I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2961
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize a 3-year pilot
program under which the Attorney General may extend the period for
voluntary departure in the case of certain nonimmigrant aliens who
require medical treatment in the United States and were admitted under
the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 28, 1999
Mr. BENTSEN (for himself, Mr. ARCHER, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mrs.
MORELLA, Mr. LAMPSON, Mrs. NORTHUP, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr.
BRADY of Texas, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. REYES,
and Mr. GONZALEZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize
a 3-year pilot program under which the Attorney General
may extend the period for voluntary departure in the
case of certain nonimmigrant aliens who require medical
treatment in the United States and were admitted under
the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, 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 ‘‘International Patient
Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. THREE-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM TO EXTEND THE PE-
RIOD FOR VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE FOR
CERTAIN NONIMMIGRANT ALIENS REQUIR-
ING MEDICAL TREATMENT WHO WERE AD-
MITTED TO THE UNITED STATES UNDER THE
VISA WAIVER PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 240B(a)(2) of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229c(a)(2)) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(2) PERIOD.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), permission to depart voluntarily
under this subsection shall not be valid for a
period exceeding 120 days.
‘‘(B) 3-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM WAIVER.—
During the period January 1, 2000, through
December 31, 2002 and subject to subpara-
graphs (C) and (D)(ii), the Attorney General
may, in the discretion of the Attorney General
for humanitarian purposes, waive application of
subparagraph (A) in the case of an alien—
‘‘(i) who was admitted to the United
States as a nonimmigrant visitor (de-
scribed in section 101(a)(15)(B)) under
the provisions of the visa waiver pilot pro-
gram established pursuant to section 217,
seeks the waiver for the purpose of con-
tinuing to receive medical treatment in the
United States from a physician associated
with a health care facility, and submits to
the Attorney General—
‘‘(I) a detailed diagnosis state-
ment from the physician, which in-
cludes the treatment being sought and
the expected time period the alien will
be required to remain in the United
States;
‘‘(II) a statement from the health
care facility containing an assurance
that the alien’s treatment is not being
paid through any Federal or State
public health assistance, that the
alien’s account has no outstanding
balance, and that such facility will no-
tify the Service when the alien is re-
leased or treatment is terminated; and
‘‘(III) evidence of financial ability
to support the alien’s day-to-day ex-
penses while in the United States (in-
cluding the expenses of any family
member described in clause (ii)) and
evidence that any such alien or family
member is not receiving any form of
public assistance; or
‘‘(ii) who—
‘‘(I) is a spouse, parent, brother,
sister, son, daughter, or other family
member of a principal alien described
in clause (i); and
‘‘(II) entered the United States
accompanying, and with the same sta-
tus as, such principal alien.’’.
‘‘(C) WAIVER LIMITATIONS.—
‘‘(i) Waivers under subparagraph (B)
may be granted only upon a request sub-
mitted by a Service district office to Serv-
ice headquarters.
‘‘(ii) Not more than 300 waivers may
be granted for any fiscal year for a prin-
cipal alien under subparagraph (B)(i).
‘‘(iii)(I) Except as provided in sub-
clause (II), in the case of each principal
alien described in subparagraph (B)(i) not