Immigration

Farm and Forestry Worker Transportation Safety Act

United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2006

Farm and Forestry Worker Transportation Safety Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor, in promulgating vehicle safety standards under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, to ensure that designated seats with operational seat belts are provided for the transportation of agricultural workers, with an exception for buses otherwise not federally required to have seat belts. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to issue minimum performance requirements for the strength of seats and the attachment of seats and seat belts in vehicles that are converted, after being sold for purposes other than resale, for the purpose of transporting such workers. Requires, effective seven years after enactment of this Act, vehicles converted for transport of such workers to provide the same level of safety as vehicles manufactured or altered for such purpose prior to being sold for purposes other than resale.

A concurrent resolution relating to correcting a clerical error in the enrollment of S. 3693.

United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2006

Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a correction in the enrollment of S. 3693 (technical corrections to the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005) relating to provisions of the Immigration and Naturalization Act granting waivers of inadmissibility to aliens who are victims of domestic violence.

Western Hemisphere Traveler Improvement Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2006

Western Hemisphere Traveler Improvement Act of 2006 - Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to extend the implementation date for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Authorizes the Secretary of State (Secretary) to develop a Passport Card for U.S. citizen travel from the United States to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean countries, and Bermuda. States that such Card shall be deemed to be a U.S. passport for U.S. passport laws and valid for the same period as a U.S. passport. Sets forth related fee and technology requirement provisions. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary to enter into an enrollment demonstration program with at least one state under which: (1) an individual's citizenship status shall be included on a driver's license; (2) there will a communication method with a participating state to verify the citizenship status of an applicant who voluntarily seeks to have citizenship status included on his or her driver's license; (3) an individual's information shall be managed in the same manner as passport application information with no further distribution of such information; and (4) a complying driver's license shall be sufficient to permit the bearer to enter the United States from Canada through at least one designated international border crossing in each participating state. Authorizes the Secretaries to work with Canadian authorities to certify identification issued by the government of Canada, including a driver's license, as meeting U.S. security requirements. Requires that more U.S. states than Canadian provinces are program participants. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to expand expedited processing for repeat travelers to all ports of entry. States that such travelers' identities should be entered into a database of known travelers who have been subjected to in-depth background and watch-list checks to permit border control officers to focus on unknown travelers, potential criminals, and terrorists. Directs the Commissioner of Customs and Border Patrol to conduct and expand trusted traveler and pilot programs to facilitate expedited processing of U.S. citizens returning from pleasure craft trips in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda. Requires one such program to be conducted in Florida and modeled on the Canadian Border Boat Landing (I-68) program. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a program to permit U.S. citizens lacking appropriate travel documents to cross the international border and return to the United States for up to 72 hours; or (2) a process to make admissibility determinations respecting such persons. Authorizes the Secretary to waive travel document requirements for groups of six or more children under adult supervision traveling to Canada or Mexico. Directs the Secretary to implement an outreach plan to inform U.S. citizens about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, facilitate acquisition of appropriate travel documentation, and educate U.S. citizens about the requirements for such travel.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Congress should make additional emergency supplemental appropriations for necessary expenses for enforcement of laws relating to border security, immigration, and customs.

United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2006

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should make emergency supplemental appropriations for necessary expenses for enforcement of laws relating to border security, immigration, and customs.

GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS: IMPACT ON THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE AND U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY

United States · United States House of Representatives · 19 July 2006

To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from paroling into the United States an alien who falls ill while seeking admission at a port of entry or seeks emergency medical assistance by approaching an agent or official of the Department of Homeland Security at or near a border.

United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2006

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from paroling an alien into the United States solely because he or she: (1) falls ill while seeking admission at a port of entry; or (2) approaches a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agent at the border to seek emergency medical assistance.

SHOULD WE EMBRACE THE SENATE'S GRANT OF AMNESTY TO MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS AND REPEAT THE MISTAKES OF THE IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986?

United States · United States House of Representatives · 18 July 2006

Senior Citizenship Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2006

Senior Citizenship Act of 2006 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain older persons from the naturalization U.S. history-government and English language requirements and permit certain other older persons to take such history-government examination in a language other than English.

Customs and Trade Facilitation Reauthorization Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2006

Customs and Trade Facilitation Reauthorization Act of 2006 - Establishes the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to replace the U.S. Customs Service in the Department of the Treasury. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to replace the Bureau of Border Security with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Provides for multilateral customs negotiations. Requires the Secretary to oversee the establishment of an International Trade Data System. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) to extend through FY2010 deposits in, or authorization of appropriations from, the Customs Commercial and Homeland Security Automation Account. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to authorize the Commissioner of Customs (Commissioner) to establish a voluntary government-private sector Customs Industry Partnership Program. Requires the Commissioner to develop a Trade Resumption Plan in the event of a transportation disruption. Specifies required components of the Automatic Targeting System for identifying cargo for increased inspection before its clearance in the United States. Requires the Commissioner to study the feasibility of developing and employing nonintrusive scanning systems in foreign ports. Establishes within the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection Office of Regulations and Rulings an Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Division. Requires the Commissioner to extend the hours of commercial operations at the Santa Teresa Port-of-Entry. Authorizes appropriations to the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Requires the Commissioner to establish performance indicators relating to the seizure of methamphetamine and methamphetamine precursor chemicals. Provides for U.S. port and terminal operator competitiveness. Amends COBRA to provide for the payment of overtime for CBP employees performing customs border patrol services by charter air carriers for charter flights arriving after normal operating hours. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to consider an article exported and subsequently imported into the United States as retaining its identity notwithstanding that it may contain one or more essential components recovered from other such or similar U.S. exported articles.

