Cuban Food and Medicine Security Act of 1999 (Introduced in the House)
HR 1644 IH
106th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1644
To provide the people of Cuba with access to food and medicines from
the United States, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 29, 1999
Mr. SERRANO (for himself, Mr. LEACH, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin,
Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BOUCHER, Mr. BROWN of California, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr.
CLAY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. DOOLEY of
California, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. EVANS, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. HILLIARD,
Mr. JOHN, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. LAFALCE, Mr. LAMPSON, Ms. LEE, Ms. LOFGREN,
Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mrs. MALONEY of
New York, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. MINGE,
Mr. MOAKLEY, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mrs. MORELLA,
Mr. NADLER, Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. NEY, Mr. OBERSTAR,
Mr. OLVER, Ms. PELOSI, Ms. RIVERS, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SHAYS,
Mr. STARK, Ms. WATERS, and Ms. WOOLSEY) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in
addition to the Committee on 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
A BILL
To provide the people of Cuba with access to food and medicines from
the United States, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Cuban Food and Medicine Security Act
of 1999'.
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE WITH CUBA
TO ALLOW FOR THE EXPORT OF FOOD AND MEDICINES TO CUBA.
Notwithstanding section 620(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2370(a)(1)) or any other provision of law (except section
3 of this Act), the prohibition or restriction on trade or financial transactions
with Cuba shall not apply with respect to the export of any food and other
agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines, medical supplies,
medical instruments, or medical equipment, or with respect to travel incident
to the sale or delivery of food and other agricultural products (including
fertilizer), medicines, medical supplies, medical instruments, or medical
equipment, to Cuba.
SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON EXCEPTION TO ALLOW FOR THE EXPORT OF FOOD AND MEDICINES
TO CUBA.
Section 2 of this Act shall not apply--
(1) with respect to restrictions imposed under section 5 of the Export
Administration Act of 1979 for goods containing parts or components on
which export controls are in effect under that section; and
(2) with respect to section 203 of the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act, to the extent the authorities under that section are exercised
to deal with a threat to the national security of the United States by
virtue of the technology incorporated in such instruments or equipment.
SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT RELATING TO EXPORT PROMOTION AND CREDIT PROGRAMS
FOR CUBA.
Title IV of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5661 et seq.)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
`SEC. 418. STUDY AND REPORT RELATING TO EXPORT PROMOTION AND CREDIT PROGRAMS
FOR CUBA.
`(a) STUDY- The Secretary shall carry out a study of existing United
States agricultural export promotion and credit programs to determine how
such programs can be carried out to promote the consumption of United States
agricultural commodities in Cuba.
`(b) REPORT- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this section, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report containing--
`(1) the results of the study carried out under subsection (a); and
`(2) proposed legislation, if any, to improve the ability of the Secretary
to utilize United States agricultural export promotion and credit programs
with respect to the consumption of United States agricultural commodities
in Cuba.'.
SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the President shall transmit to the Congress a report that sets forth--
(1) the extent (expressed in volume and dollar amounts) of sales to
Cuba of food and other agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines,
medical supplies, medical instruments, and medical equipment, since the
enactment of this Act;
(2) a description of the types and end users of the goods so exported;
and
(3) whether there has been any indication that any medicines, medical
supplies, medical instruments, or medical equipment exported to Cuba since
the enactment of this Act--
(A) have been used for purposes of torture or other human rights abuses;
(C) were used in the production of any biotechnological product.