I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3824 
To provide assistance to Iraqi nationals who supported the United States, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 12, 2007 
Mr. ISRAEL (for himself, Mr. WOLF, and Mr. HASTINGS of Florida) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Ju-
diciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services and For-
eign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide assistance to Iraqi nationals who supported the 
United States, 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 ‘‘Relocation Empower-
ment and Placement Assistance for Iraqi Refugees Act of 
2007’’ or the ‘‘REPAIR Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The United States has relied on Iraqi na-
tionals who have risked their lives and worked dili-
gently side by side with United States and coalition 
forces. 
(2) The United States is grateful to these indi-
viduals for the risks they took in assisting the 
United States and coalition forces. 
(3) Many of these Iraqi nationals desire to 
come to the United States to seek protection from 
threats they face at home because of the work they 
did for the United States. 
(4) Special immigrant status is available in lim-
ited numbers to Iraqi nationals who have worked di-
rectly for the United States Armed Forces as trans-
lators. 
(5) Special immigrant status allows translators 
and their immediate families to gain admission to 
the United States, apply for permanent residency, 
and eventually acquire United States citizenship. 
(6) Special immigrant status is not available, 
however, to those individuals who otherwise assisted 
United States efforts but who were not translators, 
including cooks, drivers, guides, security personnel, 
and mechanics. 
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(7) Currently, an individual who applies for 
special immigrant status for service as a translator 
is required to file form I–360 with the Nebraska 
Service Center (NSC) of United States Citizenship 
and Immigration Services for adjudication at a 
United States diplomatic or consular post outside of 
Iraq. The filing fee for the I–360 form is $375. 
(8) Iraqis are being forced to leave Iraq and 
travel through potentially hostile territory to obtain 
special immigrant status and visas. 
(9) To apply for special immigrant status, an 
applicant must provide a copy of the applicant’s 
passport or birth certificate showing the applicant is 
a national of Iraq, provide proof from the United 
States Armed Forces or United States Chief of Mis-
sion in Iraq that the applicant worked as a trans-
lator for the Armed Forces at least 12 months, pass 
a background check and screening by the Armed 
Forces or the Chief of Mission, provide a letter of 
recommendation from the Chief of Mission, a gen-
eral, or a flag officer, and provide a copy of the 
front and back of the applicant’s Arrival Departure 
Record (Form I–94) if the applicant applies in the 
United States for such status. 
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SEC. 3. STATEMENTS OF POLICY. 
The following shall be the policies of the United 
States: 
(1) To waive any filing or administrative fees in 
connection with applications for special immigrant 
status for those brave and committed Iraqi nationals 
who have risked their lives to assist the United 
States Armed Forces as translators. 
(2) To allow Iraqis to apply for special immi-
grant status and visas in Iraq at the United States 
Embassy in Baghdad and at the United States Con-
sulate in Irbil. 
(3) To allow Iraqis working in any capacity 
with the Armed Forces to apply for special immi-
grant status and visas for admission to the United 
States in the same manner that Iraqi translators 
currently can. 
(4) To broaden domestic relocation assistance 
to Iraqis to include housing credits, cultural coun-
seling, meetings with social workers, and advice on 
how to work with schools and employment systems. 
SEC. 4. PROVISIONS RELATING TO SPECIAL IMMIGRANT 
STATUS FOR IRAQI ALLIES OF THE UNITED 
STATES. 
(a) WAIVER OF FEES; PROVISION OF DOCUMENTA-
TION.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law or any 
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regulation, an alien described in subsection (b) of section 
1059 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2006 (Public Law 109–163; 8 U.S.C. 1101 note), 
as amended by this section, shall not be charged any filing, 
administrative, or application fee in connection with an 
application for, or issuance of, special immigrant status 
and visa under such section. The Secretary of State shall 
ensure that aliens described in such subsection who are 
provided special immigrant status are provided with the 
appropriate documentation to enter the United States. 
(b) 
OTHER
SERVICE
ACCEPTABLE.—Section 
1059(b)(1)(B) of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2006 is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘or with a United States con-
tractor,’’ before ‘‘as a translator’’; and 
(2) by inserting after ‘‘interpreter’’ the fol-
lowing: ‘‘or in any other capacity’’. 
