Western Hemisphere Security Cooperation Act of 2012
Latest action · Oct 23, 2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology.
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.
- IntroducedJun 29, 2012
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
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.
Cosponsors 13
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jun 29, 2012 to Jul 19, 2012, with 11 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-FL | Connie Mack | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-IN | Dan Burton | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-FL | David Rivera | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-FL | Gus M. Bilirakis | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-CA | Howard P. "Buck" McKeon | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-OH | Jean Schmidt | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-SC | Jeff Duncan | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-FL | Mario Diaz-Balart | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-NY | Robert L. Turner | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-OH | Steve Chabot | Original | Jun 29, 2012 |
| R-IA | Steve King | Jul 19, 2012 | |
| R-NC | Sue Wilkins Myrick | Jul 19, 2012 |
Actions 5
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 23, 2012Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology.
- Oct 23, 2012Referred to the Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade.
- Jul 19, 2012Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
- Jun 29, 2012Introduced in House
- Jun 29, 2012Referred 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.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
- 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 Affairs
- 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
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jun 29, 2012Introduced in House
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.