I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 574 

To lift the trade embargo on Cuba, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 13, 2017 

Mr. SERRANO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways 

and Means, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, the Judiciary, 

Oversight and Government Reform, and Agriculture, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, 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 Cuba, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cuba Reconciliation 

5 Act’’. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 574 IH

1 SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF PROVISIONS RESTRICTING TRADE 

2 AND OTHER RELATIONS WITH CUBA. 

3 (a) AUTHORITY FOR EMBARGO.—Section 620(a) of 

4 the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2370(a)) 

5 is repealed. 

6 (b) TRADING WITH THE ENEMY ACT.—The authori7 ties conferred upon the President by section 5(b) of the 

8 Trading with the Enemy Act, which were being exercised 

9 with respect to Cuba on July 1, 1977, as a result of a 

10 national emergency declared by the President before that 

11 date, and are being exercised on the day before the effec12 tive date of this Act, may not be exercised on or after 

13 such effective date with respect to Cuba. Any regulations 

14 in effect on the day before such effective date pursuant 

15 to the exercise of such authorities, shall cease to be effec16 tive on such date. 

17 (c) EXERCISE OF AUTHORITIES UNDER OTHER PRO18 VISIONS OF LAW.— 

19 (1) REMOVAL OF PROHIBITIONS.—Any prohibi20 tion on exports to Cuba that is in effect on the day 

21 before the effective date of this Act under the Ex22 port Administration Act of 1979 (as continued in ef23 fect under the International Emergency Economic 

24 Powers Act) shall cease to be effective on such effec25 tive date. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 574 IH

1 (2) AUTHORITY FOR NEW RESTRICTIONS.—The 

2 President may, on and after the effective date of this 

3 Act— 

4 (A) impose export controls with respect to 

5 Cuba under section 5, 6(j), 6(l), or 6(m) of the 

6 Export Administration Act of 1979 (as contin7 ued in effect under the International Emer8 gency Economic Powers Act); and 

9 (B) exercise the authorities he has under 

10 the International Emergency Economic Powers 

11 Act with respect to Cuba pursuant to a declara12 tion of national emergency required by that Act 

13 that is made on account of an unusual and ex14 traordinary threat, that did not exist before the 

15 enactment of this Act, to the national security, 

16 foreign policy, or economy of the United States. 

17 (d) CUBAN DEMOCRACY ACT OF 1992.—The Cuban 

18 Democracy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 6001 and following) 

19 is repealed. 

20 (e) REPEAL OF CUBAN LIBERTY AND DEMOCRATIC

21 SOLIDARITY (LIBERTAD) ACT OF 1996.— 

22 (1) REPEAL.—The Cuban Liberty and Demo23 cratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 is re24 pealed. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 574 IH

1 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(A) Section 

2 498A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 

3 U.S.C. 2295a) is amended— 

4 (i) in subsection (a)(11), by striking ‘‘and 

5 intelligence facilities, including the military and 

6 intelligence facilities at Lourdes and Cien7 fuegos,’’ and inserting ‘‘facilities,’’; 

8 (ii) in subsection (b)— 

9 (I) in paragraph (4), by adding ‘‘and’’ 

10 after the semicolon; 

11 (II) by striking paragraph (5); and 

12 (III) by redesignating paragraph (6) 

13 as paragraph (5); and 

14 (iii) by striking subsection (d). 

15 (B) Section 498B(k) of the Foreign Assistance 

16 Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2295b(k)) is amended by 

17 striking paragraphs (3) and (4). 

18 (C) Section 1611 of title 28, United States 

19 Code, is amended by striking subsection (c). 

20 (D) Sections 514 and 515 of the International 

21 Claims Settlement Act of 1949 (22 U.S.C. 1643l 

22 and 1643m) are repealed. 

23 (f) TERMINATION OF DENIAL OF FOREIGN TAX

24 CREDIT WITH RESPECT TO CUBA.—Subparagraph (B) of 

25 section 901(j)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 574 IH

1 (relating to denial of foreign tax credit, etc., with respect 

2 to certain foreign countries) is amended by adding at the 

3 end thereof the following new flush sentence: 

4 ‘‘Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, this subsection 

5 shall not apply to Cuba after the date which is 60 days 

6 after the date of the enactment of this sentence.’’. 

7 (g) SUGAR QUOTA PROHIBITION UNDER FOOD SE8 CURITY ACT OF 1985.—Section 902(c) of the Food Secu9 rity Act of 1985 is repealed. 

10 (h) TRADE SANCTIONS REFORM AND EXPORT EN11 HANCEMENT ACT OF 2000.—The Trade Sanctions Re12 form and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 

13 7201 and following) is amended— 

14 (1) in section 906(a)(1)— 

15 (A) by striking ‘‘Cuba,’’; and 

16 (B) by inserting ‘‘(other than Cuba)’’ after 

17 ‘‘to the government of a country’’; 

18 (2) in section 908— 

19 (A) by striking subsection (b); 

20 (B) in subsection (a)— 

21 (i) by striking ‘‘PROHIBITION’’ and all 

22 that follows through ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 

23 ’’ and inserting ‘‘IN GENERAL.—’’; 

24 (ii) by striking ‘‘for exports to Cuba 

25 or’’; 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 574 IH

1 (iii) by striking paragraph (2); and 

2 (iv) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 

3 subsection (b) (and conforming the margin 

4 accordingly); and 

5 (C) in subsection (b) (as redesignated), by 

6 striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub7 section (a)’’; 

8 (3) by striking section 909; and 

9 (4) by striking section 910. 

10 (i) REPEAL OF PROHIBITION ON TRANSACTIONS OR

11 PAYMENTS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN UNITED STATES

12 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.—Section 211 of the Depart13 ment of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations 

14 Act, 1999 (as contained in section 101(b) of division A 

15 of Public Law 105–277; 112 Stat. 2681–88) is repealed. 

16 SEC. 3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND FACILI17 TIES. 

18 Any common carrier within the meaning of section 

19 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153) 

20 is authorized to install, maintain, and repair telecommuni21 cations equipment and facilities in Cuba, and otherwise 

22 provide telecommunications services between the United 

23 States and Cuba. The authority of this section includes 

24 the authority to upgrade facilities and equipment. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 574 IH

1 SEC. 4. TRAVEL. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Travel to and from Cuba by indi3 viduals who are citizens or residents of the United States, 

4 and any transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, 

5 may not be regulated or prohibited if such travel would 

6 be lawful in the United States. 

7 (b) TRANSACTIONS INCIDENT TO TRAVEL.—Any 

8 transactions ordinarily incident to travel which may not 

9 be regulated or prohibited under subsection (a) include, 

10 but are not limited to— 

11 (1) transactions ordinarily incident to travel or 

12 maintenance in Cuba; and 

13 (2) normal banking transactions involving for14 eign currency drafts, traveler’s checks, or other ne15 gotiable instruments incident to such travel. 

16 SEC. 5. DIRECT MAIL DELIVERY TO CUBA. 

17 The United States Postal Service shall take such ac18 tions as are necessary to provide direct mail service to and 

19 from Cuba, including, in the absence of common carrier 

20 service between the 2 countries, the use of charter pro21 viders. 

22 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

23 This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, 

24 shall take effect 60 days after the date of the enactment 

25 of this Act. 

Æ 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS