Title: Bahamas TPS Act of 2019
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Bahamas TPS Act of 2019
This bill designates the Bahamas as a temporary protected status (TPS) country for 18 months from the enactment of this bill. (Qualified nationals of a TPS-designated country shall have work authorization and may not be removed from the United States while the designation is in effect.)
A Bahamian national shall qualify for temporary protected status if the individual (1) has been continuously physically present in the United States since the bill's enactment, (2) meets certain admissibility and eligibility requirements generally required for such status, and (3) registers with the Department of Homeland Security.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4303 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4303

 To designate the Commonwealth of The Bahamas under section 244 of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act to permit nationals of the Commonwealth 
of The Bahamas to be eligible for temporary protected status under such 
                    section, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 12, 2019

  Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. 
Jackson Lee, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Sablan, 
   Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Tonko, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Cox of California, Ms. 
Speier, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Mr. Thompson of California, Ms. Matsui, 
  Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Payne, Mrs. Watson 
 Coleman, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Rush, Mr. Richmond, Mrs. Demings, 
  Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Clay, Mr. Levin of 
    Michigan, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Moore, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. 
Courtney, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. David 
Scott of Georgia, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Soto, Mr. Crist, Ms. 
 Castor of Florida, Ms. Frankel, Ms. Fudge, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Brown of 
 Maryland, Ms. Bass, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Evans, Mr. Thompson of 
Mississippi, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Adams, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Scott 
of Virginia, Mr. Morelle, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Cummings, Ms. 
  Lofgren, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Garamendi, and Mr. Suozzi) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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 designate the Commonwealth of The Bahamas under section 244 of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act to permit nationals of the Commonwealth 
of The Bahamas to be eligible for temporary protected status under such 
                    section, 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 ``Bahamas TPS Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TEMPORARY PROTECTED 
              STATUS.

    (a) Designation.--
            (1) In general.--For purposes of section 244 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), the 
        Commonwealth of The Bahamas shall be treated as if it had been 
        designated under subsection (b) of that section, subject to the 
        provisions of this section.
            (2) Period of designation.--The initial period of the 
        designation referred to in paragraph (1) shall be for the 18-
        month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.
    (b) Aliens Eligible.--As a result of the designation made under 
subsection (a), an alien who is a national of the Commonwealth of The 
Bahamas is deemed to satisfy the requirements under paragraph (1) of 
section 244(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1254a(c)), subject to paragraph (3) of such section, if the alien--
            (1) has been continuously physically present in the United 
        States since the date of the enactment of this Act;
            (2) is admissible as an immigrant, except as otherwise 
        provided in paragraph (2)(A) of such section, and is not 
        ineligible for temporary protected status under paragraph 
        (2)(B) of such section; and
            (3) registers for temporary protected status in a manner 
        established by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    (c) Consent To Travel Abroad.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        give prior consent to travel abroad, in accordance with section 
        244(f)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
        1254a(f)(3)), to an alien who is granted temporary protected 
        status pursuant to the designation made under subsection (a) if 
        the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security that emergency and extenuating circumstances 
        beyond the control of the alien require the alien to depart for 
        a brief, temporary trip abroad.
            (2) Treatment upon return.--An alien returning to the 
        United States in accordance with an authorization described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be treated as any other returning alien 
        provided temporary protected status under section 244 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a).

SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying 
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by 
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO 
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional 
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that 
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
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