I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3660 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services to notify Congress of each foreign national who 
dies in the custody of the Secretary, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 9, 2019 
Mrs. TRAHAN (for herself and Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services to notify Congress 
of each foreign national who dies in the custody of the 
Secretary, 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 ‘‘Accountability for Mi-
grant Deaths Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION OF FOREIGN NA-
TIONAL DEATHS IN CUSTODY. 
Not later than 24 hours after a foreign national dies 
while in the custody of the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
appropriate Secretary shall notify Congress of such death, 
which notification shall include a description of the cir-
cumstances of such death. 
SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON THE ASSERTION OF EXECUTIVE 
PRIVILEGE. 
The Secretary of Homeland Security and the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services may not assert Ex-
ecutive privilege with respect to testimony before a com-
mittee of the House of Representatives or of the Senate 
related to a death described in section 2. 
SEC. 4. COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON FOREIGN NATIONAL 
DEATHS IN CUSTODY REQUIRED IN THE 
HOUSE. 
(a) AMENDMENT TO THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES.—Rule XI of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives is amended by adding at the end the 
following new clause: 
‘‘Committee hearings on foreign national deaths in 
custody required 
‘‘(7) Not later than one week after receiving a notifi-
cation under section 1 of the Accountability for Migrant 
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Deaths Act of 2019 that a foreign national died while in 
the custody of the Secretary of Homeland Security or the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, the chair of the 
Committee on Oversight and Reform or another standing 
committee of jurisdiction shall convene a hearing to re-
ceive testimony from appropriate agency officials related 
to the death.’’. 
(b) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING POWER.—The provi-
sions of this section are enacted by the Congress— 
(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of 
the House of Representatives, and as such they shall 
be considered as part of the rules of the House, and 
such rules shall supersede other rules only to the ex-
tent that they are inconsistent therewith; and 
(2) with full recognition of the constitutional 
right of the House of Representatives to change 
such rules at any time, in the same manner, and to 
the same extent as in the case of any other rule of 
the House. 
SEC. 5. FOREIGN NATIONAL. 
In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, 
or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of various 
administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, 
the term ‘‘foreign national’’ means any individual other 
than an individual— 
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(1) who is a citizen of the United States; or 
(2) though not a citizen of the United States, 
who owes permanent allegiance to the United States. 
Æ 
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