Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes the president to prohibit the entry of a vessel into the United States if it has transited a port that has been nationalized by a trade partner in the Western Hemisphere.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the President to prohibit the entry of a vessel into the United States if the vessel has transited any U.S. port, harbor, or marine terminal that has been nationalized or expropriated (e.g., seized) by a Western Hemisphere country that has a free trade agreement with the United States (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes the President to prohibit the entry and operation of a vessel if it has called at any port, harbor, or marine terminal that was owned, held, or controlled by a U.S. entity or individual, but has been nationalized or expropriated by the government of a country that is located in the Western Hemisphere and has a free trade agreement in effect with the United States (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that the prohibition ends when the President determines the following (Sec. 2):

• The applicable country has restored ownership of the property that had been nationalized or expropriated;

• The applicable country has provided mutually acceptable compensation for the nationalized or expropriated property;

• The conditions for the prohibition are no longer satisfied; or

• The dispute has been otherwise resolved to the satisfaction of the President.

• Authorizes certain foreign vessels that are otherwise prohibited from entering the United States under this bill or current law to enter if the vessel is experiencing an emergency (involving the vessel or an individual on the vessel) and in certain instances where access to a covered facility was granted by a U.S. property owner (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text