Returning Worker Accountability Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-2758
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]
Introduced: 2023-04-20
Policy area: Immigration
Latest action: action_date: 2023-04-20
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-04-20
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Returning Worker Accountability Act of 2023</strong> </p> <p>This bill makes various changes to the H-2B visa program (temporary nonagricultural services), including by requiring the Department of Homeland Security to use biometric data to vet workers to identify any aliases and vet any discovered aliases for issues relating to national security, criminal history, and inadmissibility.</p> </p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2758 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 20, 2023 Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make the exception for returning workers permanent, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Returning Worker Accountability Act of 2023 . 2. Returning worker exception made permanent Section 214(g)(9) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(9) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking who has already been counted toward the numerical limitation of paragraph (1)(B) during fiscal year 2019, 2020, or 2021 shall not again be counted toward such limitation during fiscal year 2022 and inserting shall not be counted toward the numerical limitation of paragraph (1)(B) for a fiscal year if that alien has already been counted toward such limitation during any of the 3 fiscal years immediately preceding that fiscal year and shall satisfy the requirements under subparagraph (D) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (D) The requirement under this subparagraph is as follows: (i) An alien shall participate in the biometric entry and exit system (as such term is defined in section 7208(b) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 ( 8 U.S.C. 1365b(b) )). Any information collected by reason of participation in such system shall be shared with the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Office of Biometric Identity Management of the Department of Homeland Security. (ii) The information referred to in clause (i) shall be used to investigate an alien who has been counted toward the numerical limitation of paragraph (1)(B) for a fiscal year, and to determine if that alien has ever used an alias while working or present in the United States. If an alias is identified, that alien shall be evaluated to determine if the alien poses a national security threat, if the alien has a criminal history, and if the alien is inadmissible. . 3. Enhanced vetting The Secretary of Homeland Security shall use the biometric data to vet named workers against supporting evidence (including copies of passport, current and previous visas, entry documents) and identify any aliases. If an alias is identified, the Secretary shall vet named workers and aliases for potential national security threat, criminal history, and inadmissibility. If the alien is found to violate the factors, the alien shall not be banned from participating in the H–2B program.