,i #aadth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #djc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #af1 #bjae ,mr4 ,rangel 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,ellison1 ,ms4 ,lee1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,mr4 ,conyers1 ,mr4 ,peterson1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mr4 ,nolan1 ,mr4 ,polis1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,clay1 ,mr4 ,fattah1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 and ,ms4 ,schakowsky7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,ways and ,means1 ,energy and ,commerce1 the ,judiciary1 ,financial ,services1 ,oversight and ,government ,reform1 and ,agriculture1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to lift the trade embargo on ,cuba1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,free ,trade ,with ,cuba ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 with the end of the ,cold ,war and the collapse of the ,soviet ,union1 ,cuba is no longer a threat to the ,united ,states or the ,western ,hemisphere2 7#b7 the continuation of the embargo on trade between the ,united ,states and ,cuba that was declared in ,february of #aifb is counterproductive1 adding to the hardships of the ,cuban people while making the ,united ,states the scapegoat for the failures of the communist system2 7#c7 in the countries of the former ,soviet ,union and the former ,eastern bloc1 ,china1 and ,vietnam1 the ,united ,states is using economic1 cultural1 academic1 and scientific engagement to support its policy of promoting democratic and human rights reforms2 7#d7 the ,united ,states can best support democratic change in ,cuba by promoting trade and commerce1 travel1 communications1 and cultural1 academic1 and scientific exchanges2 and 7#e7 on ,december #ag1 #bjad1 the ,president announced new steps to increase travel1 commerce1 and the free flow of information to ,cuba1 and maintained that he looked forward to engaging ,congress about lifting the embargo4 #c4 ,removal of provisions restricting trade and other relations with ,cuba 7a7 ,authority for ,embargo and ,sugar ,quota ,section #fbj7;a7 of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcgj7;a77 is repealed4 7b7 ,trading ,with the ,enemy ,act ,the authorities conferred upon the ,president by section #e7;b7 of the ,trading ,with the ,enemy ,act1 which were being exercised with respect to ,cuba on ,july #a1 #aigg1 as a result of a national emergency declared by the ,president before that date1 and are being exercised on the day before the effective date of this ,act1 may not be exercised on or after such effective date with respect to ,cuba4 ,any regulations in effect on the day before such effective date pursuant to the exercise of such authorities shall cease to be effective on such date4 7c7 ,exercise of ,authorities ,under ,other ,provisions of ,law 7#a7 ,removal of prohibitions ,any prohibition on exports to ,cuba that is in effect on the day before the effective date of this ,act under the ,export ,administration ,act of #aigi 7as continued in effect under the ,international ,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act7 shall cease to be effective on such effective date4 7#b7 ,authority for new restrictions ,the ,president may1 on and after the effective date of this ,act-- 7,a7 impose export controls with respect to ,cuba under section #e1 #f7;j71 #f7l71 or #f7m7 of the ,export ,administration ,act of #aigi 7as continued in effect under the ,international ,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act72 and 7,b7 exercise the authorities the ,president has under the ,international ,emergency ,economic ,powers ,act with respect to ,cuba pursuant to a declaration of national emergency required by that ,act that is made on account of an unusual and extraordinary threat1 that did not exist before the enactment of this ,act1 to the national security1 foreign policy1 or economy of the ,united ,states4 7d7 ,cuban ,democracy ,act ,the ,cuban ,democracy ,act of #aiib 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #fjja and following7 is repealed4 7e7 ,repeal of ,cuban ,liberty and ,democratic ,solidarity 7,,libertad7 ,act of #aiif 7#a7 ,repeal ,the ,cuban ,liberty and ,democratic ,solidarity 7,,libertad7 ,act of #aiif is repealed4 7#b7 ,conforming amendments 7,a7 ,section #dih;,a of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bbie;a7 is amended-- 7i7 in subsection 7a77#aa71 by striking and intelligence facilities1 including the military and intelligence facilities at ,lourdes and ,cienfuegos1 and inserting facilities12 7ii7 in subsection 7b7-- 7,i7 in paragraph 7#d71 by adding or after the semicolon2 7,,ii7 by striking paragraph 7#e72 and 7,,iii7 by redesignating paragraph 7#f7 as paragraph 7#e72 and 7iii7 by striking subsection 7d74 7,b7 ,section #dih;,b7k7 of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bbie;b7k77 is amended by striking paragraphs 7#c7 and 7#d74 7,c7 ,section #afaa of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by striking subsection 7c74 7,d7 ,sections #ead and #eae of the ,international ,claims ,settlement ,act of #aidi 