A bill to exempt the African National Congress from treatment as a terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-s-2979
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2008-05-06 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Aliens
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal aliens
Criminal justice information
Data banks
Government Operations and Politics
Identification of criminals
Immigration
Political parties
Science, Technology, Communications
South Africa
Terrorism
Visas

Summary:
action_date: 2008-05-06
text: 
Amends the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008 to state that for purposes of alien inadmissibility based upon terrorist-related grounds the African National Congress (ANC) shall not be considered to be a terrorist organization on the basis of any act or event that occurred before the date of enactment of such Act. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary of State (after consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security) or the Secretary of Homeland Security (after consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General) to determine, in such Secretary's sole unreviewable discretion, that inadmissibility based upon specified criminal convictions or terrorist activities shall not apply to an alien with respect to activities undertaken in opposition to apartheid rule in South Africa. 
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security should exercise such authority in appropriate instances to exempt the anti-apartheid activities of aliens who are current or former officials of the government of the Republic of South Africa. 
 
Directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of National Intelligence, to ensure that databases used to determine U.S. admissibility are appropriately updated. 

action_date: 2008-06-26
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Amends the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008 to state that for purposes of alien inadmissibility based upon terrorist-related grounds the African National Congress (ANC) shall not be considered to be a terrorist organization on the basis of any act or event that occurred before the date of enactment of such Act. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary of State (after consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security) or the Secretary of Homeland Security (after consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General) to determine, in such Secretary's sole unreviewable discretion, that inadmissibility based upon specified criminal convictions or terrorist activities shall not apply to an alien with respect to activities undertaken in opposition to apartheid rule in South Africa. 
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security should exercise such authority in appropriate instances to exempt the anti-apartheid activities of aliens who are current or former officials of the government of the Republic of South Africa. 
 
Directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of National Intelligence, to ensure that databases used to determine U.S. admissibility are appropriately updated. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-06-26
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 850.
action_date: 2008-06-26
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-06-26
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2008-06-26
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2008-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2008-05-06
text: Introduced in Senate