Disaster Recovery Workforce Act

Bill: 116-hr-4479
Sponsor: full_name: Del. Sablan, Gregorio Kilili Camacho [D-MP-At Large]
Introduced: 2019-09-24
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Disaster relief and insurance

Foreign labor

Immigration status and procedures

Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

U.S. territories and protectorates
Latest action: action_date: 2020-12-18
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 560.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-09-24
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Disaster Recovery Workforce Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to increase the annual cap on permits for alien workers entering the Northern Mariana Islands to work in the construction and extraction occupations. Specifically, DHS shall increase the cap by 3,000 permits each year for FY2020, FY2021, and FY2022. Various existing limitations on permits for such occupations shall not apply during these years.</p>

action_date: 2020-12-18
action_desc: Reported to House, Part I
text: <p><strong>Disaster Recovery Workforce Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to increase the annual cap on permits for alien workers entering the Northern Mariana Islands to work in the construction and extraction occupations. Specifically, DHS shall increase the cap by 3,000 permits each year for FY2020, FY2021, and FY2022. These permits may only be issued to alien workers from designated countries who are performing work associated with recovery from, or preparation for, a disaster or emergency. Various existing limitations on permits for such occupations shall not apply during these years.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4479 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 24, 2019 Mr. Sablan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources , and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional worker permits for workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Disaster Recovery Workforce Act . 2. Construction worker permits Section 6(d)(3) of the Joint Resolution entitled A Joint Resolution to approve the Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America , and for other purposes ( 48 U.S.C. 1806 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (E) Typhoon recovery (i) Permits for construction workers Notwithstanding any numerical cap set forth in subparagraph (B) for each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall increase by 3,000, for each such fiscal year, the total number of aliens who may receive a permit under this section for Construction and Extraction Occupations (as defined by the Department of Labor as Standard Occupational Classification Group 47–0000). (ii) Exception for construction workers Subparagraph (D)(v) shall not apply to an alien who receives a permit described in clause (i) for any fiscal year described in such clause. .

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 560 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4479 [Report No. 116–676, Part I] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 24, 2019 Mr. Sablan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources , and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned December 18, 2020 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic December 18, 2020 Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 24, 2019 A BILL To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional worker permits for workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Disaster Recovery Workforce Act . 2. Construction worker permits Section 6(d)(3) of the Joint Resolution entitled Joint Resolution to approve the Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America , and for other purposes ( 48 U.S.C. 1806(d)(3) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (E) Typhoon recovery (i) Permits for construction workers Notwithstanding any numerical cap set forth in subparagraph (B) for each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall increase by 3,000, for each such fiscal year, the total number of permits available under this subsection for Construction and Extraction Occupations (as defined by the Department of Labor as Standard Occupational Classification Group 47–0000). (ii) Permit requirements The Secretary may only issue a permit made available under clause (i) to a prospective employer if the permit is for an alien who— (I) is a national of a country designated eligible to participate in the program under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) ) during calendar year 2018; and (II) is performing service or labor pursuant to a contract or subcontract for construction, repairs, renovations, or facility services directly connected to, or associated with recovery from a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency (as those terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5122 ), or for preparation for a future disaster or emergency. (iii) Exception for construction workers Subparagraph (D)(v) shall not apply to a permit made available under clause (i) for any fiscal year described in such clause. .

December 18, 2020 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment December 18, 2020 Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed