II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2478 

To designate the Bahamas under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide temporary protected status under such section to 

eligible nationals of the Bahamas. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BENNET, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Ms. WARREN, Ms. HARRIS, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. JONES, Ms. 

HIRONO, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and Mr. 

CARDIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To designate the Bahamas under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide temporary protected status under such section to eligible nationals 

of the Bahamas. 

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 ‘‘Bahamas Temporary 

5 Protected Status Act of 2019’’. 


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•S 2478 IS

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) On September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian 

4 made landfall in the Bahamas as a category 5 hurri5 cane with sustained winds over 180 miles per hour. 

6 (2) Between September 1, 2019, and Septem7 ber 3, 2019, the islands of the Bahamas and the Ba8 hamian people were subjected to hurricane-force 

9 winds, heavy rains, and extensive flooding that de10 stroyed critical infrastructure, decimated houses and 

11 property, and claimed the lives of at least 50 individ12 uals. 

13 (3) The International Federation of the Red 

14 Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated that more 

15 than 60,000 individuals in the Bahamas lack access 

16 to clean drinking water as a result of the devastation 

17 caused by Hurricane Dorian. 

18 (4) The World Food Programme indicates that 

19 more than 60,000 individuals in the Bahamas will 

20 require food relief as a result of the destruction 

21 caused by Hurricane Dorian. 

22 (5) The Secretary of Homeland Security may, 

23 under section 244 of the Immigration and Nation24 ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), designate a foreign state 

25 that has experienced an environmental disaster so as 

26 to provide temporary protected status in the United 


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1 States to eligible nationals of such foreign state who 

2 cannot return safely to their homeland. 

3 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TEM4 PORARY PROTECTED STATUS. 

5 (a) DESIGNATION.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of section 244 

7 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

8 1254a), the Bahamas shall be treated as if it had 

9 been designated under subsection (b)(1)(B) of that 

10 section, subject to the provisions of this section. 

11 (2) PERIOD OF DESIGNATION.—The initial pe12 riod of the designation referred to in paragraph (1) 

13 shall be for the 18-month period beginning on the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act. 

15 (b) ALIENS ELIGIBLE.—As a result of the designa16 tion made under subsection (a), an alien who is a national 

17 of the Bahamas is considered to satisfy the requirements 

18 under paragraph (1) of section 244(c) of the Immigration 

19 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)), subject to para20 graph (3) of such section, if the alien— 

21 (1) has been continuously physically present in 

22 the United States since the date of the enactment of 

23 this Act; 

24 (2) is admissible as an immigrant, except as 

25 otherwise provided in paragraph (2)(A) of such secVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:15 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2478.IS S2478

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1 tion, and is not ineligible for temporary protected 

2 status under paragraph (2)(B) of such section; and 

3 (3) registers for temporary protected status in 

4 a manner established by the Secretary of Homeland 

5 Security. 

6 (c) CONSENT TO TRAVEL ABROAD.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 

8 Security shall give prior consent to travel abroad, in 

9 accordance with section 244(f)(3) of the Immigra10 tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(f)(3)), to 

11 an alien who is granted temporary protected status 

12 pursuant to the designation made under subsection 

13 (a) if the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the 

14 Secretary of Homeland Security that emergency and 

15 extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the 

16 alien require the alien to depart for a brief, tem17 porary trip abroad. 

18 (2) TREATMENT UPON RETURN.—An alien re19 turning to the United States in accordance with an 

20 authorization described in paragraph (1) shall be 

21 treated as any other returning alien provided tem22 porary protected status under section 244 of the Im23 migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a). 

Æ 


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