H.R. 351House115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 11:22 AM UTC

The Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2017 would remove U.S. government restrictions on travel between the United States and Cuba. It tells the President that he cannot ban or regulate trips by U.S. citizens or legal residents, nor the related banking transactions, and it cancels any existing rules that do so. The bill only leaves room for restrictions if the two countries are at war, engaged in armed conflict, or if there is an immediate threat to travelers’ health or safety.

Key Provisions

Prohibits the President from prohibiting or regulating travel to or from Cuba by U.S. citizens or legal residents, including related banking transactions.
Cancels any existing regulations that restrict such travel or related transactions as of the law’s effective date.
Allows restrictions only in cases of war, ongoing armed hostilities, or an imminent danger to public health or traveler safety.
Applies to all relevant presidential actions taken before and after the law’s enactment.
Overrides specific provisions of the Cuban LIBERTAD Act of 1996 and the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 that would otherwise limit travel.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

Western Hemisphere Subcommittee

February 16, 2017

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 6, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Affairs Committee

January 6, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

Western Hemisphere Subcommittee

February 16, 2017

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in HouseIssued January 6, 2017

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 351

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 6, 2017

Mr. Sanford (for himself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Amash, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Massie, Mr. Emmer, and Ms. Lee) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To allow travel between the United States and Cuba.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2017.

Travel to Cuba

On or after the date of the enactment of this Act, and subject to section 3—

(1)

the President may not prohibit or otherwise regulate, directly or indirectly, travel to or from Cuba by United States citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions incident to such travel, including banking transactions; and

(2)

any regulation in effect on such date of enactment that prohibits or otherwise regulates travel to or from Cuba by United States citizens or legal residents, or any of the transactions incident to such travel, including banking transactions, shall cease to have any force or effect.

Exceptions

Section 2 shall not apply in a case in which the United States is at war with Cuba, armed hostilities between the two countries are in progress, or there is imminent danger to the public health or the physical safety of United States travelers.

Applicability

This Act applies to actions taken by the President before the date of the enactment of this Act that are in effect on such date of enactment, and to actions taken on or after such date.

Inapplicability

The provisions of this Act apply notwithstanding section 102(h) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (22 U.S.C. 6032(h)) and section 910(b) of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7209(b)).