I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3983 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue regulations with respect 
to the optional practical training program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 17, 2021 
Mr. CAWTHORN (for himself, Mr. TIFFANY, Mr. STEUBE, Ms. HERRELL, and 
Mr. WEBER of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, 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 concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue regu-
lations with respect to the optional practical training 
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 ‘‘Responsible Practical 
Training Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and notwithstanding any 
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other provision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall issue such regulations as may be necessary to update 
part 214.2(f)(10–12) of title 8, Code of Federal Regula-
tions, with respect to the optional practical training pro-
gram (or a successor program) to— 
(1) limit such training program to six months 
and end any extension of such training program; 
and 
(2) exclude aliens with a degree or working in 
military related or other sensitive fields from such 
training program. 
(b) WAGE STUDY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and an-
nually thereafter, the Secretary of Labor shall con-
duct a wage analysis on the optional practical train-
ing program and curricular practical training (or 
successor programs), including— 
(A) information on the duties, hours, and 
compensation of an alien working under such 
programs; and 
(B) a determination on the extent to which 
employment under such programs has or has 
not resulted in the payment of commensurate 
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wages to the alien, appropriate for the type and 
location of such employment. 
(2) PUBLICATION.—Not later than one year 
after the first wage study under paragraph (1) is 
conducted, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
Labor shall publish the findings of the wage study 
on the internet website of the Department of Labor. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.—Any regulation issued under 
subsection (a) shall not apply to an alien employed by a 
legitimate employer under the optional practical training 
program that has been recorded in the Student and Ex-
change Visitor Information System on the date on which 
such regulations are issued under the optional practical 
training program or an extension of such training program 
on the date on which such regulations are issued. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) MILITARY RELATED OR OTHER SENSITIVE 
FIELDS.—the term ‘‘military related or other sen-
sitive fields’’ includes nuclear engineering, underseas 
warfare, cyber warfare, combat systems engineering, 
military applied sciences, military information sys-
tems technology, strategic intelligence, general intel-
ligence, signal and geospatial intelligence, command 
and control systems and operations, information op-
erations or joint information operations, information 
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or psychological warfare and military media rela-
tions, cyber or electronic operations and warfare, in-
telligence, command control and information oper-
ations, missile and space systems technology, muni-
tions systems or ordinance technology, radar com-
munications and systems technology, military sys-
tems and maintenance technology, low-observables 
and stealth technology, nanotechnology or any other 
field determined by the Under Secretary of Home-
land Security for Intelligence and Analysis to be a 
military related or otherwise sensitive field. 
(2) STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITOR INFOR-
MATION
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Student and Ex-
change Visitor Information System’’ means the sys-
tem described in part 214.2 of title 8, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, and used by the Student and Ex-
change Visitor Program (SEVP) to track and mon-
itor schools, exchange visitor programs, and F, M 
and J nonimmigrants while they visit the United 
States and participate in the United States edu-
cation system. 
Æ 
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