EXAMINING THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM, PART II

United States · United States Senate · 12 July 2006

Sex Offender Visa Loophole Elimination Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2006

Sex Offender Visa Loophole Elimination Act of 2006 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit a convicted U.S.-citizen sex offender from filing a family-based immigration petition. Defines "sex offense" and "specified offense against a minor." Prohibits approval of a fiance/fiancee or waiting nonimmigrant spouse visa petition filed by a convicted sex offender.

To amend section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend the special adjustment of status to certain aliens currently in the United States who are married to United States citizens and parents of a United States citizen child.

United States · United States Congress · 10 July 2006

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend (permanent resident) adjustment of status authority for certain aliens physically present in the United States to an alien: (1) who is married to a U.S. citizen and who demonstrates such marital status through a certified copy of the marriage certificate; (2) who is the biological parent of a U.S. citizen child who was born before June 1, 2006; and (3) with respect to whom the Secretary determines that it is in such child's best interest that the alien remain in the United States as a lawful permanent resident.

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM: EXAMINING THE NEED FOR A GUEST WORKER PROGRAM

United States · United States Senate · 5 July 2006

SKIL Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006

Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2006 or the SKIL Act of 2006 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from the annual H-1B (specialty occupation) visa cap an alien who has: (1) earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; or (2) been awarded a medical specialty certification based on post-doctoral training and experience in the United States. Increases the annual H-1B cap, with a 20% increase for the following year if the previous year's quota is reached. Exempts from worldwide immigration caps an alien who: (1) has earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; (2) has been awarded medical specialty certification based on postdoctoral training and experience in the United States; (3) will work in shortage occupations; (4) has earned a master's degree or higher in science, technology, engineering, or math and has been working in a related field in the United States during the three-year period preceding his or her immigrant visa application; (5) has extraordinary ability or received a national interest waiver; or (6) is the spouse or minor child of an employment-based immigrant. Increases the annual immigrant visa cap. Revises student visa provisions. Authorizes an L-1 (intracompany transfer) visa extension beyond the fifth or seventh year if the individual has a immigrant application pending. Permits an alien with an approved labor certification to apply for permanent resident status adjustment if there is no visa immediately available by paying a $500 supplemental fee. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pre-certification procedure for employers who file multiple employment petitions. Revises certain labor certification provisions. Prohibits immigration application approval until background and security checks have been completed and any fraud allegations have been resolved. Authorizes temporary workers (E, H, I, L O, or P visas) who have not violated their status to renew their same category visa from within the United States. States that the constitutional authority on which this Act rests is Congress' power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization and authority to provide for the general welfare as enumerated in article I, section 8 of the Constitution.

To amend section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the deadline for classification petition and labor certification filings.

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate specified immigrant and labor certification petition filing deadlines for certain aliens physically present in the United States seeking to adjust to permanent resident status. Makes such amendment effective as if included in the enactment of the Legal Immigration Family Equity Act.

To designate Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as program countries under the visa waiver program established under section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006

Designates Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as visa waiver program countries under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

ICARE Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2006

Intercountry Adoption Reform Act of 2006 or the ICARE Act - Establishes an Office of Intercountry Adoptions within the Department of State to be headed by the Ambassador at Large for Intercountry Adoptions. Transfers to the Office all functions with respect to intercountry adoptions currently performed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise: (1) conditions for automatic citizenship for children born outside the United States, including for adopted children; and (2) requirements concerning the history of parents' physical presence in the United States or its possessions. Defines the term "full and final adoption." Prescribes procedural requirements for the adoption of foreign-born children by U.S. citizens. Establishes a nonimmigrant W-visa for an adoptable child coming into the United States for adoption by a U.S. citizen and spouse or by an unmarried U.S. citizen at least 25 years of age who has been approved by the Office of International Adoption of the Department of State. Sets forth the period of authorized admission for such a nonimmigrant. Exempts adopted children of 18 years of age or younger (currently, 10 years of age or younger) from immunization requirements. Redefines the term "adoptable child." Requires U.S. citizen adoptive parents to obtain approval of an adoption petition prior to issuance of a visa or a full and final adoption decree. Subjects such petitions to the terms applicable to orphan petitions. Directs the Secretary of State to issue regulations: (1) establishing an expedited reapproval process for families whose prior approvals to adopt have expired; and (2) governing the appeal of petition denials. Prescribes procedural requirements for the issuance of a visa and a full and final adoption decree for foreign-born children, including requirements for the Ambassador to: (1) determine whether a child is an adoptable child; and (2) work with the competent authorities of the child's country of residence to establish a process for the exchange and approval of a certification that the child sought to be adopted meets the definition of an adoptable child. Requires the Secretary to issue a final decision regarding the child's eligibility as an adoptable child within 30 days. Allows an appeal. Provides for civil penalties and enforcement.

Border Security First Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2006

Border Security First Act of 2006 - Sets forth border security and enforcement provisions, including provisions respecting: (1) personnel and asset increases and enhancements; (2) a National Strategy for Border Security; (3) improving Mexico's southern border security; (4) border security initiatives, including biometric data enhancements and a biometric entry-exit system, document integrity, and mandatory detention of aliens apprehended at or between ports of entry; and (5) National Guard deployment on the U.S. southern border. Border Tunnel Prevention Act - Provides criminal penalties for construction, financing, or use of illegal border tunnels or passages. Provides for: (1) the emergency deployment of additional Border Patrol agents; and (2) an increase in full-time agents. Border Law Enforcement Relief Act of 2006 - Authorizes a border relief grant program for a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency in a county: (1) no more than 100 miles from a U.S. border with Canada or Mexico; or (2) more than 100 miles from any such border but which is a high impact area. Sets forth law enforcement provisions respecting: (1) reimbursement for state costs in processing illegal aliens; (2) expedited removal of criminal aliens; (3) increased federal detention space for aliens; (4) the Northern Border Prosecution Initiative; and (5) reimbursement of Southern Border State and county prosecutors for prosecuting federally initiated drug cases. Affirms state law enforcement authority to assist (including transfer to federal custody) the federal government in enforcing U.S. immigration laws during the normal course of law enforcement duties. Provides for related federal reimbursement of state costs. Border Infrastructure and Technology Modernization Act - Provides for: (1) a port of entry infrastructure assessment study; (2) a national land border security plan; (3) expansion of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism programs along the northern and southern borders; and (4) a port of entry technology demonstration program. Provides for the implementation of programs to: (1) fully integrate and utilize aerial surveillance technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); (2) procure additional automated surveillance assets to achieve operational control of U.S. borders; and (3) achieve border security on certain federal land along the borders.

To repeal the Cuban Adjustment Act, Public Law 89-732.

United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2006

Repeals the Cuban Adjustment Act (P.L. 89-732).

Legal Employment Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2006

Legal Employment Act of 2006 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate annual (fiscal year) limitations on nonimmigrant H-2B visas (temporary or seasonal nonagricultural workers).

Nontraditional Student Success Act

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2006

Nontraditional Student Success Act - Authorizes and appropriates specified funds for Federal Pell grants under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). Increases yearly maximum grant amounts and revises requirements for the allowance of two Pell grants during a single award year. Requires the Secretary to publish annually in the Federal Register a revised table of income protection allowances. Excludes the earned income tax credit (EITC) from financial aid determinations. Authorizes the Secretary to select institutions of higher education for a Nontraditional Students Demonstration Program to test the effectiveness of providing expanded financial assistance to less than half-time students and students in compressed, modular, or other alternative schedules. Directs the Secretary to award competitive grants to eligible institutions to improve remedial education. Increases minimum grant amounts for the Federal TRIO programs. Permits student support services and educational opportunity centers to include career and academic (as well as personal) counseling. Makes awards under the Early Intervention and College Awareness Program for six years. Revises requirements for and reauthorizes the Program. Reauthorizes the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program of campus-based child care services for low-income parents in postsecondary education. Directs the Secretary to establish a website and brochures for providing outreach about financial aid and education tax credits that targets employers, one-stop centers, Head Start centers, and other appropriate locations. Increases the activities for which grants to Hispanic-serving institutions, as well as grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, may be used. Revises requirements for Special Programs for Students Whose Families Are Engaged in Migrant and Seasonal Farmwork. Reauthorizes the high school equivalency and the college assistance migrant programs. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the percentage Lifetime Learning income tax credit for qualified higher education expenses, but reduce the maximum annual dollar amount. Makes a portion of the credit refundable. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments of such credits to eligible institutions on behalf of certified individuals.

To provide for an initial period of admission of 36 months for aliens employed as dairy workers.

United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2006

Provides for an initial 36-month admission period for a nonimmigrant alien employed as a dairy worker under an H-2A visa (temporary or seasonal agricultural worker).

Foreign Anti-Sex Offender Protection Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2006

Foreign Anti-Sex Offender Protection Act of 2006 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to deny a family-based immigration petition by a U.S. petitioner for an alien spouse or child if: (1) the Secretary has confirmed that the petitioner is on the national sex offender registry for a conviction that individually resulted in incarceration for more than one year; (2) the petitioner has been given at least 90 days to rebut such information and has failed to do so; and (3) the Secretary finds that granting the petition would put a primary or derivative spouse or child beneficiary in grave danger of being sexually abused. Directs the Secretary to base such petitioner evaluation upon: (1) the nature of the relationship; (2) the nature of the sex offense; (3) rehabilitation; and (4) previous visa petitions. Directs the Secretary to provide the petitioner with a notice that states the reasons for the intended denial and provides the petitioner with at least 90 days to submit rebuttal evidence. Provides post-denial remedies through: (1) the Board of Immigration Appeals; and (2) a new petition filing based on additional evidence. States that where the Secretary has confirmed that the petitioner is listed on the national sex offender registry: (1) an interview with the alien spouse, and any alien sons or daughters, shall be required prior to removal of conditional permanent resident status; and (2) if there is abuse or harm by the petitioner the victim shall be offered appropriate assistance, including information on ways to remain in the United State that do not depend on continuing the qualifying marriage. Provides a hardship waiver in cases of sexual abuse of the alien spouse or child. Directs the Secretary to establish the Task Force to Rescue Immigrant Victims of American Sex Offenders.

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to render deportable all aliens convicted of a criminal offense resulting in a sentence of incarceration, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2006

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) make all aliens sentenced to incarceration for a federal or state crime deportable; (2) provide for detention of all aliens who are sentenced to incarceration for a federal or state crime, and deportable on any ground; and (3) provide for expedited removal for all aliens sentenced to incarceration. Prohibits state or local use of federal funds to assist incarceration of criminal aliens unless the state or local unit: (1) for each conviction, provides the Secretary of Homeland Security with adequate information to determine such person's immigration status; and (2) for each person determined to be unlawfully present in the United States, transfers custody of such person to the Secretary by the date imprisonment ends, or the date of sentencing if imprisonment is not imposed.

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to transfer to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement all functions of the Customs Patrol Officers unit operating on the Tohono O'odham Indian reservation.

United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2006

Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, within 90 days of enactment of this Act, to transfer to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement all functions (including personnel, assets, and liabilities attributable to such functions) of the Customs Patrol Officers unit operating on the Tohono O'odham Indian reservation ("Shadow Wolves" unit). Authorizes the Secretary to establish within United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement additional Customs Patrol Officer units. States that the transferred Customs Patrol Officer unit, and any additional units established under this Act, shall operate on Indian lands to prevent the entry into the United States of terrorists, unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband. Provides that: (1) a Customs Patrol Officer under this Act shall receive equivalent pay as a special agent with similar competencies within United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement pursuant to the Department of Homeland Security's Human Resources Management System; and (2) each unit under this Act shall be supervised by a Chief Customs Patrol Officer who shall have the same rank as a resident agent-in-charge of the Office of Investigations within United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Fairness in Immigration Litigation Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2006

Fairness in Immigration Litigation Act of 2006 - Prohibits any court from certifying an action as a class action under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in any civil immigration action. Sets forth the requirements under which a court may order prospective relief in such an action. Provides that preliminary injunctive relief shall expire 90 days after entry unless otherwise determined by the court. Requires a court to promptly rule on any government motion to vacate, modify, dissolve, or otherwise terminate an order granting prospective relief in a civil immigration action. Provides for an automatic 15-day stay of the prospective relief order. Authorizes a court to enter an order to postpone for up to 15 days the effective date of an automatic stay. Provides that: (1) whenever a higher court remands a decision on a motion to a lower court the order granting prospective relief that is the subject of the motion shall be automatically stayed until the district court grants or denies such motion; and (2) any order staying, suspending, delaying, or otherwise barring the effective date of an automatic stay, other than an order to postpone the effective date, shall be treated as an order refusing to vacate, modify, dissolve, or otherwise terminate an injunction and shall be appealable. States that: (1) no court has jurisdiction to grant or continue an order affecting an expedited removal action against an alien; (2) upon the government's filing of a motion to vacate, modify, dissolve, or otherwise terminate an order granting prospective relief in a civil immigration action, the court involved shall determine whether it continues to have jurisdiction and shall vacate any order or part of a relief order that is not within its jurisdiction; and (3) sections (1) and (2) of this paragraph shall not apply to a relief order that was entered before the date of the enactment of this Act to remedy a violation of constitutional rights. Sets forth consent decree and private settlement agreement provisions.

United States-Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Human Dignity Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2006

United States-Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Human Dignity Act - Prohibits the affixation of the "Made in the USA" label to a product (including a textile fiber product) leaving the Northern Mariana Islands for shipment to any place in the United States or abroad unless: (1) each worker producing such product was paid a minimum wage equal to or greater than the wage set by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; (2) the product was manufactured in compliance with all federal laws relating to labor rights and working conditions; and (3) the factory or other business producing the product does not employ individuals under conditions of indentured servitude. Applies to the Northern Mariana Islands: (1) the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938; and (2) the Immigration and Nationality Act. Prohibits any product of the Northern Mariana Islands from entering U.S. customs territory duty-free or quota-free as a product of an insular possession, unless specified requirements relating to fair labor practices and country of origin are met. Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to authorize inspection by the Customs Service of any vessel from a foreign port or from a place in any U.S. territory or possession arriving at a port or place in the Northern Mariana Islands. Prohibits the use of federal assistance for public buildings or public works projects in the Northern Mariana Islands which involve the employment of mechanics or laborers unless the project is subject to a contract containing specified provisions on the rate of wages for such laborers and mechanics. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop technical assistance programs for economic diversification, job creation, and job training in the Northern Mariana Islands. Requires studies of: (1) the extent of human and labor rights violations in the Northern Mariana Islands; and (2) security and immigration vulnerabilities there.

HERO Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2006

Ensuring Implementation of the 9/11 Commission Report Act - Homeland Emergency Response Operations Act or the HERO Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complete assignment of the electromagnetic spectrum for public safety services to permit operation by January 1, 2007. Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program to assist state and local governments in achieving essential capabilities for terrorism preparedness. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish an Office of the Comptroller within the Office for Domestic Preparedness, a First Responder Grants Board, and a Task Force on Terrorism Preparedness for First Responders; and (2) promulgate national voluntary standards for first responder equipment. Requires reports by: (1) DHS on a unified incident command system, a national critical infrastructure risk and vulnerabilities assessment, the comprehensive screening system, a biometric entry and exit data system, international collaboration on border and document security, and standardization of secure identification; (2) the Comptroller General on private sector preparedness, federal first responder training programs, and terrorist watch list consolidation; (3) the Secretary of Transportation on a national strategy for transportation security and on airline passenger screening; (4) the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center on collection and analysis of intelligence on terrorist travel; and (5) the Commissioner of Social Security on social security card security enhancements. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require fingerprints in passports. Requires specified reports on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and the policy goals of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Requires certification by the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense as to whether the federal government has implemented the policy goals and the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States regarding homeland and airspace defense. Requires semiannual reports by the Secretary of Defense describing the plans and strategies of the U.S. Northern Command. 9/11 Commission Civil Liberties Board Act - Revises provisions concerning the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Provides for the designation of privacy and civil liberties officers. Revises provisions concerning the House and Senate intelligence committees. Requires public disclosure by the President of certain intelligence funding. Expresses the sense of Congress respecting: (1) Afghanistan; (2) Pakistan; (3) Saudi Arabia; (4) coalition strategy against Islamic terrorism; (5) the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI); (6) the Proliferation Security Initiative; and (7) nuclear weapons and materials security standards. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) terrorist sanctuary elimination; (2) standards for detention and humane treatment of captured terrorists; (3) economic policies to combat terrorism; (4) terrorist financing; and (5) public diplomacy, scholarship, exchange, and library programs in the Islamic world, and international broadcasting; Omnibus Nonproliferation and Anti-Nuclear Terrorism Act of 2006 - Establishes the Office of Nonproliferation Programs in the Executive Office of the President. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) removal of certain restrictions on cooperative threat reduction and energy nonproliferation programs, and modification of such programs' fund use outside the former Soviet Union; (2) the Global Threat Reduction Initiative; (3) Russia's nuclear weapons; (4) research and development of alternative use of weapons of mass destruction expertise; and (5) strengthening the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Protecting American Commerce and Travel Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2006

Protecting American Commerce and Travel Act of 2006 - Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to extend the deadline for implementation of the plan to require biometric passports or other secure passports for all travel into the United States by U.S. citizens and by categories of individuals for whom documentation requirements were previously waived. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) establish a process to permit a U.S. citizen who does not possess a passport or other document to re-enter the United States at an international land border of the United States (provides that a U.S. citizen under 16 years shall not be required to present a passport or other document when returning from Canada at any port of entry along the U.S.-Canada international land border); (2) issue to U.S. citizen applicants a North American travel card which shall be a base for expedited traveler programs and be considered sufficient to denote identity and citizenship for travel into the United States by U.S. citizens; and (3) provide for travel card-reading equipment at U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico land border ports of entry. Directs the Secretary to: (1) merge the Free and Secure Trade program (FAST, a joint United States-Canada program offering pre-authorized importers, carriers, and drivers expedited clearance processes for eligible goods) and the NEXUS program (a joint United States-Canada program designed to simplify border crossings for pre-approved, low risk travelers) dedicated commuter lane system into a single procedure, with common eligibility and security screening requirements, enrollment processes, and sanctions regimes; (2) ensure that the procedures for the NEXUS Highway, NEXUS Marine, and NEXUS Air programs are integrated into such single procedure, and the processes relating to eligibility and security screening are identical to those for the FAST program; (3) integrate databases and information systems to permit any identification card issued to a participant to operate in all locations; (4) design an on-line application process; and (5) develop enrollment plans that do not exceed $20 per card. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the government of Canada, to: (1) equip specified border crossings in Michigan, New York, North Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota with NEXUS technology; and (2) create at least six remote and four mobile FAST and NEXUS enrollment centers. States that the program card shall satisfy certain travel document requirements for travel into the United States by U.S. citizens and for individuals whose document requirements have been waived under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Directs the Secretary to establish a single process for conducting security screening and background checks for any of the following programs: (1) the transportation worker identification credential; (2) the security risk determination and related background checks performed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as part of the Department of Transportation hazardous materials endorsement credentialing program; (3) the FAST and NEXUS programs; (4) the secure electronic network for travelers rapid inspection program (SENTRI); and (5) the registered traveler program of the TSA. Directs the Secretary to conduct a cost-benefit analysis with respect to the issuance and use of North American travel cards and NEXUS and FAST identification cards as documents sufficient on their own when produced to denote identity and citizenship for travel into the United States.

U.S. General Population Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2006

U.S. General Population Act - Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement or promote measures to: (1) influence population dynamics through education systems, public health systems, professional and technical training systems, and child protection systems, and encourage the participation of the collective populace in solving the problems that affect it; (2) regulate immigration and ensure immigrant assimilation and distribution into the national environment; (3) restrict U.S. emigration when national interests so require; and (4) stimulate the establishment of strong population cores of U.S. citizens and nationals in low population density border areas. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) migration; (2) immigration; (3) a national population registry; and (4) immigration-related penalties.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors Act of 2006 - Amends the USA PATRIOT Act to authorize a border state (a state that shares a border with Canada or Mexico or a political subdivision of such a state) to use up to 75% of the minimum amount allocated to the state under the state and local domestic preparedness support grant program to build a physical barrier near the U.S. border to deter illegal crossings and for incidental costs.

Federal Contract Accountability Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006

Federal Contract Accountability Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to debar an employer of unlawful aliens from federal contract, grant, or cooperative agreement eligibility for two years. Provides for discretionary waiver or limited duration of debarment. States that any entity, including a state or local government, carrying out a project for which a federal share of funding is provided may not receive the federal share, or shall be required to return such share to the federal government, if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that the entity is in violation of unlawful employment of alien provisions.

Securing the Homeland Through Agency Reporting Enhancement Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006

Securing the Homeland Through Agency Reporting Enhancement Act - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) with respect to any case in which the Social Security account number in the wage records of an employee provided by the employer to the Social Security Administration do not match relevant records otherwise maintained by the Administration. Requires the Commissioner of Social Security, in such a case, to send a prompt written notice ("no match" letter): (1) informing the employer of the discrepancies; (2) requesting information that would assist the Commissioner in resolving the discrepancies; and (3) informing the employer that a copy of such notice is being forwarded to assist the Secretary of Homeland Security in the enforcement of applicable federal immigration laws relating to employment of individuals who are not authorized to work in the United States. Requires the Commissioner to forward such a copy to the Secretary of Homeland Security, including the information in which discrepancies appear.

State Accountability in Licensing Act

United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2006

State Accountability in Licensing Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that if a state permits an applicant for a driver's license or document to use a taxpayer identification number that is not a social security account number the license or document may not be used to verify identity under the employment verification system.

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that officers of the Department of Homeland Security should not undermine the efforts of citizen groups such as the Minuteman Project to preserve the integrity of the borders of the United States and protect the Nation from intrusion.

United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2006

Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that officers of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should not: (1) undermine the efforts of citizen groups such as the Minuteman Project to preserve the integrity of U.S. borders and protect the nation from intrusion; and (2) contact Mexican officials about the location of individuals who participate in such groups while conducting surveillance on the southern U.S. border.

Illegal Immigration Crisis Response Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2006

Illegal Immigration Crisis Response Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) increase incentives to recruit full-time Border Patrol agents; and (2) establish a Border Patrol agent training program that provides one year's tuition for each year of full-time Border Patrol service. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) deploy newly developed technologies along the U.S. land and maritime borders; and (2) construct a fence along the southern border. Prohibits U.S. admission without presentation of appropriate documentation, such as a passport, visa, U.S. driver's license, alien registration card, or border crossing card. Declares English to be the official language of the United States. Authorizes persons injured by violations of this Act to obtain appropriate relief in civil actions. Declares, as a general rule of construction, that English language requirements and workplace policies, whether in the public or private sector, shall be presumptively consistent with U.S. laws. Directs the Secretary to establish in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) an Office of Alien Registration to manage the registration, adjustment, and citizenship process of aliens unlawfully in the United States. Provides that: (1) an alien who has been continuously present in the United States since the date of introduction of this Act may register with the Office (during the six months after establishment of such Office), and if determined to not have a criminal or terrorist background, be issued a temporary, and subsequently, permanent registration card (upon registration the alien shall become liable for federal and state taxes); (2) an unlawful alien who is not registered or has not satisfied certain requirements shall be subject to expedited removal and criminal penalties; (3) upon registration an alien shall receive 15-month temporary resident status, which shall be adjusted to permanent resident status upon timely application after one year's residence and demonstration of citizenship skills (makes such alien eligible for naturalization); and (4) an alien who fails to adjust to permanent resident status shall be removed from the United States. Requires an employer who hires an alien who is eligible for registration but not otherwise registered to register such alien with the Office. Provides a fine for employer registration violations. Requires temporary worker (H-2) visas to be tamper-resistant and counterfeit-proof and to contain a biometric component.

