Free Trade With Cuba Act

Summary: Free Trade With Cuba Act Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to repeal the embargo on trade with Cuba. Prohibits the exercise by the President with respect to Cuba of certain authorities conferred by the Trading With the Enemy Act and exercised on July 1, 1977, as a result of a specified national emergency. Makes ineffective any prohibition on exports to Cuba under the Export Administration Act of 1979. Authorizes the President to impose export controls with respect to Cuba and exercise certain authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act only on account of an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security that did not exist before enactment of this Act. Repeals: (1) the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, (2) the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, (3) the prohibition under the Food Security Act of 1985 against allocation of the annual sugar quota to any country unless its officials verify that it does not import for reexport to the United States any sugar produced in Cuba, and (4) the prohibition under the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 on transactions or payments respecting certain U.S. intellectual property. Amends the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism subject to agricultural and medical export restrictions. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate the denial of foreign tax credit with respect to Cuba. Authorizes common carriers to install and repair telecommunications equipment and facilities in Cuba, and otherwise provide telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba. Prohibits regulation or banning of travel to and from Cuba by U.S. citizens or residents, or of any transactions incident to travel. Directs the U.S. Postal Service to provide direct mail service to and from Cuba. Urges the President to take all necessary steps to conduct negotiations with the Government of Cuba to: (1) settle claims of U.S. nationals against Cuba for the taking of property, and (2) secure protection of internationally recognized human rights.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Free Trade With Cuba Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) with the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the 
        Soviet Union, Cuba is no longer a threat to the United States 
        or the Western Hemisphere;
            (2) the continuation of the embargo on trade between the 
        United States and Cuba that was declared in February of 1962 is 
        counterproductive, adding to the hardships of the Cuban people 
        while making the United States the scapegoat for the failures 
        of the communist system;
            (3) in the countries of the former Soviet Union and the 
        former Eastern bloc, China, and Vietnam, the United States is 
        using economic, cultural, academic, and scientific engagement 
        to support its policy of promoting democratic and human rights 
        reforms;
            (4) the United States can best support democratic change in 
        Cuba by promoting trade and commerce, travel, communications, 
        and cultural, academic, and scientific exchanges; and
            (5) on December 17, 2014, the President announced new steps 
        to increase travel, commerce, and the free flow of information 
        to Cuba, and maintained that he looked forward to engaging 
        Congress about lifting the embargo.

SEC. 3. REMOVAL OF PROVISIONS RESTRICTING TRADE AND OTHER RELATIONS 
              WITH CUBA.

    (a) Authority for Embargo and Sugar Quota.--Section 620(a) of the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2370(a)) is repealed.
    (b) Trading With the Enemy Act.--The authorities conferred upon the 
President by section 5(b) of the Trading With the Enemy Act, which were 
being exercised with respect to Cuba on July 1, 1977, as a result of a 
national emergency declared by the President before that date, and are 
being exercised on the day before the effective date of this Act, may 
not be exercised on or after such effective date with respect to Cuba. 
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 date.
    (c) Exercise of Authorities Under Other Provisions of Law.--
            (1) 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 1979 (as 
        continued in effect under the International Emergency Economic 
        Powers Act) shall cease to be effective on such effective date.
            (2) Authority for new restrictions.--The President may, on 
        and after the effective date of this Act--
                    (A) impose export controls with respect to Cuba 
                under section 5, 6(j), 6(l), or 6(m) of the Export 
                Administration Act of 1979 (as continued in effect 
                under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act); 
                and
                    (B) 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 threat, that 
                did not exist before the enactment of this Act, to the 
                national security, foreign policy, or economy of the 
                United States.
    (d) Cuban Democracy Act.--The Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 (22 
U.S.C. 6001 and following) is repealed.
    (e) Repeal of Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) 
Act of 1996.--
            (1) Repeal.--The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity 
        (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 is repealed.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--(A) Section 498A of the Foreign 
        Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2295a) is amended--
                    (i) in subsection (a)(11), by striking ``and 
                intelligence facilities, including the military and 
                intelligence facilities at Lourdes and Cienfuegos,'' 
                and inserting ``facilities,'';
                    (ii) in subsection (b)--
                            (I) in paragraph (4), by adding ``or'' 
                        after the semicolon;
                            (II) by striking paragraph (5); and
                            (III) by redesignating paragraph (6) as 
                        paragraph (5); and
                    (iii) by striking subsection (d).
            (B) Section 498B(k) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
        (22 U.S.C. 2295b(k)) is amended by striking paragraphs (3) and 
        (4).
            (C) Section 1611 of title 28, United States Code, is 
        amended by striking subsection (c).
            (D) Sections 514 and 515 of the International Claims 
        Settlement Act of 1949 (22 U.S.C. 1643l and 1643m) are 
        repealed.
    (f) Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000.--The 
Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
7201 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 906(a)(1) (22 U.S.C. 7205(a)(1))--
                    (A) by striking ``Cuba,''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``(other than Cuba)'' after ``to 
                the government of a country'';
            (2) in section 908 (22 U.S.C. 7207)--
                    (A) by striking subsection (b);
                    (B) in subsection (a)--
                            (i) by striking ``Prohibition'' and all 
                        that follows through ``(1) In general.--
                        Notwithstanding'' and inserting ``In General.--
                        Notwithstanding'';
                            (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
                    (C) in subsection (b) (as redesignated), by 
                striking ``paragraph (1)'' and inserting ``subsection 
                (a)'';
            (3) by striking section 909 (22 U.S.C. 7208);
            (4) by striking section 910 (22 U.S.C. 7209); and
            (5) by redesignating section 911 as section 909.
    (g) Repeal of Prohibition on Transactions or Payments With Respect 
to Certain United States Intellectual Property.--Section 211 of the 
Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 
(as contained in section 101(b) of division A of Public Law 105-277; 
112 Stat. 2681-88) is repealed.
    (h) Termination 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 
the following new flush sentence:
                ``Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, this 
                subsection shall not apply to Cuba after the date that 
                is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this 
                sentence.''.
    (i) Sugar Quota Prohibition Under Food Security Act of 1985.--
Section 902(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 is repealed.

SEC. 4. TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES.

    Any common carrier within the meaning of section 3 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153) is authorized to install, 
maintain, and repair telecommunications equipment and facilities in 
Cuba, and otherwise provide telecommunications services between the 
United States and Cuba. The authority of this section includes the 
authority to upgrade facilities and equipment.

SEC. 5. TRAVEL.

    (a) In General.--Travel to and from Cuba by individuals who are 
citizens or residents of the United States, and any transactions 
ordinarily incident to such travel, may not be regulated or prohibited 
if such travel would be lawful in the United States.
    (b) Transactions Incident to Travel.--Any transactions ordinarily 
incident to travel that may not be regulated or prohibited under 
subsection (a) include, but are not limited to--
            (1) any transactions ordinarily incident to travel to or 
        from Cuba, including the importation into Cuba or the United 
        States of accompanied baggage for personal use only;
            (2) any transactions ordinarily incident to travel or 
        maintenance within Cuba, including the payment of living 
        expenses and the acquisition of goods or services for personal 
        use;
            (3) any transactions ordinarily incident to the 
        arrangement, promotion, or facilitation of travel to, from, or 
        within Cuba;
            (4) any transactions incident to nonscheduled air, sea, or 
        land voyages, except that this paragraph does not authorize the 
        carriage of articles into Cuba or the United States except 
        accompanied baggage; and
            (5) normal banking transactions incident to the activities 
        described in the preceding provisions of this subsection, 
        including the issuance, clearing, processing, or payment of 
        checks, drafts, travelers checks, credit or debit card 
        instruments, or similar instruments.

SEC. 6. 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 Cuba, including, 
in the absence of common carrier service between the 2 countries, the 
use of charter providers.

SEC. 7. NEGOTIATIONS WITH CUBA.

    (a) Negotiations.--The President should take all necessary steps to 
conduct negotiations with the Government of Cuba--
            (1) for the purpose of settling claims of nationals of the 
        United States against the Government of Cuba for the taking of 
        property by such government; and
            (2) for the purpose of securing the protection of 
        internationally recognized human rights.
    (b) Definitions.--As used in this section, the terms ``national of 
the United States'' and ``property'' have the meanings given those 
terms in section 502 of the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949 
(22 U.S.C. 1643a).

SEC. 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.

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