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132 records in US in 2008
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2008
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 to extend the J-1 visa (medical services in underserved areas) program through June 1, 2013.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2008
Amends the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 to extend the alien investor (EB-5) regional center program for five years.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2008
Religious Worker Visa Extension Act of 2008 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the October 1, 2008, U.S. entry date requirement with respect to the special immigrant (nonminister) religious worker program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2008
Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 - Amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to revise the provisions of the President's comprehensive five-year global strategy to combat HIV/AIDS. Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide for the establishment of an interagency working group on HIV/AIDS headed by the Global AIDS Coordinator and comprised of representatives from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Extends funding for: (1) the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria; (2) the Vaccine Fund; (3) the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative; and (4) programs to fight malaria. Authorizes appropriations for tuberculosis vaccine research. Directs USAID to facilitate the availability of safe microbicides that prevent HIV transmission. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to assistance programs to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Authorizes the President to provide increased resources to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership. Establishes within USAID a Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat Malaria Globally. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate infection with the etiologic agent for acquired immune deficiency syndrome as a public health grounds for alien nonadmission. Directs the President to address mother-to-child and youth HIV infection concerns as part of the comprehensive global HIV/AIDS prevention strategy. Amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to extend funding for activities under such Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 March 2008
Border Security Accountability Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to report every 90 days to the appropriate congressional committees respecting U.S. efforts to increase border security.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Prohibits appropriated funds for the community oriented policing services program from being used in contravention of section 642(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which provides that a federal, state, or local government entity or official may not prohibit or restrict any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, the Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Authorizes a financial institution, when verifying the identity of a non-U.S. citizen or national who is seeking to open a bank account, to accept only: (1) a Social Security number; (2) a passport number and the country of issuance; (3) an alien identification card number; or (4) any combination of such items. Prohibits a financial institution, for such verification purposes, from accepting identification documents issued by a foreign government, other than an unexpired passport.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Border Crossing Deterrence Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to expand Operation Streamline (the zero-tolerance prosecution policy for illegal entry and reentry) to all 20 border sectors. Authorizes appropriations. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) revise and increase criminal penalties, including establishing mandatory minimum penalties, for an alien's entry into the United States at an improper time or place; and (2) revise criminal penalty and related provisions, and establish mandatory minimum sentences, respecting the reentry of an alien who has been removed from the United States. Amends the federal criminal code to establish a mandatory minimum criminal penalty of five years for an alien's destruction of U.S. government-installed border barriers or infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Effective Immigration Enforcement Partnerships Act of 2008 - States that state and local law enforcement personnel are fully authorized in the normal course of their duties to investigate, apprehend, or transfer to federal custody aliens in the United States (including interstate transportation of such aliens to detention centers) in order to assist in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Provides for the listing of immigration violators in the National Crime Information Center database. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to illegal aliens apprehended by state or local authorities to provide for: (1) federal custody upon state or local enforcement entity request; and (2) state or local compensation for related incarceration and transportation costs. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish immigration-related training for state and local personnel. Provides: (1) personal liability immunity to the same extent as corresponding federal immunity for state or local personnel enforcing immigration laws within the scope of their duties; and (2) civil rights money damage immunity for state or local agencies enforcing immigration laws unless their personnel violated criminal law in such enforcement. Authorizes a state or locality to: (1) detain an illegal alien after completion of such alien's state prison sentence for up to 14 days to facilitate federal transfer; and (2) issue a detainer that would allow the detention of aliens who have served such a sentence until taken into federal custody. States that nothing in this Act may be construed to require state or local law enforcement personnel to: (1) report the identity of a victim of, or a witness to, a criminal offense for immigration enforcement purposes; (2) arrest such victim or witness for an immigration violation; or (3) enforce U.S. immigration laws.