No Religious Registry Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-489
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1]
Introduced: 2017-01-12
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Immigration status and procedures

Public contracts and procurement

Religion

Visas and passports
Latest action: action_date: 2017-02-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-01-12
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>No Religious Registry Act</b> <b>of 2017</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits U.S. government officers or employees from collecting information or utilizing a registry or database to classify or surveil on the basis of religious affiliation: (1) U.S. nationals, (2) aliens lawfully present in the United States, or (3) aliens who apply for a visa or seek admission to the United States or on whose behalf a petition under the immigration laws is submitted. The bill also prohibits studies related to the collection of such information or the establishment or utilization of such a registry or database.</p> <p>Nothing in such prohibition may be construed to prohibit the collection of information that is provided voluntarily, and from which personally identifiable information is removed, to be used strictly for statistical purposes that do not violate this bill.</p> <p>Federal entities are prohibited from: (1) awarding a contract to an entity to collect information or establish a registry that would violate this bill, or (2) purchasing information on religious affiliation from a nonfederal entity for such purposes.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 489 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 12, 2017 Ms. DelBene (for herself, Mr. Conyers , Mr. Lewis of Georgia , Mr. Cohen , Ms. Judy Chu of California , Mr. Ellison , Mr. Carson of Indiana , and Ms. Matsui ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To prohibit the collection of information and the establishment or utilization of a registry for the purposes of classifying or surveilling certain United States persons and other individuals on the basis of religious affiliation, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the No Religious Registry Act of 2017 . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The National Security Entry-Exit System (hereinafter referred to as NSEERS ), which was active from 2002 through 2011, registered and tracked individuals on the basis of their religion by targeting majority-Muslim countries in an attempt to thwart terrorism. (2) NSEERS tracked approximately 80,000 men and boys, and resulted in zero terrorist convictions from 2002 through 2011. (3) Mass surveillance of certain religious groups is inherently incompatible with American values as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, does not improve U.S. national security, and has the potential to weaken national security by alienating crucial allies in the fight against terrorism. 3. Prohibition (a) In general No United States Government officer or employee may collect information or establish or otherwise utilize a database, or similar for the purpose of classifying or surveilling, on the basis of religious affiliation, a United States national, an alien who is lawfully present in the United States, or any alien who applies for a visa or seeks admission to the United States or on whose behalf a petition under the immigration laws is submitted, or conduct any study related to the collection of such information or the establishment or utilization of such a registry, database, or similar. (b) Rule of Construction Nothing in this section may be construed as prohibiting the collection of information that is voluntarily provided and from which personally identifiable information is removed, to be used strictly for statistical purposes, including those permitted under section 9 of title 13, United States Code, that do not violate section 2 above. 4. Prohibition on solicitation and purchase (a) Procurement A Federal entity may not solicit or award a contract to any entity for such entity to collect information or establish a registry that would violate section 3. (b) Collection of certain information A Federal entity may not purchase or solicit any information on religious affiliation from a non-Federal entity for purposes that would violate section 3.