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HR 198 117th Congress House International Affairs Athletes Caribbean area Cuba Foreign aid and international relief Foreign labor Immigration status and procedures Latin America Professional sports Sanctions Trade restrictions Travel and tourism Visas and passports Wages and earnings

Baseball Diplomacy Act

Introduced: January 5, 2021 Introduced by: Cohen, Steve Democratic · Tennessee See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 117th Congress ended
It never became law before the 117th Congress (2021–2022) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 4, 2021
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
Jan 5, 2021
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.
Jan 5, 2021
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Baseball Diplomacy Act

This bill waives various embargo and immigration restrictions in order to allow Cuban nationals to enter the United States to play organized professional baseball.

U.S. embargo authority may not regulate or prohibit various transactions by or on behalf of a Cuban national entering to play baseball, nor may the individual be prohibited from returning to Cuba with the earnings made from playing professional baseball. The President's authority to bar an alien whose entry is deemed to be detrimental to U.S. interests may not be used to deny a visa to a Cuban national entering to play baseball.

An individual entering to play baseball may obtain a visa to remain in the United States only for the duration of the baseball season. The visa need not be renewed for reentry into the United States during the term of a contract between the individual and the team for which the individual played in the preceding season.

What's happening now March 4, 2021

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Cosponsors 4
All 4 Democratic 3
D
Barragán, Nanette Diaz
California · Jul 11, 2022
 D
Pocan, Mark
Wisconsin · Jun 21, 2022
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Jun 16, 2022
Payne, Donald
· Jun 15, 2022
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 198: Baseball Diplomacy Act. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-198/
MLA
"H.R. 198: Baseball Diplomacy Act." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-198/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 198, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-198/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 198: Baseball Diplomacy Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-198/)
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