I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4309 
To amend section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to reduce 
the waiting period for employment authorization for asylum applicants, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2023 
Mr. TORRES of New York (for himself and Ms. PINGREE) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To amend section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act to reduce the waiting period for employment author-
ization for asylum applicants, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Assisting Seekers in 
Pursuit of Integration and Rapid Employment Act’’ or the 
‘‘ASPIRE Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION FOR ALIENS SEEK-
ING ASYLUM. 
Paragraph (2) of section 208(d) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158(d)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(2) EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION.— 
‘‘(A) ELIGIBILITY.—Subject to subpara-
graphs (B) and (C), the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall authorize employment for an ap-
plicant for asylum whose application for asylum 
has not been determined frivolous. 
‘‘(B) APPLICATION.—An applicant for asy-
lum who is not otherwise eligible for employ-
ment authorization shall not be granted such 
authorization prior to 30 days after the date of 
filing of the application for asylum. 
‘‘(C) TERM.—Employment authorization 
for an applicant for asylum shall be valid until 
the date on which an applicant is issued a final 
denial of the applicable application, including 
administrative and judicial review.’’. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) U.S. CITIZENSHIP
AND IMMIGRATION SERV-
ICES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and 
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Immigration Services to increase the capacity of 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to ad-
dress the asylum backlog, including by hiring addi-
tional asylum officers and providing basic asylum 
training and translation and interpretation services, 
$2,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, to remain 
available until expended. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—Not less than 75 percent 
of the amount authorized to be appropriated under 
paragraph (1) shall be used to hire personnel. 
(b) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Home-
land Security for the Shelter and Services Program, ad-
ministered jointly by U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to pro-
vide State and local governments and nonprofit organiza-
tions with funding for the provision of shelter, food, trans-
portation, and other support services to migrants encoun-
tered by the Secretary $10,000,000,000 for fiscal year 
2024, to remain available until expended. 
Æ 
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