I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4340 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity 
immigrant program, to focus family-sponsored immigration on spouses 
and minor children, and make mandatory and permanent requirements 
relating to use of an electronic employment eligibility verification system. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 9, 2017 
Mr. BRAT (for himself and Mr. SMITH of Texas) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and the Work-
force, 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 amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate 
the diversity immigrant program, to focus family-spon-
sored immigration on spouses and minor children, and 
make mandatory and permanent requirements relating 
to use of an electronic employment eligibility verification 
system. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘American Labor, Wages, and Sovereignty Act’’ or the 
‘‘American LAWS Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—MODIFICATION OF IMMIGRANT VISA PRIORITIES 
Sec. 101. Elimination of diversity immigrant program. 
Sec. 102. Family-sponsored immigration priorities. 
TITLE II—EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION 
Sec. 201. Short title. 
Sec. 202. Employment eligibility verification process. 
Sec. 203. Employment eligibility verification system. 
Sec. 204. Recruitment, referral, and continuation of employment. 
Sec. 205. Good faith defense. 
Sec. 206. Preemption and States’ rights. 
Sec. 207. Repeal. 
Sec. 208. Penalties. 
Sec. 209. Fraud and misuse of documents. 
Sec. 210. Protection of Social Security Administration programs. 
Sec. 211. Fraud prevention. 
Sec. 212. Use of Employment Eligibility Verification Photo Tool. 
Sec. 213. Identity authentication employment eligibility verification pilot pro-
grams. 
Sec. 214. Inspector General audits. 
TITLE I—MODIFICATION OF 
IMMIGRANT VISA PRIORITIES 
SEC. 101. ELIMINATION OF DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) WORLDWIDE
LEVEL
OF
DIVERSITY
IMMI-
GRANTS.—Section 201 of the Immigration and Nation-
ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
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(A) by inserting ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (1); 
(B) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end of para-
graph (2) and inserting a period; and 
(C) by striking paragraph (3); and 
(2) by striking subsection (e). 
(b) ALLOCATION OF DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT VISAS.— 
Section 203 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (c); 
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘(a), (b), or 
(c),’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) or (b),’’; 
(3) in subsection (e), by striking paragraph (2) 
and redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (2); 
(4) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘(a), (b), or 
(c)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) or (b)’’; and 
(5) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘(a), (b), and 
(c)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) and (b)’’. 
(c) PROCEDURE FOR GRANTING IMMIGRANT STA-
TUS.—Section 204 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1154) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by striking subsection (a)(1)(I); and 
(2) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘(a), (b), or 
(c)’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) or (b)’’. 
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(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect as if enacted on October 1, 
2017. 
SEC. 102. FAMILY-SPONSORED IMMIGRATION PRIORITIES. 
(a) IMMEDIATE RELATIVE REDEFINED.—The Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(1) in section 101(b)(1) (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1)), 
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by strik-
ing ‘‘under twenty-one years of age who’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘who is younger than 18 years of age and’’; and 
(2) in section 201 (8 U.S.C. 1151)— 
(A) in subsection (b)(2)(A)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘children, 
spouses, and parents of a citizen of the 
United States, except that, in the case of 
parents, such citizens shall be at least 21 
years of age.’’ and inserting ‘‘children and 
spouse of a citizen of the United States.’’; 
and 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘such an 
immediate relative’’ and inserting ‘‘the im-
mediate relative spouse of a United States 
citizen’’; 
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(B) by striking subsection (c) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(c) WORLDWIDE LEVEL
OF FAMILY-SPONSORED 
IMMIGRANTS.—(1) The worldwide level of family-spon-
sored immigrants under this subsection for a fiscal year 
is equal to 88,000 minus the number computed under 
paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) The number computed under this paragraph for 
a fiscal year is the number of aliens who were paroled into 
the United States under section 212(d)(5) in the second 
preceding fiscal year who— 
‘‘(A) did not depart from the United States 
(without advance parole) within 365 days; and 
‘‘(B)(i) did not acquire the status of an alien 
lawfully admitted to the United States for perma-
nent residence during the two preceding fiscal years; 
or 
‘‘(ii) acquired such status during such period 
under a provision of law (other than subsection (b)) 
that exempts adjustment to such status from the nu-
merical limitation on the worldwide level of immigra-
tion under this section.’’; and 
(C) in subsection (f)— 
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(i) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 203(a)(2)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
203(a)’’; 
(ii) by striking paragraph (3); 
(iii) by redesignating paragraph (4) as 
paragraph (3); and 
(iv) in paragraph (3), as redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘(1) through (3)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(1) and (2)’’. 
(b) FAMILY-BASED VISA PREFERENCES.—Section 
203(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1153(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) SPOUSES AND MINOR CHILDREN OF PERMA-
NENT RESIDENT ALIENS.—Family-sponsored immigrants 
described in this subsection are qualified immigrants who 
are the spouse or a child of an alien lawfully admitted 
for permanent residence.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) DEFINITION OF V NONIMMIGRANT.—Section 
101(a)(15)(V) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(V)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘section 203(a)(2)(A)’’ each place such term ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘section 203(a)’’. 
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(2) NUMERICAL
LIMITATION
TO
ANY
SINGLE 
FOREIGN
STATE.—Section 202 of such Act (8 
U.S.C. 1152) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)(4)— 
(i) by striking subparagraphs (A) and 
(B) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) 75 PERCENT OF FAMILY-SPONSORED 
IMMIGRANTS NOT SUBJECT TO PER COUNTRY 
LIMITATION.—Of the visa numbers made avail-
able under section 203(a) in any fiscal year, 75 
percent shall be issued without regard to the 
numerical limitation under paragraph (2). 
