119-hr5209

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5209 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5209

 To modify the special rules for Haiti under the Caribbean Basin 
 Economic Recovery Act, to extend preferential duty treatment program 
 for Haiti under that Act, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 8, 2025

 Ms. Plaskett (for herself, Ms. Sanchez, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. 
 Waters, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Beyer, Ms. Chu, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Moore of 
 Wisconsin, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Gomez, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
Panetta, Mr. Horsford, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Amo, Mr. Johnson 
 of Georgia, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Mfume, Mrs. Foushee, and Ms. 
Wilson of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To modify the special rules for Haiti under the Caribbean Basin 
 Economic Recovery Act, to extend preferential duty treatment program 
 for Haiti under that Act, 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 ``Hemispheric Opportunity through 
Partnership Enhancement for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2025'' or the 
``HOPE for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF SPECIAL RULES FOR HAITI UNDER THE CARIBBEAN 
 BASIN ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT.

    (a) Eligibility Requirements.--

Section 213A
            (d) (4) of the Caribbean 
Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703a
            (d) (4) ) is amended--

    (1) by striking ``Any interested party'' and inserting the 
 following:
 ``
        (A) In general.--Any interested party'';

    (2) by striking ``paragraph

    (1) ,'' and inserting 
 ``paragraph

    (1) .'';

    (3) by striking ``and the President shall provide for this 
 purpose'' and inserting the following:
 ``
            (C) Applicable procedures.--The President shall 
 provide for the purpose of subparagraph
        (A) and the 
 purpose of subparagraph
        (B) ''; and

    (4) by inserting after subparagraph
        (A) (as so designated) 
 the following:
 ``
        (B) Compliance with core labor standards and with 
 the labor laws of haiti.--Any interested party may file 
 a request to have the status of individual producers 
 reviewed with respect to compliance with core labor 
 standards and with the labor laws of Haiti that 
 directly relate to and are consistent with core labor 
 standards and with the labor laws of Haiti that relate 
 to acceptable conditions of work with respect to 
 minimum wages and hours of work.''.

    (b) Technical Assistance Improvement and Compliance Needs 
Assessment and Remediation Program.--

Section 213A

    (e)

    (4)
        (B) of the 
Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 U.S.C. 2703a

    (e)

    (4)
        (B) ) is 
amended--

    (1) in clause
            (i) --
        (A) by striking ``a biennial basis'' and inserting 
 ``an annual basis''; and
        (B) by adding at the end before the period the 
 following: ``or with the labor laws of Haiti that 
 relate to acceptable conditions of work with respect to 
 minimum wages and hours of work'';

    (2) in clause
            (ii) --
        (A) in the first sentence, by adding at the end 
 before the period the following: ``and with the labor 
 laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable conditions of 
 work with respect to minimum wages and hours of work''; 
 and
        (B) by inserting after the first sentence the 
 following new sentence: ``The President may withdraw, 
 suspend, or limit the application of preferential 
 treatment under subsection

    (b) to articles of such 
 producer during the period in which assistance 
 described in the preceding sentence is being provided 
 to the producer.''; and

    (3) in clause
            (iii) , by inserting after ``and are 
 consistent with core labor standards'' the following: ``and 
 with the labor laws of Haiti that relate to acceptable 
 conditions of work with respect to minimum wages and hours of 
 work''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF PREFERENTIAL DUTY TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR HAITI.

 

Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 
U.S.C. 2703a) is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a)

    (3) --
        (A) in subparagraph
            (D) , by striking ``and'' at the 
 end;
        (B) in subparagraph
        (E) , by striking the period at 
 the end and inserting ``; and''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
        (F) a safe and healthy working environment.'';

    (2) in subsection

    (b) --
        (A) in paragraph

    (1) --
            (i) in subparagraph
        (B)
            (v) 
            (I) --
            (I) by striking ``means'' and all 
 that follows through ``60 percent'' and 
 inserting ``means 60 percent''; and
            (II) by striking ``7 succeeding 1-
 year periods'' and inserting ``17 
 succeeding 1-year periods''; and
            (ii) in subparagraph
            (C) --
            (I) in the table, by striking ``16 
 succeeding 1-year periods'' and 
 inserting ``28 succeeding 1-year 
 periods''; and
            (II) in the matter following the 
 table, by striking ``2025'' and 
 inserting ``2037''; and
        (B) in paragraph