(c) ADDITIONAL MILITARY OFFICERS ENTITLED TO 
RECOMMEND NATIONALS OF IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN FOR 
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT STATUS.—Section 1059(b)(1)(C) of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2006 is amended by striking ‘‘a general or flag officer’’ 
and inserting ‘‘an officer serving in or having the grade 
of O–6 or higher’’. 
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(d) PROCESSING
FOR CERTAIN IRAQIS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, the Secretary of State 
shall make every effort to ensure that aliens applying for 
special immigrant status and visas, and aliens applying 
for refugee status and visas, may apply and interview for 
admission to the United States as special immigrants or 
as refugees, as the case may be, within Iraq in Baghdad 
and in Irbil through in-country processing mechanisms, 
including mailing applications to off-site locations. 
(e) WAIVER OF NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, including subsection 
(c) of section 1059 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2006, aliens provided special immi-
grant status and visas under such section shall not be 
counted against any numerical limitation under sections 
201(d), 202(a), or 203(b)(4) of the Immigration and Na-
tionality 
Act 
(8 
U.S.C. 
1151(d), 
1152(a), 
and 
1153(b)(4)). 
SEC. 5. PROGRAM AT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of State shall jointly establish and oper-
ate a program to offer employment to relocated Iraqi spe-
cial immigrants as translators, interpreters, and cultural 
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awareness instructors within the agencies of Federal Gov-
ernment. 
(b) FUNDING.—The program established under sub-
section (a) shall be funded from the annual general oper-
ating budget of the Department of Defense. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING ACCESS TO 
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.—Nothing in this section may 
be construed as affecting in any manner practices and pro-
cedures regarding the handling of or access to classified 
information. 
(d) INFORMATION SHARING.—The Secretary of De-
fense and the Secretary of State shall work with non-
governmental organizations to ensure that Iraqi special 
immigrants are informed of the program established under 
subsection (a). 
(e) REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date determined under subsection (a), the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report on the status of the program estab-
lished under such subsection and the number of full- 
time employees of the Federal Government created 
under such program. 
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(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘ap-
propriate congressional committees’’ means the fol-
lowing: 
(A) In the House of Representatives: 
(i) The Committee on Foreign Affairs. 
(ii) The Committee on Homeland Se-
curity. 
(iii) The Committee on the Judiciary. 
(iv) The Committee on Appropria-
tions. 
(B) In the Senate: 
(i) The Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions. 
(ii) The Committee on Homeland Se-
curity and Governmental Affairs. 
(iii) The Committee on the Judiciary. 
(iv) The Committee on Appropria-
tions. 
SEC. 6. SERVICES UPON ARRIVAL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Aliens provided special immigrant 
status and visas pursuant to section 4 shall be eligible for 
the same resettlement assistance, programs, and benefits 
as refugees admitted under section 207 of the Immigra-
tion and Naturalization Act (8 U.S.C. 1157). The Sec-
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retary of of Health and Human Services, in cooperation 
with the Secretary of State, shall work with nongovern-
mental organizations to provide such assistance, pro-
grams, and benefits and ensure that such aliens are re-
ferred to refugee resettlement agencies. 
(b) COMPUTER LITERACY AND VOCATIONAL TRAIN-
ING.—The Secretary of State shall utilize existing pro-
grams of the Department of State and contracts between 
the Department and nongovernmental organizations to 
make available computer literacy programs and vocational 
training programs to aliens provided special immigrant 
status pursuant to section 4. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed as requiring the cooperation of 
nongovernmental organizations. 
SEC. 7. TRAINING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish 
a program in the Department of State to provide instruc-
tion in English as a second language, vocational training, 
computer training, employment services, and certain coun-
seling services for Iraqis admitted to the United States 
as special immigrants. 
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SEC. 8. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the United States 
should provide an orientation into life in the United States 
for Iraqi special immigrants under this Act who are newly 
admitted to the United States and should make all reason-
able efforts to provide temporary safe haven for aliens de-
scribed in section 4 who are applying for special immi-
grant status and visas if such aliens are in imminent dan-
ger in Iraq. 
Æ 
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