105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4293
AN ACT
To establish a cultural training program for dis-
advantaged individuals to assist the Irish peace
process.
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4293
AN ACT
To establish a cultural training program for disadvantaged
individuals to assist the Irish peace process.
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 ‘‘Irish Peace Process
Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998’’.
SEC. 2. IRISH PEACE PROCESS CULTURAL AND TRAINING
PROGRAM.
(a) PURPOSE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State and
the Attorney General shall establish a program to
allow young people from disadvantaged areas of des-
ignated counties suffering from sectarian violence
and high structural unemployment to enter the
United States for the purpose of developing job
skills and conflict resolution abilities in a diverse, co-
operative, peaceful, and prosperous environment, so
that those young people can return to their homes
better able to contribute toward economic regenera-
tion and the Irish peace process. The program shall
promote cross-community and cross-border initia-
tives to build grassroots support for long-term
peaceful coexistence. The Secretary of State and the
Attorney General shall cooperate with nongovern-
mental organizations to assist those admitted to par-
ticipate fully in the economic, social, and cultural life
of the United States.
(2) SCOPE AND DURATION OF PROGRAM.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The program under
paragraph (1) shall provide for the admission of
not more than 4,000 aliens under section
101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (including spouses and minor chil-
dren) in each of 3 consecutive program years.
(B) OFFSET IN NUMBER OF H–2B NON-
IMMIGRANT
ADMISSIONS
ALLOWED.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, for each
alien so admitted in a fiscal year, the numerical
limitation specified under section 214(g)(1)(B)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act shall be
reduced by 1 for that fiscal year or the subse-
quent fiscal year.
(3) RECORDS AND REPORT.—The Immigration
and Naturalization Service shall maintain records of
the nonimmigrant status and place of residence of
each alien admitted under the program. Not later
than 120 days after the end of the third program
year and for the 3 subsequent years, the Immigra-
tion and Naturalization Service shall compile and
submit to the Congress a report on the number of
aliens admitted with nonimmigrant status under sec-
tion 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) who have overstayed their
visas.
(4) DESIGNATED COUNTIES DEFINED.—For the
purposes of this Act, the term ‘‘designated counties’’
means the six counties of Northern Ireland and the
counties of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo,
and Donegal within the Republic of Ireland.
(b) TEMPORARY NONIMMIGRANT VISA.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 101(a)(15)(Q) of the
Immigration 
and 
Nationality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C.
1101(a)(15)(Q)) is amended—
(A) by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ after ‘‘(Q)’’; and
(B) by inserting after the semicolon at the
end the following: ‘‘or (ii)(I) an alien 35 years
of age or younger having a residence in North-
ern 
Ireland, 
or 
the 
counties 
of 
Louth,
Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo, and Donegal
within the Republic of Ireland, which the alien
has no intention of abandoning who is coming
temporarily (for a period not to exceed 36
months) to the United States as a participant
in a cultural and training program approved by
the Secretary of State and the Attorney Gen-
eral under section 2(a) of the Irish Peace Proc-
ess Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998
for the purpose of providing practical training,
employment, and the experience of coexistence
and conflict resolution in a diverse society, and
(II) the alien spouse and minor children of any
such alien if accompanying the alien or follow-
ing to join the alien;’’.
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year such
sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of
this section. Amounts appropriated pursuant to this sub-
section are authorized to be available until expended.
(d) SUNSET.—
(1) Effective October 1, 2005, the Irish Peace
Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998
is repealed.
(2) 
Effective 
October 
1, 
2005, 
section
101(a)(15)(Q) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(Q)) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of clause
(i);
(B) by striking ‘‘(i)’’ after ‘‘(Q)’’; and
(C) by striking clause (ii).
Passed the House of Representatives October 7,
1998.
Attest:
Clerk.