United States-Uruguay Economic Partnership Act

Bill: 118-s-1926
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2023-06-12
Policy area: Immigration
Latest action: action_date: 2023-06-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-06-12
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>United States-Uruguay Economic Partnership Act</b></p> <p>This bill addresses issues related to Uruguay.</p> <p>Specifically, this bill adds Uruguay to the list of countries eligible for designation as a beneficiary country under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. (Such a designation generally provides for duty-free entry of goods into the United States from the designated countries, with some exclusions and limitations.)</p> <p>The bill also establishes that a national of Uruguay shall be eligible for an E visa (for an investor or trader who is a national of a foreign country with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States) if Uruguay provides a similar nonimmigrant status to U.S. nationals.</p> <p>Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security must report to Congress an assessment as to whether Uruguay meets the eligibility criteria for the Visa Waiver Program. If Uruguay fails to meet the criteria, the report must also describe what actions Uruguay must take to become eligible. (Citizens of countries in the program may travel to the United States for business or tourism for up to 90 days without a visa.)</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1926 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 12, 2023 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Hagerty , and Mr. Kaine ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act to make Uruguay eligible for designation as a beneficiary country under that Act, to include Uruguay in the list of foreign states whose nationals are eligible for admission into the United States as E1 and E2 nonimmigrants if nationals of the United States are treated similarly by the Government of Uruguay, and to require a report on the eligibility of Uruguay for the visa waiver program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States-Uruguay Economic Partnership Act . 2. Eligibility of Uruguay for designation as a beneficiary country under Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act Section 212(b) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act ( 19 U.S.C. 2702(b) ) is amended by inserting after Turks and Caicos Islands the following new item: Uruguay . 3. Nonimmigrant traders and investors For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii) of section 101(a)(15)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(E) ), Uruguay shall be considered to be a foreign state described in such section if the Government of Uruguay provides similar nonimmigrant status to nationals of the United States. 4. Visa waiver program eligibility (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, should conduct a review as to whether Uruguay meets the eligibility criteria for designation as a program country for purposes of the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1187 ). (b) Visa waiver program eligibility Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to Congress a report that includes— (1) an assessment as to whether Uruguay meets the eligibility criteria for designation as a program country for purposes of the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1187 ); and (2) in the case of such an assessment that Uruguay does not meet such eligibility criteria, a description of the actions required of Uruguay in order to meet such criteria.