IB 
Union Calendar No. 560 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4479 
[Report No. 116–676, Part I] 
To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional worker permits for 
workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 
Mr. SABLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
DECEMBER 18, 2020 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
DECEMBER 18, 2020 
Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 24, 2019] 
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A BILL 
To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional 
worker permits for workers in construction occupations 
involved in disaster recovery, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Disaster Recovery Work-
force Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTION WORKER PERMITS. 
Section 6(d)(3) of the Joint Resolution entitled ‘‘Joint 
Resolution to approve the ‘Covenant To Establish a Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political 
Union with the United States of America’, and for other 
purposes’’ (48 U.S.C. 1806(d)(3)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(E) TYPHOON RECOVERY.— 
‘‘(i) 
PERMITS
FOR
CONSTRUCTION 
WORKERS.—Notwithstanding any numer-
ical cap set forth in subparagraph (B) for 
each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022, 
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
increase by 3,000, for each such fiscal year, 
the total number of permits available under 
this subsection for Construction and Extrac-
tion Occupations (as defined by the Depart-
ment of Labor as Standard Occupational 
Classification Group 47–0000). 
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‘‘(ii) PERMIT
REQUIREMENTS.—The 
Secretary may only issue a permit made 
available under clause (i) to a prospective 
employer if the permit is for an alien 
who— 
‘‘(I) is a national of a country 
designated eligible to participate in the 
program 
under 
section 
101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) of the Immigra-
tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b)) during calendar 
year 2018; and 
‘‘(II) is performing service or 
labor pursuant to a contract or sub-
contract for construction, repairs, ren-
ovations, or facility services directly 
connected to, or associated with recov-
ery from a presidentially declared 
major disaster or emergency (as those 
terms are defined in section 102 of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5122), or for preparation for a future 
disaster or emergency. 
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Union Calendar No. 560 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4479 
[Report No. 116–676, Part I] 
A BILL 
To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transi-
tional worker permits for workers in construction 
occupations involved in disaster recovery, and for 
other purposes. 
DECEMBER 18, 2020 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 
an amendment 
DECEMBER 18, 2020 
Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the 
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 
Union and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Dec 18, 2020
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H4479.RH
H4479
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS