To modify the requirement to remain outside of the United States for Commonwealth Only Transitional Workers, and for other purposes.

Subjects: Immigration


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1420 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1420

 To modify the requirement to remain outside of the United States for 
    Commonwealth Only Transitional Workers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2023

  Mr. Sablan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the 
 Judiciary, 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 modify the requirement to remain outside of the United States for 
    Commonwealth Only Transitional Workers, 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. AMENDMENTS TO THE REQUIREMENT TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE UNITED 
              STATES.

    (a) In General.--Section 6(d)(7) of Public Law 94-241 (48 U.S.C. 
1806(d)(7)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
                ``subparagraph (B)'' and all that follows through ``a 
                permit for'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (B) and (C), 
                a permit for'';
                    (B) by striking ``(I) shall'' and inserting the 
                following:
                            ``(i) shall'';
                    (C) by striking ``(II) may be renewed'' and 
                inserting the following:
                            ``(ii) may be renewed'';
                    (D) by striking ``periods; and'' and inserting 
                ``periods, except that an alien may be eligible for an 
                additional permit for such period if at any time after 
                the expiration of the first renewal period and prior to 
                application for such permit, the alien has remained 
                outside the United States for a continuous period of at 
                least 30 days.''; and
                    (E) by striking clause (ii); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) Deferral.--
                            ``(i) Mandatory deferral.--The Secretary of 
                        Homeland Security shall defer the requirement 
                        to remain outside of the United States until 
                        October 1, 2026.
                            ``(ii) Discretionary deferral.--The 
                        Secretary of Homeland Security may defer this 
                        requirement during or in connection with--
                                    ``(I) a presidentially declared 
                                major disaster or emergency under 
                                section 401 or 501 of the Robert T. 
                                Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                                Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 or 
                                5191); or
                                    ``(II) a presidentially declared 
                                national emergency under section 201 of 
                                the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 
                                1601 et seq.).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect as if included in the enactment of Public Law 115-218.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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