To supersede certain judicial orders interfering with the implementation of amendments to section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2006

States that the provisions of section 235 the Immigration and Nationality Act (inspection of aliens, expedited removal of inadmissible arriving aliens, and referral for hearing) in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act supersede any court order issued prior to the effective date specified in section 309(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (inspection, apprehension, detention, adjudication, and removal of inadmissible and exportable aliens) if the court order affects the Secretary of Homeland Security's ability to carry out expedited removal of inadmissible arriving aliens.

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2006

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 - Makes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2007, including for: (1) the Offices of the Secretary, the Under Secretary for Management, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Information Officer, the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, and the Inspector General; (2) the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology project; (3) customs and border protection; (4) immigration and customs enforcement, including for the Federal Protective Service; (5) the Transportation Security Administration (TSA); (6) the Coast Guard; (7) the Secret Service; (8) the Offices of the Under Secretary for Preparedness, the Chief Medical Officer, and National Capital Region Coordination; (9) grants and training, including firefighter assistance grants and emergency management performance grants; (10) the U.S. Fire Administration; (11) infrastructure protection and information security; (12) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); (13) citizenship and immigration services; (14) the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; (15) the Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology; and (16) the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. Transfers to DHS the authority of the Office of Personnel Management to conduct personnel security and background investigations for specified DHS positions. Prohibits the use of funds under this Act: (1) for deployment or implementation, on other than a test basis, of the Secure Flight Program or other passenger prescreening program until specified requirements have been met; (2) to amend the oath of allegiance required for naturalization; or (3) to maintain the Secret Service as anything but a distinct entity within DHS. Directs: (1) the Secretary of DHS to develop standards for increasing the use of explosive detection equipment to screen air cargo; and (2) TSA to utilize existing checked baggage explosive detection equipment and screeners to screen cargo carried on passenger aircraft to the greatest extent practicable at each airport and to report air cargo inspection statistics quarterly. Requires the Secretary to: (1) make specified revisions to DHS MD 11056; and (2) issue interim final regulations that establish requirements for chemical facilities that present the greatest security risk and that are not currently regulated for homeland security purposes.

To amend the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to extend by one year the deadline for the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2006

Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to extend to June 1, 2009, the deadline for implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. (The Initiative requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) develop and implement a plan to require a passport or other document deemed sufficient to denote identity and citizenship for all travel into the United States by U.S. citizens and by individuals for whom documentation requirements have previously been waived under the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (2) seek to expedite the travel of frequent travelers.)

To suspend the visa waiver program until certain entry-exit control requirements are met, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2006

Suspends the nonimmigrant visitor visa waiver program until the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies to Congress that: (1) the automated entry-exit control system is fully implemented and functional; (2) all U.S. ports of entry have functional biometric machine readers; and (3) all nonimmigrants, including Border Crossing Card holders, are processed through the automated entry-exit control system. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to repeal the machine readable passport (including discretionary waiver) provisions of such program.

A bill for the relief of Claudia Marquez Rico.

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2006

Makes Claudia Marquez Rico eligible for issuance of an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident of the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, upon payment of the required visa fees.

New Homestead Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2006

New Homestead Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Education to repay a specified percentage (up to $2,000 per year) of certain education loans to an individual who completes a degree and both resides and is employed for at least five years in an area outside a metropolitan statistical area which for 20 years has a net out-migration of inhabitants of at least 10% of the county population (qualifying county). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a: (1) tax credit for the lesser of $5,000 or 10% of the purchase price of a principal residence in a qualifying county; and (2) capital loss deduction with respect to a sale or exchange of a principal residence in a qualifying county. Provides for the creation of tax-exempt individual homestead accounts, funded by individual cash contributions and matching Federal contributions according to a specified formula, whose tax-free distributions after five years are used by residents of qualifying counties for qualified higher education or medical expenses, first-time homebuyer or business capitalization costs, or rollovers. Establishes a rural investment tax credit of 70% of the present value of new buildings (including rehabilitation projects) or 30% of the present value of existing buildings. Establishes a qualified rural small business investment credit of 30% of expenditures for starting or expanding a business, including costs for capital, plant and equipment, inventory expenses, and wages, but not including interest costs. Provides for accelerated depreciation of business property in rural investment projects. New Homestead Venture Capital Fund Act - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish the New Homestead Venture Capital Fund (Fund), owned by private investors, to generate and provide equity capital to rural businesses in qualifying counties. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide funding and guarantees for private investors in the Fund.

For the relief of Tarveen Kaur Anand.

