I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4048 
To suspend the admission and resettlement of aliens seeking refugee status 
because of the conflict in Syria until adequate protocols are established 
to protect the national security of the United States and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 17, 2015 
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana (for himself, Mr. BOUSTANY, Mr. ABRAHAM, and 
Mr. FLEMING) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Select Committee on 
Intelligence (Permanent Select), Rules, and Foreign Affairs, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To suspend the admission and resettlement of aliens seeking 
refugee status because of the conflict in Syria until ade-
quate protocols are established to protect the national 
security of 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 ‘‘Syrian Refugee 
Verification and Safety Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means the following: 
(A) The Committee on the Judiciary, the 
Committee on Foreign Relations, the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs, and the Select Committee on 
Intelligence of the Senate. 
(B) The Committee on the Judiciary, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
on Homeland Security, and the Permanent Se-
lect Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
Representatives. 
(2) APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS.—The term ‘‘ap-
propriate officials’’ means each of the following: 
(A) The Secretary of Homeland Security. 
(B) The Secretary of State. 
(C) The Director of National Intelligence. 
(D) The Director of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation. 
(3) COVERED
ALIEN.—The term ‘‘covered 
alien’’ means an alien who is a refugee (as that term 
is defined in section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration 
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and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42)) because 
of the conflict in Syria. 
SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OF ADMISSION OF REFUGEES FROM 
THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA. 
(a) SUSPENSION OF ADMISSIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law— 
(A) no covered alien may be admitted to 
the United States as a refugee under section 
207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1157) or any other provision of law; 
(B) no funds may be expended to process 
applications for covered aliens to be admitted as 
refugees; and 
(C) no funds may be expended by the Sec-
retary of State or the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services to resettle covered aliens in the 
United States. 
(2) EFFECTIVE PERIOD.—Subject to subsection 
(f), paragraph (1) shall be in effect until the date 
that is 30 days after the date that the President 
submits to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a certification that the provisions of subsections (b) 
through (e) of this section have been carried out. 
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(3) MINIMUM REVIEW PERIOD.—The President 
may not submit the certification referred to in para-
graph (2) until after the date that is 270 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act to ensure there 
is adequate time to conduct the necessary evaluation 
of trends, analysis, and intelligence, and to otherwise 
obtain the necessary information to review the intel-
ligence and security structures required to make the 
certifications and submissions required by this sec-
tion. 
(b) IMPROVED PROTOCOLS AND COORDINATION.— 
Each appropriate official shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a certification that includes the 
following: 
(1) A description of the protocols in place and 
efforts to enhance protocols to properly adjudicate 
whether a covered alien is admissible to the United 
States and to resettle covered aliens in the United 
States, including a description of— 
(A) all security-related requirements and 
any enhanced security requirements; 
(B) how such protocols are adequate to 
protect the national security of the United 
States; and 
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(C) how such protocols will ensure coordi-
nation with Federal, State, and local law en-
forcement officials in areas where covered aliens 
will reside. 
(2) A cost assessment of the costs related to the 
admission of covered aliens as refugees and resettle-
ment of covered aliens in the United States, includ-
ing potential costs to individual States. 
(3) A description of the enhanced interagency 
coordination occurring to effectively implement such 
protocols. 
(4) A statement acknowledging that every cov-
ered alien entering the United States as a refugee 
is required to go through the full enhanced vetting 
process, as described in this section and carried out 
by the United States Government. 
(c) EVALUATION AND REVIEW BY INSPECTOR GEN-
ERAL OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.—The Inspec-
tor General of the Intelligence Community shall submit 
to the appropriate committees of Congress a comprehen-
sive evaluation and review of the protocols and coordina-
tion referred to in subsection (b). 
(d) UPDATE
OF CONGRESSIONAL PRESENTATION 
DOCUMENT FROM BUREAU OF POPULATION, REFUGEES, 
AND MIGRATION.— 
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(1) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of State 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress an updated Congressional Presentation Docu-
ment of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and 
Migration for Fiscal Year 2016 that reflects security 
or other risks posed by covered aliens. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The update required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) An assessment of whether the Bureau 
of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the De-
partment of Homeland Security, and law en-
forcement and intelligence agencies are success-
fully protecting the refugee admissions program 
from infiltration by aliens who pose national se-
curity threats to the United States related to 
the violent extremist organization that calls 
itself the Islamic State (also known as ‘‘ISIS’’). 
(B) The identify of the aliens admitted to 
the United States as refugees since 2001 who 
subsequently engaged in criminal or terrorist 
conduct. 
(e) BRIEFING
TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary of 
State shall provide a briefing to the appropriate congres-
sional committees on the increase in covered aliens seeking 
to be admitted as refugees, including whether any covered 
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alien seeking to be admitted as a refugee had, or there 
was reason to believe may have, engaged in terrorist con-
duct regardless of whether such conduct was linked to the 
conflict in Syria or to the violent extremist organization 
that calls itself the Islamic State (also known as ‘‘ISIS’’). 
(f) JOINT RESOLUTION OF DISAPPROVAL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this section, a certification described in 
subsection (a) shall not have any effect if, within 15 
calendar days after the date on which Congress re-
ceives the certification, there is enacted into law a 
joint resolution disapproving the certification. 
(2) CONTENTS
OF
JOINT
RESOLUTION.—For 
the purpose of this subsection, the term ‘‘joint reso-
lution’’ means only a joint resolution— 
(A) that is introduced not later than 3 cal-
endar days after the date on which a certifi-
cation described in subsection (a) is received by 
Congress; 
(B) which does not have a preamble; 
(C) the title of which is as follows: ‘‘Joint 
resolution disapproving the certification of the 
President described in section 3(a) of the Syr-
ian Refugee Verification and Safety Act’’; and 
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(D) the matter after the resolving clause of 
which is as follows: ‘‘That Congress disapproves 
the certification of the President described in 
section 3(a) of the Syrian Refugee Verification 
and Safety Act.’’. 
(3) FAST TRACK CONSIDERATION IN HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES.— 
(A) RECONVENING.—Upon receipt of a 
certification described in subsection (a), the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, if the 
House of Representatives would otherwise be 
adjourned, shall notify the Members of the 
House that, pursuant to this subsection, the 
House shall convene not later than the second 
calendar day after receipt of such certification. 
(B) REPORTING
AND
DISCHARGE.—Any 
committee of the House of Representatives to 
which a joint resolution described in paragraph 
(2) is referred shall report it to the House not 
later than 5 calendar days after the date of re-
ceipt of the certification described in subsection 
(a). If a committee fails to report the joint reso-
lution within that period, the committee shall be 
discharged from further consideration of the 
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joint resolution and the joint resolution shall be 
referred to the appropriate calendar. 
(C) PROCEEDING
TO
CONSIDERATION.— 
After each committee authorized to consider a 
joint resolution reports it to the House or has 
been discharged from its consideration, it shall 
be in order, not later than the sixth day after 
Congress receives the certification described in 
subsection (a), to move to proceed to consider 
the joint resolution in the House. All points of 
order against the motion are waived. Such a 
motion shall not be in order after the House 
has disposed of a motion to proceed on the joint 
resolution. The previous question shall be con-
sidered as ordered on the motion to its adoption 
without intervening motion. The motion shall 
not be debatable. A motion to reconsider the 
vote by which the motion is disposed of shall 
not be in order. 
(D) CONSIDERATION.—The joint resolu-
tion shall be considered as read. All points of 
order against the joint resolution and against 
its consideration are waived. The previous ques-
tion shall be considered as ordered on the joint 
resolution to its passage without intervening 
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motion except two hours of debate equally di-
vided and controlled by the proponent and an 
opponent. A motion to reconsider the vote on 
passage of the joint resolution shall not be in 
order. 
(4) FAST TRACK CONSIDERATION IN SENATE.— 
(A) RECONVENING.—Upon receipt of a 
certification described in subsection (a), if the 
Senate has adjourned or recessed for more than 
2 days, the majority leader of the Senate, after 
consultation with the minority leader of the 
Senate, shall notify the Members of the Senate 
that, pursuant to this subsection, the Senate 
shall convene not later than the second calendar 
day after receipt of the certification. 
(B) PLACEMENT ON CALENDAR.—Upon in-
troduction in the Senate, the joint resolution 
shall be placed immediately on the calendar. 
(C) FLOOR CONSIDERATION.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate, it is in order at any time during 
the period beginning on the 4th day after 
the date on which Congress receives a cer-
tification described in subsection (a) and 
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ending on the 6th day after the date on 
which Congress receives a certification de-
scribed in subsection (a) (even though a 
previous motion to the same effect has 
been disagreed to) to move to proceed to 
the consideration of the joint resolution, 
and all points of order against the joint 
resolution (and against consideration of 
the joint resolution) are waived. The mo-
tion to proceed is not debatable. The mo-
tion is not subject to a motion to postpone. 
A motion to reconsider the vote by which 
the motion is agreed to or disagreed to 
shall not be in order. If a motion to pro-
ceed to the consideration of the resolution 
is agreed to, the joint resolution shall re-
main the unfinished business until dis-
posed of. 
(D) DEBATE.—Debate on the joint resolu-
tion, and on all debatable motions and appeals 
in connection therewith, shall be limited to not 
more than 10 hours, which shall be divided 
equally between the majority and minority lead-
ers or their designees. A motion further to limit 
debate is in order and not debatable. An 
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amendment to, or a motion to postpone, or a 
motion to proceed to the consideration of other 
business, or a motion to recommit the joint res-
olution is not in order. 
(E) VOTE ON PASSAGE.—The vote on pas-
sage shall occur immediately following the con-
clusion of the debate on a joint resolution, and 
a single quorum call at the conclusion of the de-
bate if requested in accordance with the rules of 
the Senate. 
(F) RULINGS OF THE CHAIR ON PROCE-
DURE.—Appeals from the decisions of the Chair 
relating to the application of the rules of the 
Senate, as the case may be, to the procedure re-
lating to a joint resolution shall be decided 
without debate. 
(5) RULES RELATING TO SENATE AND HOUSE 
OF REPRESENTATIVES.— 
(A) COORDINATION
WITH
ACTION
BY 
OTHER HOUSE.—If, before the passage by one 
House of a joint resolution of that House, that 
House receives from the other House a joint 
resolution, then the following procedures shall 
apply: 
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(i) The joint resolution of the other 
House shall not be referred to a com-
mittee. 
(ii) With respect to a joint resolution 
of the House receiving the resolution— 
(I) the procedure in that House 
shall be the same as if no joint resolu-
tion had been received from the other 
House; but 
(II) the vote on passage shall be 
on the joint resolution of the other 
House. 
(B) TREATMENT
OF
JOINT
RESOLUTION 
OF OTHER HOUSE.—If one House fails to intro-
duce or consider a joint resolution under this 
subsection, the joint resolution of the other 
House shall be entitled to expedited floor proce-
dures under this subsection. 
(C) TREATMENT
OF
COMPANION
MEAS-
URES.—If, following passage of the joint resolu-
tion in the Senate, the Senate then receives the 
companion measure from the House of Rep-
resentatives, the companion measure shall not 
be debatable. 
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(D) VETO DEBATE AND DURATION.—If the 
President vetoes the joint resolution, debate on 
a veto message in the Senate under this sub-
section shall be 1 hour equally divided between 
the majority and minority leaders or their des-
ignees. 
(6) RULES
OF
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES 
AND SENATE.—This paragraph and paragraphs (3), 
(4), and (5) are enacted by Congress— 
(A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power 
of the Senate and House of Representatives, re-
spectively, and as such it is deemed a part of 
the rules of each House, respectively, but appli-
cable only with respect to the procedure to be 
followed in that House in the case of a joint 
resolution, and it supersedes other rules only to 
the extent that it is inconsistent with such 
rules; and 
(B) with full recognition of the constitu-
tional right of either House to change the rules 
(so far as relating to the procedure of that 
House) at any time, in the same manner, and 
to the same extent as in the case of any other 
rule of that House. 
Æ 
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