Title: Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2019
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2019
This bill provides for 4,000 additional special immigrant visas to qualified nationals of Afghanistan who were employed by or on behalf of the United States since October 7, 2001. The visa allotment, in addition to any unused allocations of such special immigrant visas from FY2015 through FY2017, shall be available beginning FY2019, and unused visas shall carry over to subsequent fiscal years until exhausted.
The Department of State Inspector General shall report to Congress on obstacles to protecting Afghan and Iraqi allies through special immigrant visa programs and recommendations for improving future programs.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2796 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2796

 To amend the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to make 4,000 visas 
available for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 16, 2019

 Mr. Blumenauer (for himself, Mr. Kinzinger, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Stivers, 
    Mr. Nadler, Ms. Stefanik, Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Herrera Beutler, Mr. 
   Doggett, Mr. Mast, Mr. Crow, Mr. Waltz, Ms. Omar, Mr. Hunter, Mr. 
 McGovern, Mr. Young, Mr. Welch, Mr. Hurd of Texas, Mr. Hastings, Mr. 
  Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Watkins, Mr. Peters, Mr. Wright, Mr. 
 Raskin, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Michael F. Doyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
Wenstrup, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Gallagher) introduced the following bill; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to make 4,000 visas 
available for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program, 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 ``Afghan Allies Protection Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS FOR AFGHAN ALLIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 602(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Afghan Allies 
Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended, in the matter 
preceding subclause (I), by inserting ``for the first time'' after 
``submitting a petition''.
    (b) Numerical Limitations.--Section 602(b)(3) of the Afghan Allies 
Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended--
            (1) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``(A) Fiscal year 2019.--
                            ``(i) In general.--In addition to any 
                        unused balance under subparagraph (F), for 
                        fiscal year 2019, not more than 4,000 principal 
                        aliens may be granted special immigrant status 
                        under this subsection.
                            ``(ii) Period of employment.--For purposes 
                        of this subparagraph, the period of employment 
                        referred to in paragraph (2)(A)(ii) shall end 
                        not later than December 31, 2021.
                            ``(iii) Application.--For purposes of this 
                        subparagraph, not later than December 31, 2021, 
                        a principal alien seeking special immigrant 
                        status under this subsection shall submit an 
                        application to the Chief of Mission.'';
            (2) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``(C) Carry forward.--If the numerical limitation 
                described in subparagraph (A)(i) is not reached for 
                fiscal year 2019, the numerical limitation for each 
                subsequent fiscal year shall be established at a number 
                equal to the difference between--
                            ``(i) the numerical limitation described in 
                        subparagraph (A)(i); and
                            ``(ii) the number of principal aliens 
                        granted special immigrant status under this 
                        subsection during each fiscal year beginning in 
                        fiscal year 2019.'';
            (3) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``notwithstanding the 
        provisions of paragraph (C),''; and
            (4) in subparagraph (F), as amended by this Act,--
                    (A) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as 
                subclauses (I) through (III), respectively, and 
                indenting appropriately;
                    (B) in the matter preceding subclause (I) (as so 
                redesignated), in the second sentence, by striking 
                ``For purposes'' and inserting the following:
                            ``(ii) Requirements.--For purposes'';
                    (C) in the matter preceding clause (ii) (as so 
                designated)--
                            (i) by striking ``exhausted,,'' and 
                        inserting ``exhausted,''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``In addition'' and 
                        inserting the following:
                            ``(i) In general.--In addition''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) Unused visas.--Any unused balance 
                        under this subparagraph shall be added to the 
                        number under subparagraph (A)(i) for use in 
                        fiscal year 2019.''.
    (c) Conversion of Petitions.--Section 2 of Public Law 110-242 (8 
U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting 
the following:
    ``(b) Duration.--The authority under subsection (a) shall expire on 
the date on which the numerical limitation specified under section 1244 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public 
Law 110-181; 8 U.S.C. 1157 note) is reached.''.

SEC. 3. SIV PROGRAM REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of State 
shall submit a report, with a classified annex if necessary, to--
            (1) the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on 
        Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
        Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on 
        Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
        House of Representatives.
    (b) Contents.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall 
evaluate the obstacles to effective protection of Afghan and Iraqi 
allies through the special immigrant visa programs and suggestions for 
improvements in future programs, including information relating to--
            (1) the hiring of locally employed staff and contractors;
            (2) documenting the identity and employment of locally 
        employed staff and contractors of the United States Government, 
        including the possibility of establishing a central database of 
        employees of the United States Government and its contractors;
            (3) the protection and safety of employees of locally 
        employed staff and contractors;
            (4) means of expediting processing at all stages of the 
        process for applicants, including consideration of reducing 
        required forms;
            (5) appropriate staffing levels for expedited processing 
        domestically and abroad;
            (6) the effect of uncertainty of visa availability on visa 
        processing;
            (7) the cost and availability of medical examinations; and
            (8) means to reduce delays in interagency processing and 
        security checks.
    (c) Consultation.--In preparing the report under subsection (a), 
the Inspector General shall consult with--
            (1) the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, 
        Visa Office;
            (2) the Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs 
        and South and Central Asian Affairs, Executive Office;
            (3) the United States embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, 
        Consular Section;
            (4) the United States embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Consular 
        Section;
            (5) the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship 
        and Immigration Services;
            (6) the Department of Defense; and
            (7) nongovernmental organizations providing legal aid in 
        the special immigrant visa application process.
Wherever possible, the Inspector General shall consult with both 
current and former employees of these offices.
                                 <all>