Cuba Transition Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of State to designate specified funds to be provided to the Organization of American States (OAS) for: (1) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights activities relating to the situation of human rights in Cuba; and (2) the funding of an OAS emergency fund for the deployment of human rights observers, election support, and election observation in Cuba.
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should begin consultation with: (1) governments of other Western Hemisphere countries regarding a transition in Cuba; and (2) international partners and governments regarding a multilateral diplomatic and financial support program for response to a transition in Cuba.
Authorizes the President to furnish assistance and provide other support for individuals and independent nongovernmental organizations to support specified democracy-building efforts for Cuba.
Authorizes appropriations to the President to establish a fund to provide assistance to a transition government in Cuba.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3769 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3769
To encourage multilateral cooperation and authorize a program of
assistance to facilitate a peaceful transition in Cuba, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 1, 2006
Mr. Ensign (for himself, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Coleman, Mr.
Lieberman, Mr. Santorum, and Mr. Frist) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To encourage multilateral cooperation and authorize a program of
assistance to facilitate a peaceful transition in Cuba, 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 ``Cuba Transition Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Cuban people are seeking change in their country,
including through the 1998 Agreement for Democracy, independent
journalist activity, and other civil society initiatives.
(2) Civil society groups and independent, self-employed
Cuban citizens will be essential to the consolidation of a
genuine and effective transition to democracy from an
authoritarian, communist government in Cuba, and therefore
merit increased international assistance.
(3) The people of the United States support a policy of
proactively helping the Cuban people to establish a democratic
system of government, including supporting Cuban citizen
efforts to prepare for transition to a better and more
prosperous future.
(4) The Inter-American Democratic Charter adopted by the
General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS)
provides both guidance and mechanisms for response by OAS
members to the governmental transition in Cuba and that
country's eventual reintegration into the inter-American
system.
(5) United States Government support of pro-democracy
elements in Cuba and planning for the transition in Cuba is
essential for the identification of resources and mechanisms
that can be made available immediately in response to profound
political and economic changes on the island.
(6) Consultations with democratic development institutions
and international development agencies regarding Cuba are a
critical element in the preparation of an effective
multilateral response to the transition in Cuba.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To support multilateral efforts by the countries of the
Western Hemisphere in planning for a transition of the
government in Cuba and the return of that country to the
Western Hemisphere community of democracies.
(2) To encourage the development of an international group
to coordinate multilateral planning to a transition of the
government in Cuba.
(3) To authorize funding for programs to assist the Cuban
people and independent nongovernmental organizations in Cuba in
preparing the groundwork for a peaceful transition of
government in Cuba.
(4) To provide the President with funding to implement
assistance programs essential to the development of a
democratic government in Cuba.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Democratically elected government in cuba.--The term
``democratically elected government in Cuba'' has the meaning
given the term in section 4 of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic
Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 6023).
(2) Transition government in cuba.--The term ``transition
government in Cuba'' has the meaning given the term in section
4 of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act
of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 6023).
SEC. 5. MULTILATERAL INITIATIVES RELATED TO CUBA.
The Secretary of State is authorized to designate such sums as may
be necessary of total amounts made available for contributions to
international organizations to be provided to the Organization of
American States for--
(1) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights activities
relating to the situation of human rights in Cuba; and
(2) the funding of an OAS emergency fund for the deployment
of human rights observers, election support, and election
observation in Cuba as described in section 109(b) of the Cuban
Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22
U.S.C. 6039(b)(1)).
SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Sense of Congress Regarding Consultation With Western
Hemisphere.--It is the sense of Congress that the President should
begin consultation, as appropriate, with governments of other Western
Hemisphere countries regarding a transition in Cuba.
(b) Sense of Congress Regarding Other Consultations.--It is the
sense of Congress that the President should begin consultations with
appropriate international partners and governments regarding a
multilateral diplomatic and financial support program for response to a
transition in Cuba.
SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO THE CUBAN PEOPLE IN PREPARATION FOR A
TRANSITION IN CUBA.
(a) Authorization.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law
other than section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2394-1) and comparable notification requirements contained in
any Act making appropriations for foreign operations, export financing,
and related programs, the President is authorized to furnish such sums
as may be necessary in assistance and provide other support for
individuals and independent nongovernmental organizations to support
democracy-building efforts for Cuba, including assistance for--
(1) political prisoners and members of their families;
(2) persons persecuted or harassed for dissident
activities;
(3) independent libraries;
(4) independent workers' rights activists;
(5) independent agricultural cooperatives;
(6) independent associations of self-employed Cubans;
(7) independent journalists;
(8) independent youth organizations;
(9) independent environmental groups;
(10) independent economists, medical doctors, and other
professionals;
(11) establishing and maintaining an information and
resources center to be in the United States interests section
in Havana, Cuba;
(12) prodemocracy programs of the National Endowment for
Democracy related to Cuba;
(13) nongovernmental programs to facilitate access to the
Internet, subject to section 102(g) of the Cuban Liberty and
Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C.
6032(g));
(14) nongovernmental charitable programs that provide
nutrition and basic medical care to persons most at risk,
including children and elderly persons; and
(15) nongovernmental charitable programs to reintegrate
into civilian life persons who have abandoned, resigned, or
been expelled from the Cuban armed forces for ideological
reasons.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Independent nongovernmental organization.--The term
``independent nongovernmental organization'' means an
organization that the Secretary of State determines, not less
than 15 days before any obligation of funds to the
organization, is a charitable or nonprofit nongovernmental
organization that is not an agency or instrumentality of the
Cuban Government.
(2) Eligible cuban recipients.--The term ``eligible Cuban
recipients'' is limited to any Cuban national in Cuba,
including political prisoners and their families, who are not
officials of the Cuban Government or of the ruling political
party in Cuba, as defined in section 4(10) of the Cuban Liberty
and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C.
6023(10)).
SEC. 8. SUPPORT FOR A TRANSITION GOVERNMENT IN CUBA.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to funds
otherwise available for such purposes, there are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as are necessary to the President to establish a
fund to provide assistance to a transition government in Cuba as
defined in section 4(14) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity
(LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 6023(14)).
(b) Designation of Fund.--The fund authorized in subsection (a)
shall be known as the ``Fund for a Free Cuba''.
(c) Availability of Funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to
subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8541)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
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