text><subparagraph id="iddbbf47ea18d649cb9db85064961986e5"><enum>(A)</enum><text>cooperation between Venezuela and Cuba’s military personnel, intelligence services, and security forces;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1f8aec4bb14844368d2320144af8c317"><enum>(B)</enum><text>cooperation related to telecommunications and satellite navigation;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id02f62b7882bf4119a1112a1b3f6ea60c"><enum>(C)</enum><text>other political and economic cooperation with the Government of Cuba; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idb5d4d8b3aefb4c2aa8974ddb2941c674"><enum>(D)</enum><text>the threats and risks that such activities pose to United States national interests and national security.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idfbcc27d016b64ccf8287f955cd7a62f4" commented="no"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Notification of any engagement of the United States with Cuba</header><text>The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of any engagement of the United States with Cuba not later than 14 days after such engagement to ensure that such engagement is advancing the interests of the United States.</text></subsection></section><section id="id44e1ea23456d40489cebfde5abeacb40"><enum>8.</enum><header>Termination</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The limitation set forth in section 6(b)(1) shall terminate on the date that is 90 days after the date on which the President certifies to Congress that the Government of Cuba—</text><paragraph id="idc6521f38366640ae9963f3a695f7bbae" commented="no"><enum>(1)</enum><text>has taken the necessary steps to begin an electoral process that is transparent, free, and fair in accordance with sections 205 and 206 of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/104/114">Public Law 104–114</external-xref>); and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id01cd82f7ec8f4a5588c88458a42b4199" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><text>has met the requirements for the termination of the economic embargo set forth in section 204 of such Act. </text></paragraph></section></legis-body></bill> 

