Bill Details
HR.2415 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-03-27 - Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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.
Introduced Date
2025-03-27
Policy Area
International Affairs
Committees
View committees (2)
Sponsors
6
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would make it easier for Cuban nationals to come to the United States to play organized professional baseball. It blocks certain U.S. embargo and immigration rules from being used to stop these players from entering the country on the special visa needed for this purpose. It also lets them take home the money they earn from playing in the United States. In simple terms, the bill creates an exception for Cuban baseball players so they can travel to the U.S., work for professional teams, and return home with their earnings without those rules getting in the way.
- It limits the use of certain trade and emergency powers that are currently tied to Cuba, so they cannot be used to block these baseball-related trips and payments.
- It also stops the government from using a specific immigration power to deny the visa needed for a Cuban player to come to the United States for organized professional baseball.
- The visa would only allow the player to stay in the United States during the baseball season.
- If the player has a valid contract with the same professional team, the visa would not need to be renewed for each new entry into the United States during that contract period.
Official Summaries
No summaries available
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2415 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2415
To waive certain prohibitions with respect to nationals of Cuba coming
to the United States to play organized professional baseball.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 27, 2025
Mr. Cohen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the
Judiciary, 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 waive certain prohibitions with respect to nationals of Cuba coming
to the United States to play organized professional baseball.
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 ``Baseball Diplomacy Act''.
SEC. 2. REMOVAL OF CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS.
(a) Restriction on Embargo Authority.--The authorities of section
620(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, those authorities under
section 5(b) of the Trading with the Enemy Act that were being
exercised with respect to Cuba on July 1, 1977, as a result of a
national emergency declared before that date, and are being exercised
on the date of the enactment of this Act, and the authorities of
section 203 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act may not
be exercised to regulate or prohibit--
(1) those transactions permitted under section 515.571 of
title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, by or on behalf of a
Cuban national who enters the United States from Cuba on a visa
issued under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act for the purpose of playing organized
professional baseball; and
(2) a Cuban national described in paragraph (1) from
returning to Cuba with the earnings made in playing organized
professional baseball.
(b) Restriction on Immigration Authority.--The authority contained
in section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act may not be
used to deny a visa described in subsection (a)(1) to a Cuban national
for the purpose of playing organized professional baseball.
(c) Inapplicability of Other Restrictions.--This section applies
notwithstanding section 102(h) of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic
Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996.
SEC. 3. DURATION OF VISA.
A visa described in section 2(a)(1)--
(1) shall permit the alien to whom the visa is issued to
remain in the United States only for the duration of the
baseball season; and
(2) need not be renewed for subsequent entries into the
United States for the duration of a valid contract entered into
between the alien and the professional baseball team with which
the alien played in the preceding baseball season.
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