Title: TPS Reform Act of 2019
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
TPS Reform Act of 2019
This bill changes the procedures for designating a country with temporary protected status (TPS). (Qualified nationals of a TPS-designated country shall have work authorization and may not be removed from the United States while the status is in effect.)
Specifically, the bill requires an act of Congress to designate a country with TPS status, where currently the Department of Justice has such authority. In an initial act designating a TPS country, Congress shall include a time period for the designation of up to 18 months. Congress may also pass an act to terminate or extend a designation.
The bill also establishes that an alien who lacks a lawful immigration status shall not receive the benefits of temporary protected status.


[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3899 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3899

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to modify the procedure to 
           designate a foreign state, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2019

   Mr. Brooks of Alabama (for himself and Mr. Gosar) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to modify the procedure to 
           designate a foreign state, 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 ``TPS Reform Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS.

    (a) Power To Designate a Foreign State.--Section 244(b) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) and inserting 
        the following:
            ``(1) Initial designation.--For purposes of this section, a 
        foreign state shall be designated upon the enactment of an Act 
        that satisfies the following requirements:
                    ``(A) The Act shall contain a finding--
                            ``(i) that there is an ongoing armed 
                        conflict within the state and, due to such 
                        conflict, requiring the return of aliens who 
                        are nationals of that state (or to the part of 
                        the state) would pose a serious threat to their 
                        personal safety;
                            ``(ii) that--
                                    ``(I) there has been an earthquake, 
                                flood, drought, epidemic, or other 
                                immediately life-threatening 
                                environmental disaster in the state 
                                resulting in a substantial, but 
                                temporary, disruption of living 
                                conditions in the area affected;
                                    ``(II) the foreign state is unable, 
                                temporarily, to handle adequately the 
                                return to the state of aliens who are 
                                nationals of the state; and
                                    ``(III) the foreign state 
                                officially has requested designation 
                                under this subparagraph; or
                            ``(iii) that there exist extraordinary and 
                        temporary conditions in the foreign state that 
                        prevent aliens who are nationals of the state 
                        from returning to the state in safety and that 
                        permitting the aliens to remain temporarily in 
                        the United States is not contrary to the 
                        national interest of the United States.
                    ``(B) The Act shall include--
                            ``(i) an estimate of the number of 
                        nationals of the foreign state who are (or 
                        within the effective period of the designation 
                        are likely to become) eligible for temporary 
                        protected status under this section;
                            ``(ii) such nationals' immigration status 
                        in the United States; and
                            ``(iii) a time period for the effectiveness 
                        of the designation that is not greater than 18 
                        months.
            ``(2) Termination.--
                    ``(A) Timely termination.--If an initial 
                designation of a foreign state is not extended under 
                paragraph (3), the initial designation shall terminate 
                at the end of the time period described in paragraph 
                (1)(B)(iii).
                    ``(B) Early termination.--For purposes of this 
                section, the designation of a foreign state shall be 
                terminated upon the enactment of an Act that contains a 
                finding that the foreign state (or part of such foreign 
                state) no longer meets the conditions for designation 
                under paragraph (1)(A).
            ``(3) Extension.--For purposes of this section, the time 
        period for the effectiveness of the designation of a foreign 
        state shall be extended upon the enactment of an Act that 
        includes--
                    ``(A) a finding that the conditions for designation 
                under paragraph (1)(A) continue to be met; and
                    ``(B) a time period for the effectiveness of the 
                extension that is not greater than 12 months.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ``of the Attorney 
        General'' and inserting ``made in any Act''.
    (b) Aliens Lacking Lawful Immigration Status.--Section 244(c)(2)(B) 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)(2)(B)) is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``, or'' at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon;
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) the alien lacks a lawful 
                        immigration status.''.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 244 of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ``If the Attorney 
        General terminates the designation of a foreign state (or part 
        of such foreign state) under subsection (b)(3)(B)'' and 
        inserting ``If the designation of a foreign state (or part of 
        such foreign state) is terminated under section 244(b)(2)''; 
        and
            (2) in subsection (i)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking the comma at 
                the end and adding ``; and'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``, and'' at 
                the end and inserting a period; and
                    (C) by striking subparagraph (C).
    (d) Technical Corrections.--Section 244 of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), as amended by subsections (a) and (b) 
of this Act, is further amended by striking ``Attorney General'' each 
place it appears and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland Security''.
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