Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-950
Sponsor: Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY]
Introduced: 2003-04-30 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Aliens
Caribbean area
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Cuba
Democracy
Dissenters
Europe
European Union
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Free enterprise
Freedom of the press
Government Operations and Politics
Human rights
Immigration
International agencies
International banking
Latin America
Political prisoners
Prisons
Regionalism (International organization)
Reporters and reporting
Right to travel
State-sponsored terrorism
Terrorism
Transportation and Public Works
Travel
United Nations

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-30
text: 
Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2003 - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions ordinarily incident to such travel relating to: (1) accompanied personal baggage; (2) payment of living expenses and the acquisition of personal-use goods or services; (3) travel arrangements; (4) nonscheduled air, sea, or land voyage transactions, (such provision does not permit the carriage of articles other than accompanied baggage into Cuba or the United States); and (5) normal banking transactions. 
 
States that such provision does not: (1) restrict presidential authority in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba, or of imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers; and (2) authorize U.S. importation of personal consumption goods acquired in Cuba.

action_date: 2003-11-11
text: 
Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2003 - Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions ordinarily incident to such travel relating to: (1) accompanied personal baggage; (2) payment of living expenses and the acquisition of personal-use goods or services; (3) travel arrangements; (4) nonscheduled air, sea, or land voyage transactions, (such provision does not permit the carriage of articles other than accompanied baggage into Cuba or the United States); and (5) normal banking transactions. 
 
States that such provision does not: (1) restrict presidential authority in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba, or of imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. travelers; and (2) authorize U.S. importation of personal consumption goods acquired in Cuba.
 
Sets forth findings respecting human rights violations in Cuba, including harassment of peaceful dissidents such as Oscar Elias Biscet, and noting the human rights work of Oswaldo Paya. 
 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Government of Cuba will never be welcomed into the community of democratic nations unless that government: (1) undertakes significant political and economic reforms called for by reporters of the Varela project; (2) allows the International Committee of the Red Cross unrestricted access to all Cuban prisons and places of detention; (3) honors the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights request to allow his special representative to visit Cuba to assess the human rights situation; and (4) frees all political prisoners. 
 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the Organization of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights should continue reporting on the human rights situation in Cuba and should request a visit in order to review and report on such situation; (2) the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and his personal representative should pursue implementation of the 2002 Resolution regarding human rights in Cuba; (3) the European Union, to build upon the European Parliament's recognition of Cuban dissidents, should request to visit Cuba in order to review and report on the human rights situation; (4) representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross should seek immediate access to all Cuban prisons and report on incarceration conditions; and (5) human rights organizations should issue statements of solidarity with the Cuban human rights activists, political dissidents, prisoners of conscience, independent journalists, and other Cubans demanding their release and seeking to secure their internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms. 
 
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Department of State should monitor financial transactions to and from Cuba to ensure that terrorist financing is not occurring.
 
 Directs the Secretary of State to report every 180 days on any actions taken by Cuba to provide or facilitate financial support for terrorism.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-11-11
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 385.
action_date: 2003-11-11
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Lugar with an amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2003-11-11
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Lugar with an amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2003-11-06
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
action_date: 2003-04-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
action_date: 2003-04-30
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5595-5596)
action_date: 2003-04-30
text: Introduced in Senate