Promoting American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act of 2017
This bill prohibits the President from restricting direct transfers from a Cuban depository institution to a U.S. depository institution in payment for a product authorized for sale under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000.
The Department of Agriculture shall provide information and technical assistance to U.S. agricultural producers, cooperative organizations, or state agencies to promote U.S. agricultural exports products to Cuba.
The bill authorizes the issuance of temporary entry visas to Cuban nationals to facilitate purchase of U.S. agricultural products.
The Department of Commerce and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 is amended to repeal the prohibition on enforcement of rights to certain U.S. intellectual properties and such properties' transfer.
The bill prohibits the regulation or prohibition of travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions ordinarily incident to such travel, if such travel would be lawful in the United States.
The President shall rescind all regulations in effect on the date of the enactment of this bill that regulate or prohibit such travel or transactions.
Included in such transactions are: (1) accompanied personal baggage; (2) payment of living expenses and the acquisition of personal-use goods or services; (3) travel arrangements; (4) nonscheduled air, sea, or land voyage transactions; and (5) normal banking transactions.
Such provision shall not apply in time of war or armed hostilities between the United States and Cuba or when there is imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of U.S. citizens or legal residents.
The bill amends: (1) the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 to repeal the requirement for onsite verification of certain medical exports to Cuba, and (2) the Internal Revenue Code to increase the airport ticket tax for transportation between the United States and Cuba by $1 and to establish the Agricultural Export Promotion Trust Fund.