I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5977 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act and title IV of the Social 
Security Act to provide for the denial of family classification petitions 
filed by an individual who owes child support arrearages. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2006 
Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland (for himself, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mrs. 
EMERSON, Mr. TANCREDO, and Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Ju-
diciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act and title 
IV of the Social Security Act to provide for the denial 
of family classification petitions filed by an individual 
who owes child support arrearages. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Child Sup-
port Enforcement Immigration Act of 2006’’. 
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SEC. 2. DENIAL OF FAMILY CLASSIFICATION PETITIONS 
FILED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO OWE CHILD 
SUPPORT ARREARAGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) FAMILY-BASED CLASSIFICATION PETITIONS 
FOR IMMIGRANTS.—Section 204 of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(l) DENIAL OF FAMILY-BASED CLASSIFICATION PE-
TITION FOR PETITIONERS CERTIFIED AS OWING CHILD 
SUPPORT ARREARAGES.—The Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity shall, upon certification by the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services transmitted under section 452(k)(1) 
of the Social Security Act with respect to an individual, 
not approve a petition filed by such individual under sub-
section (a) for classification of an alien by reason of a rela-
tionship described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of sec-
tion 203(a) or by reason of immediate relative status 
under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i).’’. 
(2) PETITIONS FOR NONIMMIGRANT FIANCEE´S 
AND FIANCE´S.—Section 214(d)(1) of such Act (8 
U.S.C. 1184(d)(1)) is amended— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ after ‘‘(d)(1)’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
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‘‘(B) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall, upon 
certification by the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices transmitted under section 452(k)(1) of the Social Se-
curity Act with respect to an individual, not approve a pe-
tition filed by such individual under the first sentence of 
subparagraph (A).’’. 
(b) CERTIFICATION OF ARREARAGES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 452(k) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 652(k)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting before 
the period at the end the following: ‘‘and to the 
Secretary of Homeland Security for action 
(with respect to denial of classification peti-
tions) 
pursuant 
to 
sections 
204(l) 
and 
214(d)(1)(B) of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and the 
Secretary of State’’ and inserting ‘‘, the Sec-
retary of State, and the Secretary of Homeland 
Security’’. 
(2) TRANSITION
FOR
PREVIOUSLY
TRANS-
MITTED CERTIFICATIONS.—The Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall provide for the expedi-
tious transmittal to the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity of certifications previously transmitted to the 
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Secretary of State under section 452(k)(1) of the 
Social Security Act. Such transmittal of certifi-
cations shall be treated, for purposes of section 
204(l) and 214(d)(1)(B) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (as added by subsection (a) of this 
Act), as a transmittal of information under such sec-
tion 452(k)(1). 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to classification petitions 
that have not been approved as of the date of the 
enactment of this Act, regardless of the date on 
which they were filed. 
(2) APPLICATION
TO
PREVIOUSLY
APPROVED 
PETITIONS.—The Secretary of Homeland Security 
may revoke the approval of a classification petition 
that has been approved as of the date of the enact-
ment of this section and on the basis of which a visa 
has not been issued or an adjustment of status has 
not been effected, if the Secretary determines that 
such petition would not have been approved if such 
amendments applied before the date of the approval 
of such petition. 
Æ 
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