I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1283 
To establish a nonpartisan commission on immigration reform and border 
security. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2019 
Mr. RYAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Homeland Secu-
rity, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a nonpartisan commission on immigration 
reform and border security. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. NONPARTISAN COMMISSION ON IMMIGRATION 
REFORM AND BORDER SECURITY. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION OF COMMIS-
SION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Effective on the date of the 
enactment of this Act, there is established a Non-
partisan Commission on Immigration Reform and 
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Border Security (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Commission’’) which shall be composed of nine 
members to be appointed as follows: 
(A) One member, who shall serve as Chair-
person, to be appointed jointly by the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives and the major-
ity leader of the Senate. 
(B) One member to be appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives who 
shall select such members from a list of nomi-
nees provided by the Chairman of the Sub-
committee on Immigration and Citizenship of 
the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives. 
(C) One member to be appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives who 
shall select such members from a list of nomi-
nees provided by the Chairman of the Sub-
committee on Border Security, Facilitation, and 
Operations of the Committee on Homeland Se-
curity of the House of Representatives. 
(D) One member to be appointed by the 
minority leader of the House of Representatives 
who shall select such members from a list of 
nominees provided by the ranking minority 
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member of the Subcommittee on Immigration 
and Citizenship of the Committee on the Judici-
ary of the House of Representatives. 
(E) One member to be appointed by the 
minority leader of the House of Representatives 
who shall select such members from a list of 
nominees provided by the ranking minority 
member of the Subcommittee on Border Secu-
rity, Facilitation, and Operations of the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives. 
(F) Two members to be appointed by the 
majority leader of the Senate who shall select 
such members from a list of nominees provided 
by the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Bor-
der Security and Immigration of the Committee 
on the Judiciary of the Senate. 
(G) Two members to be appointed by the 
minority leader of the Senate who shall select 
such members from a list of nominees provided 
by the ranking minority member of the Sub-
committee on Border Security and Immigration 
of the Committee on the Judiciary of the Sen-
ate. 
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(2) NO ELECTED OFFICIALS.—No member may 
be a Federal, State, or local elected official or polit-
ical appointee. 
(3) DEADLINE.—Initial appointments to the 
Commission shall be made not later than 45 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. A va-
cancy in the Commission shall be filled in the same 
manner in which the original appointment was 
made. 
(4) TERM OF SERVICE.—Members shall be ap-
pointed to serve for the life of the Commission. 
(b) FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION.—The Commission 
shall— 
(1) in accordance with subsection (c), review 
and assess— 
(A) the security of the borders of the 
United States and methods to enhance the in-
tegrity and efficacy of security at such borders; 
and 
(B) the immigration system of the United 
States in general; and 
(2) transmit to the Congress— 
(A) not later than 90 days after the initial 
appointments to the Commission are completed, 
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a first report describing the progress made in 
carrying out paragraph (1); and 
(B) not later than 270 days after the ini-
tial appointments to the Commission are com-
pleted, a final report setting forth the Commis-
sion’s findings and recommendations, including 
recommendations for additional changes that 
should be made with respect to border security 
as the Commission deems appropriate. 
(c) PARTICULAR CONSIDERATIONS.—In particular, 
the Commission shall consider the following: 
(1) Vulnerabilities in border security screening 
and surveillance programs, inspection and detection 
technologies, and physical infrastructure. 
(2) U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Office 
of Refugee Resettlement operations and personnel. 
(3) Cross-border criminal activity. 
(4) Drug trafficking and interdiction activities. 
(5) Severe forms of trafficking and smuggling 
of persons. 
(6) Migrant interdiction and detention oper-
ations. 
(7) Protocols pertaining to migrant families and 
unaccompanied alien minors. 
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(8) Protocols pertaining to asylum seekers and 
refugees. 
(9) Protection of the human rights of immi-
grants, refugees, and asylum seekers, in particular 
minor children. 
(10) Protection of the physical and mental 
health of migrants in custody, in particular minor 
children. 
(11) Asylum and immigration court system 
backlog. 
(12) Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. 
(13) Family-sponsored immigrants. 
(14) Employee-based immigrants. 
(15) Diversity immigrants. 
(16) Temporary protected status. 
(17) Nonimmigrant visitors. 
(18) Visa overstays. 
(19) Naturalization and a pathway to citizen-
ship. 
(20) Criminal aliens. 
(21) Removal proceedings. 
(d) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.— 
(1) PAY.—Each member of the Commission 
who is not an officer or employee of the Federal 
Government is entitled to receive, subject to such 
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amounts as are provided in advance in appropria-
tions Acts, pay at the daily equivalent of the min-
imum annual rate of basic pay in effect for grade 
GS–18 of the General Schedule. Each member of 
the Commission who is such an officer or employee 
shall serve without additional pay. 
(2) TRAVEL
EXPENSES.—While away from 
their homes or regular places of business in the per-
formance of services for the Commission, members 
of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence. 
(e) MEETINGS, STAFF, AND AUTHORITY OF COMMIS-
SION.—The provisions of subsections (e) through (g) of 
section 304 of the Immigration Reform and Control Act 
of 1986 shall apply to the Commission in the same manner 
as they apply to the Commission established under such 
section, except that paragraph (2) of subsection (e) there-
of shall not apply. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Commission such sums as may 
be necessary to carry out this section. 
(2) SUBJECT
TO
APPROPRIATIONS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of this section, the au-
thority to make payments, or to enter into contracts, 
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