Cuba Trade Act of 2015
Latest action · Aug 5, 2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
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.
- IntroducedJul 28, 2015
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Cuba Trade Act of 2015
This bill repeals or amends current laws restricting trade with Cuba.
The prohibition on assistance to Cuba, and the President's authority for the embargo on Cuba, under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 are eliminated.
The Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 is amended to eliminate:
- presidential authority to impose sanctions against Cuban trading partners,
- restrictions on transactions between U.S.-owned or controlled firms and Cuba,
- limitations on direct shipping between Cuban and U.S. ports, and
- restrictions on remittances.
The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 is amended to eliminate:
- the enforcement of an economic embargo of Cuban provisions, and
- the prohibition on indirect financing of Cuba.
The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 is amended to:
- remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism subject to agricultural and medical export restrictions;
- eliminate the prohibition on U.S. assistance, including foreign assistance, export assistance, and any credit or guarantees being made available for exports to Cuba;
- eliminate the prohibition against a U.S. person's providing payment or financing terms for sales of agricultural commodities or products to Cuba;
- prohibit the United States from providing any foreign assistance to Cuba or any financial assistance, loans, loan guarantees, extension of credit, or other financing for exports to Cuba; and
- eliminate the prohibition on the U.S. entry of merchandise that is of Cuban origin, is or has been located in or transported from or through Cuba, or is made or derived in whole or in part of any article which is the growth, produce, or manufacture of Cuba.
The federal government may not obligate or expend any funds to promote trade with or develop markets in Cuba, except through certain commodity promotion programs.
Cosponsors 26
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 28, 2015 to Nov 15, 2016; 7 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-LA | Charles W. Boustany, Jr. | Original | Jul 28, 2015 |
| I-MI | Justin Amash | Original | Jul 28, 2015 |
| D-FL | Kathy Castor | Original | Jul 28, 2015 |
| R-SC | Mark Sanford | Original | Jul 28, 2015 |
| R-LA | Ralph Lee Abraham | Original | Jul 28, 2015 |
| R-WI | Reid J. Ribble | Original | Jul 28, 2015 |
| R-NC | Walter B. Jones | Original | Jul 28, 2015 |
| R-AR | Eric A. "Rick" Crawford | Oct 23, 2015 | |
| R-ND | Kevin Cramer | Oct 27, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Randy K. Weber, Sr. | Dec 1, 2015 | |
| R-TX | Ted Poe | Jan 8, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Anna G. Eshoo | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Barbara Lee | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-MN | Betty McCollum | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-NE | Brad Ashford | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-VA | Donald S. Beyer, Jr. | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-CO | Ed Perlmutter | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-MA | James P. McGovern | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-WI | Mark Pocan | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-PA | Michael F. Doyle | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-CT | Rosa L. DeLauro | May 26, 2016 | |
| D-CA | Sam Farr | May 26, 2016 | |
| R-MN | Erik Paulsen | Jun 8, 2016 | |
| D-GA | Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. | Jul 13, 2016 | |
| D-MN | Keith Ellison | Sep 14, 2016 | |
| D-NY | Nydia M. Velázquez | Nov 15, 2016 |
Committees 4
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Foreign Affairs Committee | Referred Jul 28, 2015 |
| House | Ways and Means Committee | Referred Jul 28, 2015 |
| Trade Subcommittee | Referred Aug 5, 2015 | |
| House | Financial Services Committee | Referred Jul 28, 2015 |
| House | Agriculture Committee | Referred Jul 28, 2015 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Aug 5, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
- Jul 28, 2015Introduced in House
- Jul 28, 2015Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Financial Services, and Agriculture, 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.
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.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 120, July 28, 2015, page H5590.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 114-150 | TRADE WITH CUBA: GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITIES86 pages | Foreign Affairs Committee | Mar 15, 2016 |
CRS reports 2
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 2
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R43926 | Cuba: Issues and Actions in the 114th Congress Archived | Report | Jan 18, 2017 |
| R44119 | U.S. Agricultural Trade with Cuba: Current Limitations and Future Prospects Archived | Report | Sep 21, 2016 |
Related bills 3
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 442 | Cuba Trade Act of 2017 | Reintroduced Bill | Jan 26, 2017 |
| S 491 | Freedom to Export to Cuba Act of 2015 | Related bill | Feb 12, 2015 |
| S 1543 | Cuba Trade Act of 2015 | Identical bill | Jun 10, 2015 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To lift the trade embargo on Cuba, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Cuba Trade Act of 2015
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 28, 2015Introduced 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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
