Western Hemisphere Security Cooperation Act of 2012

Bill: 112-hr-6067
Sponsor: Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-18]
Introduced: 2012-06-29 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Antigua and Barbuda
Aquatic ecology
Arms control and nonproliferation
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Border security and unlawful immigration
Caribbean area
Central America
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Costa Rica
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Ecuador
El Salvador
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Florida
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign and international banking
Foreign loans and debt
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Higher education
Honduras
Infectious and parasitic diseases
International law and treaties
International organizations and cooperation
Iran
Latin America
Law enforcement officers
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Nicaragua
Nuclear power
Nuclear weapons
Oil and gas
Organization of American States
Organized crime
Panama
Paraguay
Public contracts and procurement
Russia
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sanctions
Suriname
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Technology transfer and commercialization
Terrorism
Trade restrictions
Travel and tourism
Trinidad and Tobago
U.S. and foreign investments
United Nations
Venezuela
Visas and passports
Western Hemisphere
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2012-06-29
text: 
Western Hemisphere Security Cooperation Act of 2012 - Sets forth U.S. policy statements regarding: (1) the threat posed by Iran and deterrence of Western Hemisphere cooperation in enhancing Iran's development of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons; (2) the security and environmental threat posed by Cuba; (3) implementation by Western Hemisphere countries of counterterrorism conventions; (4) nonproliferation, including nonproliferation of nuclear fuel fabrication; and (5) Small Quantities Protocols. 
 
Directs the Secretary of State to notify Congress regarding specified travel by Cuban government officials to or within the United States.
 
Denies a visa to, and excludes from the United States, any alien who is an officer or principal of an entity, or a controlling shareholder in an entity, that has made specified financial investments to enhance Cuba's development of petroleum resources of the submerged lands located off Cuba's coast.
 
Imposes specified export, loan, and bank-related sanctions on a person or financial institution that has made specified financial investments to enhance Cuba's development of petroleum resources of the submerged lands located off Cuba's coast or has made an investment that contributes to such enhancement and has trafficked in confiscated U.S. property.
 
Makes it illegal for a U.S. person to provide materials, technical equipment, or other assistance that contributes to the enhancement of Cuba's ability to develop petroleum resources of the submerged lands located off Cuba's coast.
 
Revises provisions regarding: (1) international drug control certification procedures, and (2) the Department of State rewards program. 
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that the International Law Enforcement Academy in San Salvador, El Salvador, should continue to serve as a critical component of U.S. regional counterterrorism efforts.
 
Authorizes the President to impose specified sanctions on any country in the Western Hemisphere that is engaged in state sponsored terrorism, is threatening U.S. national security interests, or is not cooperating with U.S. counterterrorism or nonproliferation efforts.
 
 Directs the Secretary to negotiate the establishment of a Western Hemisphere Regional Coordination Center.
 
Authorizes the transfer of specified funds to the Central American Regional Security Initiative.
 
States that certain security assistance funds for any country of Central America may be administered only through the U.S. embassy for such Central American country.
 
Directs the President to use all political, economic, and diplomatic tools to ensure that each Western Hemisphere country has signed and implemented a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is adhering to other nonproliferation agreements. Authorizes the President to impose specified sanctions against a country that has failed to sign or adhere to such agreements.
 
Directs the President to use all political, economic, and diplomatic tools to prevent the development or acquisition by any country of a capacity to fabricate nuclear fuel if such country did not have such capacity as of January 1, 2012.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to negotiate the establishment of the Western Hemisphere Nonproliferation Partnership Initiative. 
 
Prohibits sales or exports of major defense equipment to a Western Hemisphere country until the President certifies that the government of such country is not carrying out policies undermining U.S. national security interests and is cooperating with U.S. nonproliferation efforts.
 
 Places restrictions on nuclear cooperation with countries assisting the nuclear or biological program of Venezuela or Cuba or transferring advanced conventional weapons or missiles to Venezuela or Cuba. 
 
Authorizes specified funds to be made available for U.S. voluntary contributions to the Organization of American States (OAS). 
 
Prohibits U.S. contributions from being made to the OAS if Cuba is admitted as an active OAS member state or participates at the Summit of the Americas with OAS consent unless the Secretary certifies to Congress that a democratically elected Cuban government has been established. 
 
States that nothing in this Act shall be construed as weakening or removing any prohibitions on U.S. engagement with or assistance to any Western Hemisphere country that the Secretary has designated as a state sponsor of terrorism for a minimum of five consecutive years.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-10-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology.
action_date: 2012-10-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade.
action_date: 2012-07-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
action_date: 2012-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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 concerned.
action_date: 2012-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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 concerned.
action_date: 2012-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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 concerned.
action_date: 2012-06-29
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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 concerned.
action_date: 2012-06-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2012-06-29
text: Introduced in House