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #afdcl and #afdcm7 are repealed4 7f7 ,trade ,sanctions ,reform and ,export ,enhancement ,act of #bjjj ,the ,trade ,sanctions ,reform and ,export ,enhancement ,act of #bjjj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gbja et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #ijf7;a77#a7 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gbje7;a77#a77-- 7,a7 by striking ,cuba12 and 7,b7 by inserting 7other than ,cuba7 after to the government of a country2 7#b7 in section #ijh 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gbjg7-- 7,a7 by striking subsection 7b72 7,b7 in subsection 7a7-- 7i7 by striking ,prohibition and all that follows through 7#a7 ,in general4--,notwithstanding and inserting ,in ,general4--,notwithstanding2 7ii7 by striking for exports to ,cuba or2 7iii7 by striking paragraph 7#b72 and 7iv7 by redesignating paragraph 7#c7 as subsection 7b7 7and conforming the margin accordingly72 and 7,c7 in subsection 7b7 7as redesignated71 by striking paragraph 7#a7 and inserting subsection 7a72 7#c7 by striking section #iji 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gbjh72 7#d7 by striking section #iaj 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #gbji72 and 7#e7 by redesignating section #iaa as section #iji4 7g7 ,repeal of ,prohibition on ,transactions or ,payments ,with ,respect to ,certain ,united ,states ,intellectual ,property ,section #baa of the ,department of ,commerce and ,related ,agencies ,appropriations ,act1 #aiii 7as contained in section #aja7;b7 of division ,a of ,public ,law #aje-bgg2 #aab ,stat4 #bfha-hh7 is repealed4 7h7 ,termination of ,denial of ,foreign ,tax ,credit ,with ,respect to ,cuba ,subparagraph 7,a7 of section #ija7;j77#b7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf 7relating to denial of foreign tax credit1 etc41 with respect to certain foreign countries7 is amended by adding at the end the following new flush sentence3 ,notwithstanding the preceding sentence1 this subsection shall not apply to ,cuba after the date that is #fj days after the date of the enactment of this sentence4 4 7i7 ,sugar ,quota ,prohibition ,under ,food ,security ,act of #aihe ,section #ijb7;c7 of the ,food ,security ,act of #aihe is repealed4 #d4 ,telecommunications equipment and facilities ,any common carrier within the meaning of section #c of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aec7 is authorized to install1 maintain1 and repair telecommunications equipment and facilities in ,cuba1 and otherwise provide telecommunications services between the ,united ,states and ,cuba4 ,the authority of this section includes the authority to upgrade facilities and equipment4 #e4 ,travel 7a7 ,in ,general ,travel to and from ,cuba by individuals who are citizens or residents of the ,united ,states1 and any transactions ordinarily incident to such travel1 may not be regulated or prohibited if such travel would be lawful in the ,united ,states4 7b7 ,transactions ,incident to ,travel ,any transactions ordinarily incident to travel that may not be regulated or prohibited under subsection 7a7 include1 but are not limited to-- 7#a7 any transactions ordinarily incident to travel to or from ,cuba1 including the importation into ,cuba or the ,united ,states of accompanied baggage for personal use only2 7#b7 any transactions ordinarily incident to travel or maintenance within ,cuba1 including the payment of living expenses and the acquisition of goods or services for personal use2 7#c7 any transactions ordinarily incident to the arrangement1 promotion1 or facilitation of travel to1 from1 or within ,cuba2 7#d7 any transactions incident to nonscheduled air1 sea1 or land voyages1 except that this paragraph does not authorize the carriage of articles into ,cuba or the ,united ,states except accompanied baggage2 and 7#e7 normal banking transactions incident to the activities described in the preceding provisions of this subsection1 including the issuance1 clearing1 processing1 or payment of checks1 drafts1 travelers checks1 credit or debit card instruments1 or similar instruments4 #f4 ,direct mail delivery to ,cuba ,the ,united ,states ,postal ,service shall take such actions as are necessary to provide direct mail service to and from ,cuba1 including1 in the absence of common carrier service between the #b countries1 the use of charter providers4 #g4 ,negotiations with ,cuba 7a7 ,negotiations ,the ,president should take all necessary steps to conduct negotiations with the ,government of ,cuba-- 7#a7 for the purpose of settling claims of nationals of the ,united ,states against the ,government of ,cuba for the taking of property by such government2 and 7#b7 for the purpose of securing the protection of internationally recognized human rights4 7b7 ,definitions ,as used in this section1 the terms national of the ,united ,states and property have the meanings given those terms in section #ejb of the ,international ,claims ,settlement ,act of #aidi 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #afdc;a74 #h4 ,effective date ,this ,act and the amendments made by this ,act shall take effect on the #fjth day after the date of the enactment of this ,act4