I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3960 
To allow United States citizens and legal residents to travel between the 
United States and Cuba. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2019 
Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself, Mr. EMMER, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. 
CRAWFORD, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. 
RESCHENTHALER, Mr. BEYER, and Mr. RIGGLEMAN) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To allow United States citizens and legal residents to travel 
between the United States and Cuba. 
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 ‘‘Freedom for Ameri-
cans to Travel to Cuba Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) During the more than 50 years since the 
United States initially restricted travel by Americans 
to Cuba— 
(A) the Soviet Union has dissolved into a 
dozen independent states; and 
(B) the United States has resumed diplo-
matic and trade relations with the communist 
governments of China and of Vietnam. 
(2) There are no such restrictions on travel by 
Americans to any other country except North Korea. 
(3) While restrictions on travel by Cuban Amer-
icans were lifted in 2009, continuing restrictions on, 
and requirements of licenses for, travel by non- 
Cuban Americans are discriminatory and without 
justification. 
(4) Since 2013, the Government of Cuba— 
(A) has ended restrictions on foreign travel 
for most Cubans; 
(B) has permitted Cubans to buy and sell 
real property; 
(C) has permitted hundreds of thousands 
of Cubans to work as private entrepreneurs; 
and 
(D) has greatly expanded public access to 
the Internet. 
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(5) Restrictions on travel by Americans to Cuba 
have resulted in a significant loss of revenue for pri-
vate Airbnb hosts, restaurants, taxi drivers, and 
other small businesses in Cuba. 
(6) Many companies in Europe, Canada, Rus-
sia, and other countries regularly send their rep-
resentatives to Cuba, while American companies can-
not do so, preventing American companies, including 
banks and credit card companies, from providing 
services to Americans who travel to Cuba under a 
general license issued by the Office of Foreign As-
sets Control of the Department of the Treasury. 
(7) A majority of Americans from every region 
of the country and in both major political parties 
consistently support normalizing travel by Americans 
to Cuba. 
(8) Ending restrictions on travel to Cuba, and 
transactions incident to such travel would— 
(A) pose no threat to the security of the 
United States; 
(B) advance United States national inter-
ests in the hemisphere; and 
(C) foster free enterprise and democracy in 
Cuba. 
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SEC. 3. TRAVEL TO CUBA. 
Subject to section 4, on or after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act— 
(1) the President may not prohibit or otherwise 
restrict travel to or from Cuba by United States citi-
zens or legal residents, or any of the transactions in-
cident to such travel, including banking transactions; 
and 
(2) any law, regulation, or policy in effect on 
such date of enactment that prohibits or otherwise 
restricts travel to or from Cuba by United States 
citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions 
incident to such travel, including banking trans-
actions, shall cease to have any force or effect. 
SEC. 4. EXCEPTIONS. 
(a) SAVINGS PROVISIONS.—Nothing in this Act may 
be construed to limit the authority of the President to re-
strict travel described in section 3, or any transaction inci-
dent to such travel, on a case-by-case basis, if the Presi-
dent determines that such restriction— 
(1) is necessary to protect the national security 
of the United States; or 
(2) is necessary to protect the health or safety 
of United States citizens or legal residents resulting 
from traveling to or from Cuba; or 
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(b) WRITTEN JUSTIFICATION.—Not later than 5 
days before restricting travel described in section 3 or a 
transaction incident to such travel, pursuant to the au-
thority referred to in subsection (a), the President shall 
submit a written justification for such restriction to— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate; 
(2) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate; 
(3) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives. 
SEC. 5. INAPPLICABILITY. 
The provisions of this Act shall apply notwith-
standing section 102(h) of the Cuban Liberty and Demo-
cratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 
6032(h)) and section 910(b) of the Trade Sanctions Re-
form and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
7209(b)). 
Æ 
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