H.R. 6083 — La Comisión de las Ocupaciónes Americanos Act

This section states congressional findings regarding five historical U.S. military interventions described as misguided: (1) the first occupation of Nicaragua (1909-1925), involving U.S. support for regime change and civil war assistance that resulted in approximately 2,000 total casualties; (2) the first occupation of Mexico (1914), seizing Veracruz with nearly 100 U.S. casualties and 550 Mexican deaths; (3) the second occupation of Mexico (1916-1917), pursuing Pancho Villa with 15 U.S. and 251 Mexican deaths; (4) the first occupation of the Dominican Republic (1916-1924), establishing U.S. control with 144 U.S. deaths or injuries and 950 Dominican casualties; and (5) the second occupation of Nicaragua (1927), deploying 3,000 Marines amid civil war to disarm rebels and supervise elections.

This section establishes a Commission to Study and Develop Reconciliation Proposals for Misguided Interventions in the Americas. The Commission must (1) identify, document, and synthesize evidence on specified U.S. military interventions in Nicaragua, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Grenada, and Panama, plus any additional Caribbean, Latin American, or South American cases it deems misguided by majority vote; (2) examine related U.S. military occupations, involvement in internal affairs and regime changes, treatment of native persons, and lingering negative effects; (3) recommend ways to educate the U.S. public; and (4) recommend remedies, including compliance with international standards, formal apologies where warranted, and policies to reverse effects. The Commission must submit a report to Congress within 4 years of enactment. Membership consists of the Under Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, current U.S. ambassadors to affected nations, one presidential appointee, two appointees by the House Speaker (in consultation with the minority leader), two appointees by the Senate majority leader (in consultation with the minority leader), and—subject to presidential negotiation—ambassadors or OAS permanent representatives from affected nations. All members must be qualified in Western Hemisphere relations or reparatory justice; the Commission must hold its initial meeting within 365 days of enactment, meet at least quarterly (including virtually), and elect a chair and vice chair; more than half of members constitute a quorum; and non-federal members receive daily compensation equivalent to level IV of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5315).