I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3422
To provide the people of Cuba with access to food and medicines from 
the United States, to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba, to provide 
scholarships for certain Cuban nationals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 30, 2003
Mr. SERRANO (for himself, Mr. LEACH, Mr. ALLEN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. 
BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. CARSON of Oklahoma, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. 
DELAHUNT, Mr. EVANS, Mr. FARR, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 
HINCHEY, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of 
Texas, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. 
LAHOOD, Mr. LAMPSON, Ms. LEE, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Ms. 
MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. 
MEEKS of New York, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. MORAN of 
Virginia, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. OLVER, Mr. OWENS, 
Mr. SABO, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. STARK, Mr. THOMPSON of 
California, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. TURNER of Texas, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. 
WAXMAN, and Ms. WOOLSEY) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to 
the Committees on Agriculture, Financial Services, Government Reform, 
the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide the people of Cuba with access to food and 
medicines from the United States, to ease restrictions 
on travel to Cuba, to provide scholarships for certain 
Cuban nationals, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Bridges to the Cuban 
People Act of 2003’’. 
TITLE I—FACILITATION OF THE 
EXPORT 
OF 
FOOD, 
MEDI-
CINES, AND OTHER HUMANI-
TARIAN GOODS TO CUBA 
SEC. 101. EXEMPTION FROM PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRIC-
TIONS ON TRADE WITH CUBA TO PERMIT THE 
EXPORT OF FOOD, MEDICINES, AND OTHER 
HUMANITARIAN GOODS TO CUBA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(b), any prohibition or restriction in law or regulation on 
trade or financial transactions with Cuba shall not apply 
with respect to the export to Cuba of any agricultural com-
modity, farm machinery or equipment, medicine, medical 
device, assistive technology device, personal care products, 
or products intended for the exclusive use by children, or 
with respect to travel incident to the sale or delivery of 
any such commodity, machinery or equipment, medicine, 
device, or product. 
(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) does not apply 
to—
(1) any prohibition or restriction imposed under 
the Export Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. 
App. 2401 et seq.) or successor statute for goods 
containing parts or components on which export con-
trols are in effect under that section; or 
(2) any prohibition or restriction imposed under 
section 203 of the International Emergency Eco-
nomic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702) insofar as the 
prohibition or restriction is exercised to deal with a 
threat to the national security of the United States 
by virtue of the technology incorporated in such ma-
chinery or equipment. 
(c) SUPERSEDES EXISTING LAW.—Subsection (a) su-
persedes the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export En-
hancement Act of 2000 (title IX of H.R. 5426 of the One 
Hundred Sixth Congress, as enacted into law by section 
1(a) of Public Law 106–387, and as contained in the ap-
pendix of that Act) or any other provision of law. 
SEC. 102. REMOVAL OF CERTAIN PROHIBITIONS ON VES-
SELS ENTERING UNITED STATES PORTS. 
Section 1706(b) of the Cuban Democracy Act of 
1992 (22 U.S.C. 6005(b); prohibiting certain vessels from 
entering United States ports) shall not apply with respect 
to vessels that transport to Cuba any item the export of 
which is permitted under section 101 or 404 of this Act.
dividual with a disability, including a wheelchair or 
prosthetic device. 
(3) MEDICAL DEVICE.—The term ‘‘medical de-
vice’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘device’’ in 
section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cos-
metic Act (21 U.S.C. 321). 
(4) MEDICINE.—The term ‘‘medicine’’ has the 
meaning given the term ‘‘drug’’ in section 201 of the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
7321). 
TITLE II—EASING OF RESTRIC-
TIONS ON TRAVEL BY UNITED 
STATES NATIONALS TO CUBA 
SEC. 201. TRAVEL TO CUBA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) FREEDOM OF TRAVEL FOR UNITED STATES 
NATIONALS
AND
LAWFUL
PERMANENT
RESIDENT 
ALIENS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection 
(b), the President shall not regulate or prohibit, 
directly or indirectly—
(i) travel to, from, or within Cuba by 
nationals of the United States or aliens 
lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
in the United States; or
(ii) any of the transactions incident to 
such travel that are set forth in paragraph 
(2). 
(B) SUPERSEDES
EXISTING
LAW.—Sub-
paragraph (A) supersedes any other provision 
of law. 
(2) TRANSACTIONS INCIDENT TO TRAVEL.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the transactions referred to 
in paragraph (1) are—
(i) any transaction ordinarily incident 
to travel to or from Cuba, including the 
importation into Cuba or the United States 
of accompanied baggage for personal use 
only; 
(ii) any transaction ordinarily incident 
to travel or maintenance within Cuba, in-
cluding the payment of living expenses and 
the acquisition of goods or services for per-
sonal use; 
(iii) any transaction ordinarily inci-
dent to the arrangement, promotion, or fa-
cilitation of travel to, from, or within 
Cuba;
(iv) any transaction incident to non-
scheduled air, sea, or land voyages, except 
that this clause does not authorize the car-
riage of articles into Cuba or the United 
States except accompanied baggage; and 
(v) any normal banking transaction 
incident to any activity described in any of 
the 
preceding 
clauses, 
including 
the 
issuance, clearing, processing, or payment 
of checks, drafts, travelers checks, credit 
or debit card instruments, or similar in-
struments. 
(B) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN GOODS FOR 
PERSONAL
CONSUMPTION.—The transactions 
described in subparagraph (A) do not include 
the importation into the United States of goods 
for personal consumption acquired in Cuba in 
excess of the amount established by the Sec-
retary of the Treasury pursuant to section 321 
of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1321) or 
otherwise authorized by law. 
(b) EXCEPTIONS.—The prohibition contained in sub-
section (a)(1) does not apply in a case in which—
(1) the United States is at war with Cuba;
(2) armed hostilities between the two countries 
are in progress or imminent; or 
(3) there is a credible threat to the public 
health or the physical safety of nationals of the 
United States who are traveling to, from, or within 
Cuba. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—This section applies to actions 
taken by the President before the date of enactment of 
this Act that are in effect on such date, and to actions 
taken on or after such date. 
(d) REPEALS.—There are repealed the following pro-
visions of law: 
(1) Section 102(h) of Public Law 104–114 (22 
U.S.C. 6032(h)). 
(2) Section 910 of the Trade Sanctions Reform 
and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (title IX of 
H.R. 5426 of the One Hundred Sixth Congress, as 
enacted into law by section 1(a) of Public Law 106–
387, and as contained in the appendix of that Act). 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) LAWFULLY
ADMITTED
FOR
PERMANENT 
RESIDENCE.—The term ‘‘lawfully admitted for per-
manent residence’’ has the meaning given the term 
in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20)).
(2) NATIONAL OF THE UNITED STATES.—The 
term ‘‘national of the United States’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 101(a)(22) of the Im-
migration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1101(a)(22)). 
TITLE III—SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 
CERTAIN CUBAN NATIONALS 
SEC. 301. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GRADUATE STUDY. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized 
to provide scholarships under section 102 of the Mu-
tual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2452) for nationals of Cuba who 
seek to undertake graduate study in public health, 
public policy, economics, law, or other field of social 
science. 
(2) SUPERSEDING EXISTING LAW.—The author-
ity of paragraph (1) shall be exercised without re-
gard to any other provision of law. 
(b) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—Of the amounts au-
thorized to be appropriated to carry out the Mutual Edu-
cational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
2451 et seq.) for fiscal years 2002 through 2006, the fol-
lowing amounts are authorized to be available to carry out 
subsection (a):