I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2638 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to treat certain individuals who 
participated in the invasion of the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, in April, 1961, 
as veterans for the purposes of eligibility for benefits under laws adminis-
tered by the Secretary. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 17, 2023 
Mr. GIMENEZ (for himself, Ms. SALAZAR, and Ms. MALLIOTAKIS) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to treat certain 
individuals who participated in the invasion of the Bay 
of Pigs, Cuba, in April, 1961, as veterans for the pur-
poses of eligibility for benefits under laws administered 
by the Secretary. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cuban-American Un-
recognized Bravery Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘CUBA Act of 
2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) On April 16, 1961, Cubans who had been 
trained and equipped by the United States landed in 
the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, with the mission to topple 
the Castro regime and free Cuba from communist 
tyranny. 
(2) Lack of adequate support, and poor plan-
ning and execution of the invasion led to the deaths 
of several hundred members of the invasion force 
and subsequent capture and imprisonment of the 
survivors. 
(3) Many of these survivors faced harsh condi-
tions accompanied by torture and threats of execu-
tion while they waited for their release. 
(4) After 20 months of negotiations for their 
release, President John F. Kennedy welcomed back 
the last survivors in Miami, Florida, upon their re-
turn to the United States on December 29, 1962. 
(5) Many survivors became productive United 
States citizens and contributed greatly to their new 
home that gave them back the freedom they lost in 
Cuba. 
(6) Currently, it is estimated that there are ap-
proximately 300 survivors still living from the Bay 
of Pigs invasion. These survivors still struggle with 
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the emotional effects of the invasion, along with fi-
nancial hardships and healthcare challenges. 
(7) These survivors fought on behalf of the 
United States in a cause of freedom in the face of 
global communist tyranny. They were trained and 
sent to Cuba by the United States Government yet 
do not receive the benefits of veterans that they de-
serve and to which they ought to be entitled. 
(8) Granting these survivors eligibility for bene-
fits under the laws administered by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs would help them and their families 
with financial and healthcare burdens, allow for 
them to receive a military funeral, and aid in healing 
the lingering psychological wounds left from the Bay 
of Pigs invasion 62 years ago. 
SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR VETERANS BENE-
FITS TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVED 
IN BAY OF PIGS, CUBA, IN APRIL, 1961. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of determining 
eligibility for benefits under the laws administered by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary shall treat a 
covered individual as a veteran. 
(b) APPLICABILITY DATE.—Beginning on the date 
that is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, a covered individual may file a claim for a benefit 
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described in subsection (a), and the Secretary shall con-
sider and make a determination regarding such claim, 
without regard to any time limit applicable to such filing 
or claim. 
(c) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered individual’’ means an individual 
whom the Secretary determines— 
(1) was a member of the military group that in-
vaded the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, in April, 1961; 
(2) is a citizen of the United States; and 
(3) is not in receipt of the benefit for which the 
covered individual applied. 
Æ 
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