Improving Opportunities for New Americans Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4179 | Sponsor: Rep. Katko, John (R-NY)
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Improving Opportunities for New Americans Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Labor to study and report on the factors affecting employment opportunities for immigrants and refugees with professional credentials obtained in other counties, including policy recommendations for assisting those individuals in obtaining skill-appropriate employment in the United States.

To direct the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with other agencies, 
      to conduct a study on the factors affecting the employment 
opportunities in the United States of immigrants and refugees who have 
 professional credentials obtained in foreign countries, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Opportunities for New 
Americans Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The United States has a long history of welcoming 
        individuals of diverse national backgrounds who legally travel 
        to the United States seeking opportunity and prosperity.
            (2) Immigrants and refugees in the United States bring a 
        diverse range of professional backgrounds that strengthens the 
        workforce of the United States and benefits American 
        businesses.
            (3) The underutilization of the skills and experience of 
        immigrants and refugees, often referred to as brain waste, 
        comes at a significant cost to the economy of the United States 
        and to immigrant families.
            (4) In 2016, researchers at the Migration Policy Institute 
        found that nearly 2 million immigrants and refugees with 
        college degrees in the United States were relegated to low-
        skilled jobs or were unable to find work.
            (5) On an annual basis, this underutilization is estimated 
        to result in more than $10 billion in unrealized tax receipts 
        from Federal, State, and local governments, and over $39 
        billion in unrealized wages for college-educated immigrants and 
        refugees.
            (6) Many factors contribute to brain waste, including 
        language barriers, limits on the recognition of international 
        degrees and credentials, the accessibility of relicensing 
        processes, and the availability of professional networks and 
        assistance in finding suitable employment.
            (7) In the interest of strengthening the economy of the 
        United States and ensuring consistent opportunities for the 
        realization of the full potential of immigrant and refugee 
        families, substantive efforts must be made to analyze and 
        address the scope of brain waste in the United States.

SEC. 3. STUDY ON FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR 
              IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES WITH PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS 
              OBTAINED IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

    (a) Study Required.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Labor shall conduct a 
        study on the factors affecting employment opportunities in the 
        United States for applicable immigrants and refugees with 
        professional credentials obtained in countries other than the 
        United States.
            (2) Coordination.--The Department of Labor shall conduct 
        this study in coordination with the Secretary of State, the 
        Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, the Administrator of the Internal Revenue Service, 
        and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration.
            (3) Work with other entities.--The Secretary of Labor shall 
        seek to work with relevant non-profit organizations and State 
        agencies to use the existing data and resources of such 
        entities to conduct the study in paragraph (1).
            (4) Limitations on disclosure.--Any information provided to 
        the Secretary of Labor under this subsection shall be used only 
        for the purposes of, and to the extent necessary to ensure the 
        efficient operation of, the study described in paragraph (1). 
        No such information shall be disclosed to any other person or 
        entity except as provided in this subsection.
    (b) Inclusions.--The study under subsection (a)(1) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An analysis of the employment history of applicable 
        immigrants and refugees admitted to the United States in the 
        last 5 years. This analysis shall include, to the extent 
        practicable, a comparison of the employment applicable 
        immigrants and refugees held prior to immigrating to the United 
        States with the employment obtained in the United States, if 
        any, since the arrival of such applicable immigrants and 
        refugees. This analysis shall also note the occupational and 
        professional credentials and academic degrees held by 
        applicable immigrants and refugees prior to immigrating to the 
        United States.
            (2) An assessment of any barriers that prevent applicable 
        immigrants and refugees from using occupational experience 
        obtained outside the United States to obtain employment 
        opportunities in the United States.
            (3) An analysis of existing public and private resources 
        assisting applicable immigrants and refugees who have 
        professional experience and qualifications obtained outside the 
        United States with using such professional experience and 
        qualifications to obtain skill-appropriate employment 
        opportunities in the United States.
            (4) Policy recommendations for better enabling applicable 
        immigrants and refugees who have professional experience and 
        qualifications obtained outside the United States to use such 
        professional experience and qualifications to obtain skill-
        appropriate employment opportunities in the United States.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to Congress and make 
publically available on the website of the Department of Labor a report 
that describes the results of the study conducted under subsection 
(a)(1).
    (d) Definitions.--
            (1) Applicable immigrants and refugees.--For the purposes 
        of this section, the term ``applicable immigrants and 
        refugees'' means individuals who are--
                    (A) not citizens or nationals of the United States 
                but who are lawfully present and authorized to be 
                employed; or
                    (B) naturalized citizens born outside of the United 
                States and its outlying possessions.
            (2) Other terms.--Except as otherwise defined in this 
        subsection, terms used in this section have the definitions 
        given such terms under section 101(a) of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)).
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