United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2006

Classifies Tarveen Kaur Anand as an immediate relative for purposes of approval of a relative visa petition filed under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Proud to Be an American Citizen Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2006

Proud to Be an American Citizen Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make funds available to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or to approved public or private nonprofit entities to support public ceremonies for administering oaths of allegiance to naturalizing legal immigrants. States that such ceremonies shall: (1) be held on a date that is on or near Independence Day; and (2) include appropriate outreach, ceremonial, and celebratory activities. Specifies: (1) ceremony fund limits; and (2) permitted fund uses.

Secure Traveler Improvement Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2006

Secure Traveler Improvement Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) merge the Free and Secure Trade program (FAST, a joint United States-Canada program offering pre-authorized importers, carriers, and drivers expedited clearance processes for eligible goods) and the NEXUS program (a joint United States-Canada program designed to simplify border crossings for pre-approved, low risk travellers) dedicated commuter lane system into a single procedure, with common eligibility and security screening requirements, enrollment processes, and sanctions regimes; (2) ensure that the procedures for the NEXUS Highway, NEXUS Marine, and NEXUS Air programs are integrated into such single procedure, and the processes relating to eligibility and security screening are identical to those for the FAST program; (3) integrate databases and information systems to permit any identification card issued to a participant to operate in all locations; (4) design an on-line application process; and (5) develop enrollment plans that do not exceed $20 per card. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the government of Canada, to: (1) equip specified border crossings in Michigan, New York, North Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota with NEXUS technology; and (2) create at least six remote and four mobile FAST and NEXUS enrollment centers. States that the program card shall satisfy certain travel document requirements for travel into the United States by U.S. citizens and for individuals whose document requirements have been waived under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Directs the Secretary to establish a single process for conducting security screening and background checks for any of the following programs: (1) the transportation worker identification credential; (2) the security risk determination and related background checks performed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as part of the Department of Transportation hazardous materials endorsement credentialing program; (3) the FAST and NEXUS programs; (4) the secure electronic network for travelers rapid inspection program (SENTRI); and (5) the registered traveler program of the TSA.

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service should incorporate consideration of global warming and sea-level rise into the comprehensive conservation plans for coastal national wildlife refuges, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2006

Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) should incorporate consideration of the effects of global warming and sea-level rise into the comprehensive conservation plan for each coastal national wildlife refuge. Calls for such plans to address how global warming and sea-level rise will affect: (1) the ecological integrity, archaeological and cultural values, and distribution, migration patterns, and abundance of fish, wildlife, and plant populations and related habitats of the refuge; (2) areas within the refuge that are suitable for use as administrative sites or visitor facilities; and (3) opportunities for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational uses of the refuge. Calls for the Director of the USFWS to conduct an assessment of the potential impacts of global warming and sea-level rise on coastal national wildlife refuges.

SKIL Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2006

Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2006 or the SKIL Act of 2006 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt from the annual H-1B (specialty occupation) visa cap an alien who has: (1) earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; or (2) been awarded a medical specialty certification based on post-doctoral training and experience in the United States. Increases the annual H-1B cap, with a 20% increase for the following year if the previous year's quota is reached. Exempts from worldwide immigration caps an alien who: (1) has earned a master's or higher degree from an accredited U.S. university; (2) has been awarded medical specialty certification based on postdoctoral training and experience in the United States; (3) will work in shortage occupations; (4) has earned a master's degree or higher in science, technology, engineering, or math and has been working in a related field in the United States during the three-year period preceding his or her immigrant visa application; (5) has extraordinary ability or received a national interest waiver; or (6) is the spouse or minor child of an employment-based immigrant. Increases the annual immigrant visa cap. Revises student visa provisions. Authorizes an L-1 (intracompany transfer) visa extension beyond the fifth or seventh year if the individual has a immigrant application pending. Permits an alien with an approved labor certification to apply for permanent resident status adjustment if there is no visa immediately available by paying a $500 supplemental fee. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pre-certification procedure for employers who file multiple employment petitions. Revises certain labor certification provisions. Prohibits immigration application approval until background and security checks have been completed and any fraud allegations have been resolved. Authorizes temporary workers (E, H, I, L O, or P visas) who have not violated their status to renew their same category visa from within the United States.

Municipal Illegal Immigration Relief Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2006

Municipal Illegal Immigration Relief Act of 2006 - Authorizes grants to local governmental units for increased expenses incurred in responding to the needs of undocumented immigrants, including: (1) law enforcement; (2) health care; (3) public housing; (4) inmate transportation; and (5) jail overcrowding.

IMMIGRATION: ECONOMIC IMPACTS

United States · United States Senate · 25 April 2006

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Commission Act of 2006

United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2006

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Commission Act of 2006 - Establishes the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Commission which shall: (1) conduct a comprehensive review of immigration reform policies that affect family reunification, employment-based immigration, refugee protection, and diversity of admissions by country of origin; and (2) submit a final report to Congress and the President. Terminates the Commission 30 days after submission of such report.