Cuban Family Reunification Ac

Bill: 116-hr-4884
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Mucarsel-Powell, Debbie [D-FL-26]
Introduced: 2019-10-28
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Caribbean area

Cuba

Family relationships

Immigration status and procedures

Latin America

Visas and passports
Latest action: action_date: 2019-12-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-10-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Cuban Family Reunification Act</strong></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of State to restart processing applications under the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program. (The program, which was suspended in 2017, allowed eligible U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to apply for parole for family members in Cuba, who could then enter the United States while waiting for immigrant visas.)</p> <p>The State Department shall prioritize applications filed before this bill's enactment and ensure that such applications are processed within 60 days of the enactment date.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4884 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 28, 2019 Ms. Mucarsel-Powell (for herself, Mr. Crist , Ms. Castor of Florida , Ms. Wasserman Schultz , and Ms. Shalala ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To direct the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to reinstate the Cuban Family Reunification Program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cuban Family Reunification Ac t . 2. Reinstatement of the Cuban Family Reunification Program (a) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall— (1) reinstate processing of applications for parole under the Cuban Family Reunification Program at the United States Embassy in Havana, Cuba; and (2) prioritize and process applications described in paragraph (1) that were filed before the date of the enactment of this Act. (b) Additional personnel To carry out subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall assign to the United States Embassy in Havana, Cuba, appropriate temporary duty personnel. The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary to ensure the safety of such personnel to ensure that such personnel are available a minimum of one business day each week. (c) Accessibility The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall, to the extent practicable, make available to applicants for parole under the Cuban Family Reunification Program video teleconference capabilities. In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure appropriate privacy and security requirements are satisfied. (d) Duration Parole granted under the Cuban Family Reunification Program shall be valid for an initial period of two years. (e) Expeditious processing The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall ensure that applications for parole under the Cuban Family Reunification Program that were filed before the date of the enactment of this Act are processed not later than 60 days after such date of enactment.