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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5587 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5587

 To establish in the Department of Homeland Security the Task Force on 
         the Reunification of Families, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            December 18 (legislative day, December 16), 2024

 Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Hirono, and Mr. Markey) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To establish in the Department of Homeland Security the Task Force on 
         the Reunification of Families, 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 ``Family Reunification Task Force 
Act''.

SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON THE REUNIFICATION OF FAMILIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, and the Attorney General, shall establish in the 
Department of Homeland Security a task force on the reunification of 
families, to be known as the ``Task Force on the Reunification of 
Families'' (in this section referred to as the ``Task Force'').
    (b) Activities.--The Task Force shall carry out the following:
            (1) Identify all covered children.
            (2) Provide recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security concerning the following:
                    (A) The legal authorities necessary to reunite such 
                covered children with their parents or legal guardians.
                    (B) The exercise of parole under section 
                212(d)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
                U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)(A)) to reunite such covered children 
                with their parents or legal guardians.
                    (C) The issuance of visas or other immigration 
                benefits to reunite such covered children with their 
                parents or legal guardians.
                    (D) The provision of additional services and 
                support to such covered children and their parents or 
                legal guardians, including trauma and mental health 
                services.
                    (E) Reunification of any additional family members 
                of such covered children, such as siblings.
    (c) Consultation.--In developing the recommendations under 
subsection (b)(2), the Task Force shall consult with the following:
            (1) Relevant stakeholders, including domestic and 
        international non-governmental organizations.
            (2) Representatives of covered children.
    (d) Reports.--Not later than 60 days after the establishment of the 
Task Force, and every 60 days thereafter, the Task Force shall report 
to the appropriate congressional committees on the activities of the 
Task Force during the immediately preceding 60-day period, including 
relating to any recommendations under subsection (b)(2) that require 
congressional action.
    (e) Sunset.--This Act shall terminate on the earliest of--
            (1) the date that is 120 days after the date on which all 
        covered children have been reunited with their parents or legal 
        guardians; or
            (2) January 20, 2039.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs, the Committee on the Judiciary, 
                the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, 
                and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; 
                and
                    (B) the Committee on Homeland Security, the 
                Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Energy and 
                Commerce, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
                House of Representatives.
            (2) Covered children.--The term ``covered children'' means 
        all persons who, between January 20, 2017, and January 20, 
        2021, were--
                    (A) under the age of 18; and
                    (B) separated from their parents or legal guardians 
                at the United States-Mexico border in connection with 
                the implementation of the Zero-Tolerance Policy.
            (3) Zero-tolerance policy.--The term ``Zero-Tolerance 
        Policy'' means--
                    (A) the policy specified in the memorandum issued 
                by the Attorney General on April 6, 2018, entitled 
                ``Zero-Tolerance for Offenses Under 8 U.S.C. Sec.  
                1325(a)''; or
                    (B) any other related policy, program, practice, or 
                initiative.
                                 <all>
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