    (2) --
            (i) in subparagraph
        (A)
            (ii) , by striking 
 ``16 succeeding 1-year periods'' and inserting 
 ``26 succeeding 1-year periods''; and
            (ii) in subparagraph
        (B)
            (iii) , by striking 
 ``16 succeeding 1-year periods'' and inserting 
 ``26 succeeding 1-year periods'';

    (3) in subsection
            (d) (1)
        (A)
            (vi) , by striking ``, hours of 
 work, and occupational safety and health'' and inserting ``and 
 hours of work'';

    (4) in subsection

    (e)

    (3) --
        (A) in subparagraph
        (B)
            (ii) , by striking ``, hours 
 of work, and occupational health and safety'' and 
 inserting ``and hours of work''; and
        (B) in subparagraph
        (E)
            (ii) , by striking ``, hours 
 of work, and occupational safety and health'' and 
 inserting ``and hours of work''; and

    (5) in subsection

    (h) , by striking ``2025'' and inserting 
 ``2037''.

SEC. 4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO INCREASE AND DIVERSIFY EXPORTS FROM 
 HAITI TO THE UNITED STATES.

 

Section 213A of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (19 
U.S.C. 2703a), as amended by this Act, is further amended by adding at 
the end the following:
 ``
            (i) Technical Assistance To Increase and Diversify Exports From 
Haiti to the United States.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The United States Trade Representative 
 shall provide technical assistance to the agencies, entities, 
 and individuals specified in clauses
            (i) through
            (v) of 
 paragraph

    (2)
        (B) , to increase and diversify exports from Haiti 
 to the United States with the objectives of--
 ``
        (A) increasing and diversifying export-oriented 
 value chains in Haiti through measures that enhance the 
 competitiveness of firms in Haiti;
 ``
        (B) reinforcing the capacity of trade support 
 institutions to enhance the business climate in Haiti; 
 and
 ``
            (C) developing utilization strategies for Haiti 
 to further explore export opportunities under United 
 States trade preference programs.
 ``

    (2) Requirements.--The Trade Representative--
 ``
        (A) shall seek to coordinate with the 
 International Trade Center to develop and provide 
 technical assistance;
 ``
        (B) shall establish a participatory process to 
 develop the technical assistance that includes--
 ``
            (i) appropriate agencies of the 
 Government of Haiti;
 ``
            (ii) trade support institutions in Haiti;
 ``
            (iii) employers in Haiti;
 ``
            (iv) workers in Haiti; and
 ``
            (v) labor unions in Haiti; and
 ``
            (C) shall consult with the Committee on Ways and 
 Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
 on Finance of the Senate regarding the development and 
 provision of technical assistance.
 ``

    (3) Priority.--Technical assistance provided pursuant to 
 this subsection shall focus on--
 ``
        (A) developing agricultural processing exports to 
 the United States;
 ``
        (B) improving competitiveness and labor 
 compliance in the apparel sector;
 ``
            (C) improving key services that support the 
 competitiveness of sectors with export potential to the 
 United States; and
 ``
            (D) providing the institutional capacity for 
 government, non-profit, and private sector bodies to 
 increase and diversify exports to the United States.
 ``

    (4) Reports.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The President shall include in 
 each report required to be submitted to Congress under 
 

section 163

    (a) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 
 2213

    (a) ) the following:
 ``
            (i) A description of the actions taken to 
 provide technical assistance during the 
 preceding calendar year, including metrics 
 related to the outcomes achieved through such 
 assistance.
 ``
            (ii) A description of the actions taken 
 regarding the participatory process under 
 paragraph

    (3)
        (B) during the preceding calendar 
 year, including an identification of the 
 agencies, entities, and individuals specified 
 in clauses
            (i) through
            (v) of paragraph

    (2)
        (B) that participated.
 ``
        (B) Coordination.--The President shall seek to 
 coordinate with the International Trade Center in 
 carrying out this paragraph.
 ``

    (5) === Definitions. ===
-In this subsection--
 ``
        (A) the term `International Trade Center'--
 ``
            (i) means the joint agency of the United 
 Nations Conference on Trade and Development and 
 the World Trade Organization, originally 
 established by the Contracting Parties of the 
 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on March 
 19, 1964, and from January 1, 1968, operated 
 jointly with the United Nations Conference on 
 Trade and Development; and
 ``
            (ii) includes any subdivision, 
 instrumentality, or designee thereof; and
 ``
        (B) the term `trade support institutions' means 
 key actors that support the export-oriented business 
 climate, such as--
 ``
            (i) the Haitian Ministry of Commerce and 
 Industry;
 ``
            (ii) the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and 
 Industry; and
 ``
            (iii) trade promotion organizations.''.
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