I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 188 
To lift the trade embargo on Cuba, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2009 
Mr. SERRANO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways 
and Means, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Financial Services, 
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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To lift the trade embargo on Cuba, 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 ‘‘Cuba Reconciliation 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF PROVISIONS RESTRICTING TRADE 
AND OTHER RELATIONS WITH CUBA. 
(a) AUTHORITY FOR EMBARGO.—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is repealed.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 authori-
ties 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 effec-
tive 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 effec-
tive on such date. 
(c) EXERCISE OF AUTHORITIES UNDER OTHER PRO-
VISIONS OF LAW.— 
(1) REMOVAL OF PROHIBITIONS.—Any prohibi-
tion on exports to Cuba that is in effect on the day 
before the effective date of this Act under the Ex-
port Administration Act of 1979 shall cease to be ef-
fective on such effective date. 
(2) AUTHORITY FOR NEW RESTRICTIONS.—The 
President may, on and after the effective date of this 
Act— 
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(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 contin-
ued in effect under the International Emer-
gency Economic Powers Act); and 
(B) exercise the authorities he has under 
the International Emergency Economic Powers 
Act with respect to Cuba pursuant to a declara-
tion of national emergency required by that Act 
that is made on account of an unusual and ex-
traordinary 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 OF 1992.—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 Demo-
cratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 is re-
pealed. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—(A) Section 
498A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2295a) is amended— 
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(i) in subsection (a)(11), by striking ‘‘and 
intelligence facilities, including the military and 
intelligence facilities at Lourdes and Cien-
fuegos,’’ and inserting ‘‘facilities,’’; 
(ii) in subsection (b)— 
(I) in paragraph (4), by adding ‘‘and’’ 
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) 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 thereof the following new flush sentence: 
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‘‘Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, this sub-
section shall not apply to Cuba after the date which is 
60 days after the date of the enactment of this sentence.’’. 
(g) SUGAR QUOTA PROHIBITION UNDER FOOD SE-
CURITY ACT OF 1985.—Section 902(c) of the Food Secu-
rity Act of 1985 is repealed. 
(h) TRADE SANCTIONS REFORM AND EXPORT EN-
HANCEMENT ACT OF 2000.—The Trade Sanctions Re-
form and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
7201 and following) is amended— 
(1) in section 906(a)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Cuba,’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘(other than Cuba)’’ after 
‘‘to the government of a country’’; 
(2) in section 908— 
(A) by striking subsection (b); 
(B) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘PROHIBITION’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.— 
’’ and inserting ‘‘IN GENERAL.—’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘for exports to Cuba 
or’’; 
(iii) by striking paragraph (2); and 
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(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 ‘‘sub-
section (a)’’; 
(3) by striking section 909; and 
(4) by striking section 910. 
(i) REPEAL OF PROHIBITION ON TRANSACTIONS OR 
PAYMENTS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN UNITED STATES 
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.—Section 211 of the Depart-
ment 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. 
SEC. 3. TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND FACILI-
TIES. 
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 telecommuni-
cations 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. 
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SEC. 4. TRAVEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Travel to and from Cuba by indi-
viduals 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 which may not 
be regulated or prohibited under subsection (a) include, 
but are not limited to— 
(1) transactions ordinarily incident to travel or 
maintenance in Cuba; and 
(2) normal banking transactions involving for-
eign currency drafts, traveler’s checks, or other ne-
gotiable instruments incident to such travel. 
SEC. 5. DIRECT MAIL DELIVERY TO CUBA. 
The United States Postal Service shall take such ac-
tions 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 pro-
viders. 
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, 
shall take effect 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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