HR 3422 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

Bridges to the Cuban People Act of 2003

Introduced Oct 30, 2003 Originated House Sponsor Jose E. Serrano D-NY

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Dec 10, 2003 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedOct 30, 2003
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Bridges to the Cuban People Act of 2003 - Exempts from the embargo on trade with Cuba (including prohibitions under the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 against the unloading at a U.S. port of vessels that previously entered a Cuban port to engage in trade) the export of any agricultural commodity, farm machinery or equipment, medicine, medical device, assistive technology device, personal care products, or products intended for the exclusive use by children, or any travel incident to the sale or delivery of such items.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report on export promotion and credit programs for Cuba.

Prohibits the President from prohibiting or regulating travel to or from or within Cuba by U.S. nationals or lawful resident aliens, including specified transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, financial or otherwise.

Authorizes the President to provide scholarships, with funds under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 for Cuban nationals who seek to undertake graduate study in public health, public policy, economics, law, or other field of social science.

Authorizes the President to waive certain sanctions against, and restrictions on assistance to, Cuba, including the exclusion from the United States of certain aliens who have confiscated property in Cuba of U.S. nationals or who traffic in such property, if he determines that it will promote the peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba or will further U.S. national economic interests.

Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from limiting the amount of remittances to Cuba that any U.S. person may make.

Authorizes the import into the United States of a Cuban-originated medical article if the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that there is a medical need in the United States for such article that is not being met by any medicine or medical device in commercial distribution in the United States.

Repeals a prohibition, under the Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, on certain transactions or payments with respect to U.S. intellectual property.

Requires the U.S. Postal Service to provide direct mail service to and from Cuba.

Amends the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 to provide for expedited security checks for certain visiting Cubans.

Prohibits the President from regulating or prohibiting travel to, from, or within Cuba by U.S. persons for the purpose of engaging in or financing motion picture or television projects, or engaging in music recording projects, or any transactions incidental to such travel.

Removes certain restrictions under specified Federal laws in order to allow Cuban nationals to come to the United States to play organized professional sports.

Cosponsors 59

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 30, 2003 to Jun 3, 2004; 42 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-CABarbara LeeOriginalOct 30, 2003
I-VTBernard SandersOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MNBetty McCollumOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MABill DelahuntOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-OKBrad CarsonOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MICarolyn C. KilpatrickOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-TXCharles A. GonzalezOriginalOct 30, 2003
R-CTChristopher ShaysOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-TXEddie Bernice JohnsonOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-NYEdolphus TownsOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-CAFortney Pete StarkOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-CAGeorge MillerOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-WIGerald D. KleczkaOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-CAGrace F. NapolitanoOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-NYGregory W. MeeksOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-CAHenry A. WaxmanOriginalOct 30, 2003
R-IAJames A. LeachOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MNJames L. OberstarOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MAJames P. McGovernOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-VAJames P. MoranOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-ILJesse L. Jackson, Jr.OriginalOct 30, 2003
D-WAJim McDermottOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-TXJim TurnerOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MIJohn Conyers, Jr.OriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MAJohn W. OlverOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MOKaren McCarthyOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-ILLane EvansOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-CALynn C. WoolseyOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-NYMajor R. OwensOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-MNMartin Olav SaboOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-NYMaurice D. HincheyOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-NYMichael R. McNultyOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-CAMike ThompsonOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-TXNick LampsonOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-NYNydia M. VelázquezOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-AZRaúl M. GrijalvaOriginalOct 30, 2003
R-ILRay LaHoodOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-CASam FarrOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-GASanford D. Bishop, Jr.OriginalOct 30, 2003
D-OHStephanie Tubbs JonesOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-WITammy BaldwinOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-METhomas H. AllenOriginalOct 30, 2003
D-OHDennis J. KucinichNov 5, 2003
D-SCJames E. ClyburnNov 5, 2003
D-CAMaxine WatersNov 5, 2003
D-CARobert T. MatsuiNov 5, 2003
D-VIDonna M. ChristensenNov 17, 2003
D-MAMichael E. CapuanoNov 17, 2003
D-HINeil AbercrombieNov 17, 2003
D-INJulia CarsonNov 18, 2003
D-MABarney FrankNov 20, 2003
D-NYCharles B. RangelNov 20, 2003
D-MDChris Van HollenNov 20, 2003
D-NYJoseph CrowleyDec 8, 2003
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskyMar 31, 2004
D-CADiane E. WatsonApr 22, 2004
D-ILDanny K. DavisMay 4, 2004
D-WABrian BairdMay 19, 2004
D-CAAnna G. EshooJun 3, 2004

Committees 6

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseForeign Affairs Committee
Referred Oct 30, 2003
HouseAgriculture Committee
Referred Oct 30, 2003
Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee
Referred Nov 17, 2003
HouseFinancial Services Committee
Referred Oct 30, 2003
Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subcommittee
Referred Nov 17, 2003
HouseOversight and Government Reform Committee
Referred Oct 30, 2003
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Oct 30, 2003
Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
Referred Dec 10, 2003
HouseWays and Means Committee
Referred Oct 30, 2003
Trade Subcommittee
Referred Nov 12, 2003

Actions 6

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Dec 10, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
  2. Nov 17, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development and Research.
  3. Nov 17, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
  4. Nov 12, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
  5. Oct 30, 2003Introduced in House
Show all 6 actions

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

CRS reports 1

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

Cite it 1

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

ProductTitleKindPublished
RL31139Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances ArchivedReportDec 15, 2022

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To provide the people of Cuba with access to food and medicines from the United States, to ease restrictions on travel to Cuba, to provide scholarships for certain Cuban nationals, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Bridges to the Cuban People Act of 2003

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Oct 30, 2003Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.