I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3660 

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health 

and Human Services to notify Congress of each foreign national who 

dies in the custody of the Secretary, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 9, 2019 

Mrs. TRAHAN (for herself and Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 

in addition to the Committee on Rules, 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 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to notify Congress 

of each foreign national who dies in the custody of the 

Secretary, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Accountability for Mi5 grant Deaths Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION OF FOREIGN NA2 TIONAL DEATHS IN CUSTODY. 

3 Not later than 24 hours after a foreign national dies 

4 while in the custody of the Secretary of Homeland Secu5 rity or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 

6 appropriate Secretary shall notify Congress of such death, 

7 which notification shall include a description of the cir8 cumstances of such death. 

9 SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON THE ASSERTION OF EXECUTIVE 

10 PRIVILEGE. 

11 The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Sec12 retary of Health and Human Services may not assert Ex13 ecutive privilege with respect to testimony before a com14 mittee of the House of Representatives or of the Senate 

15 related to a death described in section 2. 

16 SEC. 4. COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON FOREIGN NATIONAL 

17 DEATHS IN CUSTODY REQUIRED IN THE 

18 HOUSE. 

19 (a) AMENDMENT TO THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF

20 REPRESENTATIVES.—Rule XI of the Rules of the House 

21 of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the 

22 following new clause: 

23 ‘‘Committee hearings on foreign national deaths in 

24 custody required 

25 ‘‘(7) Not later than one week after receiving a notifi26 cation under section 1 of the Accountability for Migrant 


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1 Deaths Act of 2019 that a foreign national died while in 

2 the custody of the Secretary of Homeland Security or the 

3 Secretary of Health and Human Services, the chair of the 

4 Committee on Oversight and Reform or another standing 

5 committee of jurisdiction shall convene a hearing to re6 ceive testimony from appropriate agency officials related 

7 to the death.’’. 

8 (b) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWER.—The provi9 sions of this section are enacted by the Congress— 

10 (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 

11 the House of Representatives, and as such they shall 

12 be considered as part of the rules of the House, and 

13 such rules shall supersede other rules only to the ex14 tent that they are inconsistent therewith; and 

15 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

16 right of the House of Representatives to change 

17 such rules at any time, in the same manner, and to 

18 the same extent as in the case of any other rule of 

19 the House. 

20 SEC. 5. FOREIGN NATIONAL. 

21 In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, 

22 or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of various 

23 administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, 

24 the term ‘‘foreign national’’ means any individual other 

25 than an individual— 


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1 (1) who is a citizen of the United States; or 

2 (2) though not a citizen of the United States, 

3 who owes permanent allegiance to the United States. 

Æ 


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