Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The travel ban to Cuba may be one step closer to being lifted.

A bill intended to end a ban on travel by United States citizens to Cuba may have enough votes to pass the House by the end of the year, a representative told the Bloomberg news service.

Representative Sam Farr, a California Democrat who is a co-sponsor of the bill, said that he has 181 of the 218 votes it would need to pass the House.

Supporters of lifting the ban have been encouraged by signals from the Obama administration, which recently eased restrictions for those wishing to visit family members in Cuba.

The bill is endorsed by many in the travel industry and human rights groups. But if it passes the House, it is expected to face stiff challenges in the Senate, and from anti-Castro advocates.

For now, travelers can get to Cuba on charter flights organized by humanitarian organizations or, if they’re willing to take the legal risk, through connecting flights in Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas and elsewhere.