II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3618 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 18, 2024 Mr. Brown introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To designate Mauritania under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit nationals of Mauritania to be eligible for temporary protected status under such section, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Mauritania TPS Act of 2024 . 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 ), Mauritania shall be treated as if it had been designated under subsection (b)(1)(C) 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 Mauritania 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; (3) is not ineligible for temporary protected status under paragraph (2)(B) of such section; and (4) 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 ). (d) Fee (1) In general In addition to any other fee authorized by law, the Secretary of Homeland Security may charge and collect a fee of $360 for each application for temporary protected status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act by a person who is only eligible for such status under subsection (a). (2) Waiver The Secretary of Homeland Security shall permit aliens to apply for a waiver of any fee described in paragraph (1) associated with filing an application. 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 Senate Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.