‘‘(B) TREATMENT OF REMAINING 25 PER-
CENT
FOR
COUNTRIES
SUBJECT
TO
SUB-
SECTION (e).— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Of the visa num-
bers made available under section 203(a) 
in any fiscal year, 25 percent shall be 
available, in the case of a foreign state or 
dependent area that is subject to sub-
section (e) only to the extent that the total 
number of visas issued in accordance with 
subparagraph (A) to natives of the foreign 
state or dependent area is less than the 
subsection (e) ceiling. 
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‘‘(ii) SUBSECTION (e) CEILING
DE-
FINED.—In clause (i), the term ‘subsection 
(e) ceiling’ means, for a foreign state or 
dependent area, 77 percent of the max-
imum number of visas that may be made 
available under section 203(a) to immi-
grants who are natives of the state or area, 
consistent with subsection (e).’’; and 
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (C) and 
(D); and 
(B) in subsection (e)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by adding ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(ii) by striking paragraph (2); 
(iii) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (2); and 
(iv) in the undesignated matter after 
paragraph (2), as redesignated, by striking 
‘‘, respectively,’’ and all that follows and 
inserting a period. 
(3) RULES FOR DETERMINING WHETHER CER-
TAIN
ALIENS
ARE
CHILDREN.—Section 203(h) of 
such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(h)) is amended by striking 
‘‘(a)(2)(A)’’ each place such term appears and in-
serting ‘‘(a)(2)’’. 
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(4) PROCEDURE
FOR
GRANTING
IMMIGRANT 
STATUS.—Section 204 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1154) 
is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)(1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking 
‘‘to classification by reason of a relation-
ship described in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) 
of section 203(a) or’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)— 
(I) in clause (i), by redesignating 
the second subclause (I) as subclause 
(II); and 
(II) by striking ‘‘203(a)(2)(A)’’ 
each place such terms appear and in-
serting ‘‘203(a)’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (D)(i)(I), by 
striking ‘‘a petitioner’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘section 204(a)(1)(B)(iii).’’ and 
inserting ‘‘an individual younger than 21 
years of age for purposes of adjudicating 
such petition and for purposes of admis-
sion as an immediate relative under section 
201(b)(2)(A)(i) or a family-sponsored im-
migrant under section 203(a), as appro-
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priate, notwithstanding the actual age of 
the individual.’’; 
(B) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ‘‘, 
203(a)(1), or 203(a)(3), as appropriate’’; and 
(C) by striking subsection (k). 
(5) WAIVERS
OF
INADMISSIBILITY.—Section 
212 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1182) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)(6)(E)(ii), by striking 
‘‘section 203(a)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 
203(a)’’; and 
(B) in subsection (d)(11), by striking 
‘‘(other than paragraph (4) thereof)’’. 
(6) EMPLOYMENT OF V NONIMMIGRANTS.—Sec-
tion 214(q)(1)(B)(i) 
of 
such 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1184(q)(1)(B)(i)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
203(a)(2)(A)’’ each place such term appears and in-
serting ‘‘section 203(a)’’. 
(7) DEFINITION
OF
ALIEN
SPOUSE.—Section 
216(h)(1)(C) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1186a(h)(1)(C)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘section 203(a)(2)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 203(a)’’. 
(8) CLASSES
OF
DEPORTABLE
ALIENS.—Sec-
tion 237(a)(1)(E)(ii) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
1227(a)(1)(E)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
203(a)(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 203(a)’’. 
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(d) CREATION OF NONIMMIGRANT CLASSIFICATION 
FOR ALIEN PARENTS OF ADULT UNITED STATES CITI-
ZENS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 101(a)(15) of the 
Immigration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1101(a)(15)) is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (T)(ii)(III), by strik-
ing the period at the end and inserting a semi-
colon; 
(B) in subparagraph (U)(iii), by striking 
‘‘or’’ at the end; 
(C) in subparagraph (V)(ii)(II), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(W) Subject to section 214(s), an alien who is 
a parent of a citizen of the United States, if the cit-
izen is at least 21 years of age.’’. 
(2) CONDITIONS ON ADMISSION.—Section 214 
of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1184) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(s)(1) The initial period of authorized admission for 
a nonimmigrant described in section 101(a)(15)(W) shall 
be 5 years, but may be extended by the Secretary of 
Homeland Security for additional 5-year periods if the 
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United States citizen son or daughter of the nonimmigrant 
is still residing in the United States. 
‘‘(2) 
A 
nonimmigrant 
described 
in 
section 
101(a)(15)(W)— 
‘‘(A) is not authorized to be employed in the 
United States; and 
‘‘(B) is not eligible for any Federal, State, or 
local public benefit. 
‘‘(3) Regardless of the resources of a nonimmigrant 
described in section 101(a)(15)(W), the United States cit-
izen son or daughter who sponsored the nonimmigrant 
parent shall be responsible for the nonimmigrant’s support 
while the nonimmigrant resides in the United States. 
‘‘(4) An alien is ineligible to receive a visa or to be 
admitted into the United States as a nonimmigrant de-
scribed in section 101(a)(15)(W) unless the alien provides 
satisfactory proof that the United States citizen son or 
daughter has arranged for health insurance coverage for 
the alien, at no cost to the alien, during the anticipated 
period of the alien’s residence in the United States.’’. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICABILITY.— 
(1) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by this section shall take effect on the first day of 
the first fiscal year beginning on or after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
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