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Strengthening American Citizenship Act of 2007 [ sic ] - Directs the Chief of the Office of Citizenship of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide grants (not to exceed $500) to assist legal U.S. residents who declare an intent to apply for citizenship in the United States to meet naturalization requirements. Provides such grants to an accredited institution of higher education or other qualified educational institution for tuition, fees, books, and other educational resources required by the English language course in which the legal resident is enrolled. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to provide that a legal U.S. resident who demonstrates English fluency will satisfy the residency requirement upon the completion of four (currently, five years) years of continuous U.S. legal residency. Directs the Secretary of DHS to: (1) establish an American citizenship grant program for qualified entities to provide civics, history, and English classes to promote the patriotic integration of prospective citizens; and (2) implement a strategy to enhance public awareness of naturalization ceremonies. Authorizes the Secretary to establish the United States Citizenship Foundation to support the functions of the Office of Citizenship. Amends INA to set forth a new oath of allegiance. Directs the Secretary to: (1) incorporate a knowledge and understanding of the oath of allegiance into the history and government citizenship test; and (2) notify the embassy of the country of which a new citizen was a citizen or subject that such citizen has renounced allegiance to that foreign country and sworn allegiance to the United States. Establishes a new citizens award program to recognize citizens who: (1) have made an outstanding contribution to the United States; and (2) were naturalized during the 10-year period ending on the date of such recognition.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Worksite Enforcement Act of 2008 - Sets forth immigration-related worksite enforcement provisions, including provisions respecting: (1) unlawful employment of aliens; (2) disclosure of taxpayer information; (3) social security cards and identity documents; (4) establishment of a voluntary advanced verification program to allow employers to verify an employee's fingerprints in order to determine identity and work status; (5) responsibilities of the Social Security Administration (SSA); (6) immigration-related activities of the SSA and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and (7) criminal penalties for misuse of social security numbers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Safe Roads Enhancement Act of 2008 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include within the definition of "aggravated felony" a third conviction for driving while intoxicated (including any conviction for driving while under the influence of, or impaired by, alcohol or drugs), without regard to whether the conviction is classified as a misdemeanor or felony under state law. Makes inadmissible or deportable an alien who has been convicted of driving while intoxicated (including any conviction for driving while under the influence of, or impaired by, alcohol or drugs), without regard to whether the conviction is classified as a misdemeanor or felony under state law, for which the term of imprisonment is at least one year.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to prohibit funds from being dispersed to a country that denies or unreasonably delays the acceptance of its citizens, nationals, or residents who have been ordered removed under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) from the United States. Amends INA to prohibit visa issuance to citizens, nationals, or residents of such country unless: (1) the country is in full compliance with travel document requirements under this Act; or (2) Congress waives such prohibition. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to report to Congress every three months listing countries that deny or delay such repatriation. Imposes assistance and visa prohibitions on a listed country that does not issue appropriate travel documents for such aliens. Authorizes presidential waiver of such assistance and visa prohibitions.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use an employer's failure to timely resolve discrepancies with the Social Security Administration (SSA) after receiving a "no match" notice as evidence that the employer violated unlawful employment provisions under such Act. Provides that an employee's firing by an employer having constructive knowledge that the employee is not authorized to work in the United States based on SSA notice that the name and number provided by the employee do not match, and cannot be corrected to match, SSA records shall not be considered an unfair immigration-related employment practice. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to direct SSA to provide DHS with certain "no match" information.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2008
Complete the Fence Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to: (1) provide that fencing that does not effectively restrain pedestrian traffic may not be used to meet the requirement that the Secretary of Homeland Security construct reinforced fencing along not less than 700 miles of the southwest U.S. border; (2) require the Secretary to complete construction of such fencing and installation of related equipment by December 31, 2010; and (3) prohibit any amounts appropriated for such fencing from being withheld because of the Secretary's failure to comply fully with consultation requirements regarding its impact on nearby communities and residents. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress by June 30, 2009, on progress made in completing such fencing and on plans for completing it by the deadline.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2008
Children of Military Families Natural Born Citizen Act - Declares that the term "natural born Citizen" in article II, section 1, clause 5 of the Constitution, dealing with the criteria for election to President of the United States, includes any person born to any U.S. citizen while serving in the active or reserve components of the U.S. armed forces.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2008
Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel Environmental Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 to repeal provisions requiring construction of a water treatment plant to treat effluent discharged from the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel, Colorado, and authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to investigate water pollution sources and impacts attributed to development in the Upper Arkansas River basin, develop corrective action plans, and implement corrective action demonstration projects. Requires the Secretary to operate and maintain the Tunnel in a manner that protects human health and the environment. Directs the Secretary, in cooperation with the state of Colorado, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other federal agencies, to: (1) investigate the Tunnel, groundwater and surface water affected by any blockage of the Tunnel, and the upper Arkansas River Watershed (study area); and (2) submit to the state, the Administrator, and Congress annual reports on how any blockages in the Tunnel affect water quality and aquatic life in the study area. Requires the Secretary, in conjunction with the Administrator, to take actions to: (1) reduce the water level in the mine pool associated with the Tunnel to prevent the risk of a catastrophic rupture and flood; and (2) maintain the water level in the mine pool at a safe level and prevent further mine pool migration. Directs the Secretary, in conjunction with the Administrator and the state, to implement those portions of the remedy selected by the Administrator, dated September 2003, for the California Gulch Superfund Site that pertain to managing the Tunnel and related mine pool.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2008
New Employee Verification Act of 2008 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to require employers to verify employee identification and employment eligibility under the Electronic Employment Verification System (EEVS) or the Secure Employment Eligibility Verification System (SEEVS) (as established by this Act). Permits employers subject to employee verification requirements to do so under EEVS or SEEVS. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) voluntary and expedited participation; (2) employer penalties for failure to participate in EEVS or SEEVS; (3) employer and employee information and document requirements; (4) employer liability protection; (5) attestation; and (6) consequences of EEVS determinations. States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to require a national identification card. Repeals the employment eligibility pilot programs under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Amends title II (Old Age, Survivor's and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Commissioner of Social Security to establish EEVS utilizing information in the National Directory of New Hires. States that EEVS shall have the capacity to determine whether: (1) employer-submitted information is consistent with information maintained by the Commissioner with respect to U.S. citizens and nationals and by the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to aliens; and (2) the individual is a citizen or national or is not an unauthorized alien. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) submission for confirmation of an individual's identification and employment eligibility and related EEVs determinations; (2) administrative and judicial review of employment disapproval; (3) EEVS implementation; and (4) data use by EEVS. Directs the Commissioner to establish SEEVS to provide, through government certified private entities, for verification of identity and employment eligibility respecting new employees Permits an employer to opt out of SEEVS after one year's participation. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) certification of entities; (2) database management, including limitations on accessibility and the use and storage of biometric data; (3) employer responsibilities; (4) employee protections; and (5) information security and confidentiality, including penalties for violations. Directs the Commissioner to establish the Employment Verification Advisory Council, which shall terminate five years after enactment of this Act. Amends INA to: (1) apply certain antidiscrimination provisions to EEVS and SEEVS; (2) increase civil money penalties for unfair employment practice violations; (3) increase civil money penalties for certain hiring, recruiting, and referral violations (reduces certain penalties for small employers, exempts certain good faith, first-time violations, and provides a safe harbor for certain contractors); and (4) increase criminal penalties for pattern or practice violations. Amends SSA to: (1) provide for disclosure to the Secretary of Homeland Security of certain National Directory of New Hires information about employees with the greatest number or percentage of mismatched social security information; (2) deny credit toward earnings benefits from unauthorized work; (3) revise totalization agreement provisions; and (4) prohibit survivor's lump sum death payments to individuals who have been removed from the United States under INA.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2008
Conrad State 30 Improvement Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 to make the the J-1 visa waiver (Conrad state 30/medical services in underserved areas) program permanent. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) revise entry provisions for H-1B visa foreign medical graduates and provide for an increase in the annual per-state cap of 30 foreign doctors; (2) exempt from worldwide immigration numerical limitations alien physicians who have completed service requirements of a state waiver or exemption, including alien physicians who completed such service before the date of the enactment of this Act; and (3) increase Conrad program waiver authority with respect to alien physicians in facilities that treat patients from, but that may not be located in, a medically underserved area.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2008
Relief for America's Small and Seasonal Businesses Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain returning H-2B aliens (temporary nonagricultural worker) from annual numerical limitations during FY2008.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2008
American Competitiveness Through International Openness Now Act of 2008 or the ACTION Act of 2008 - Directs the President to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategic plan for increasing U.S. competitiveness for international students, scholars, scientists, and exchange visitors. Establishes in the Executive Office of the President the International Education Coordinating Council. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) revise the "intent" criterion with respect to foreign students; and (2) permit specified employment-based visas to be renewed in the United States. Extends the security clearance for nonimmigrant scientists. Provides for: (1) security clearance portability under specified circumstances; (2) periodic review of the technology alert list (as defined by this Act); and (3) expansion of the social security number enumeration-at-entry program to include eligible exchange visitor nonimmigrants (J-visa) at all U.S. ports of entry. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 with respect to temporary driver's licenses and temporary identification cards. Directs the Secretary of State to establish an expedited visa trusted traveler program for international students, researchers, scholars, and individuals engaged in business.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2008
National Forests, Parks, Public Land, and Reclamation Projects Authorization Act of 2008 - Authorizes specified programs and activities in the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the Department of Energy concerning, among other things, land conveyances, boundary adjustments, studies, memorials, commissions, and museums, national park natural resource protection, national trails and rivers, national heritage areas, and advanced energy technology transfer centers. Sets forth provisions concerning the Northern Mariana Islands. Makes amendments to various public laws, including the National Trails System Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998, the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, the Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996, the Reclamation and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 1988, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2008
Giving Relief to Our Small Businesses Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain returning H-2B aliens (temporary nonagricultural workers) from annual numerical limitations during FY2008 or FY2009.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2008
Ensure Timely SCAAP Reimbursement Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require distribution of state criminal alien assistance program funds no later than 120 days after the last day of the annual program application period.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2008
SCAAP Reimbursement Protection Act of 2008 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to compensate states for incarcerating undocumented aliens charged with a felony or two or more misdemeanors.
United States · United States Congress · 29 January 2008
Department of Homeland Security Component Privacy Officer Act of 2008 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate a full-time privacy official for each of the following Department of Homeland Security (DHS) components: (1) the Transportation Security Administration (TSA); (2) the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS); (3) Customs and Border Protection (CBP); (4) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); (5) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); (6) the Coast Guard; (7) the Directorate of Science and Technology; (8) the Office of Intelligence and Analysis; and (9) the Directorate for National Protection and Programs. Lists the responsibilities of each privacy official, including: (1) advising the component head on privacy considerations when any law, regulation, or guideline is proposed, developed, or implemented; (2) assuring that the use of technologies sustains or enhances privacy protections; (3) conducting privacy impact assessments and supervision of programs or guidelines to ensure privacy protection; and (4) providing DHS's privacy officer with written materials and information regarding relevant component activities needed to successfully prepare reports for Congress. Directs each component head to ensure that the component's privacy official: (1) has the information, resources, and access to material and personnel necessary to fulfill his or her responsibilities; (2) is advised of proposed policy changes and the development of new programs, regulations, procedures, or guidelines during the planning stages, and; (3) is included in decision-making.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2008
Civil Rights Act of 2008 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 to set forth requirements for: (1) establishing discrimination based on disparate impact; and (2) rights of action and recovery for unlawful discrimination (intentional or based on disparate impact). Amends those Acts and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to set forth requirements regarding a right of recovery for harassment. Amends the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to provide that a state's receipt or use of federal financial assistance for a state program or activity constitutes a waiver of sovereign immunity for a suit by a program employee. Amends the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 to authorize civil actions in federal court for discrimination based on disability. Settlement Encouragement and Fairness Act - Modifies the definition of "prevailing party" for purposes of provisions governing the recovery of attorney's fees to include a party whose pursuit of a non-frivolous claim or defense was a catalyst for a voluntary or unilateral change in position by the opposing party that provides any significant part of the relief sought. Preservation of Civil Rights Protections Act of 2008 - Makes arbitration clauses in employment contracts unenforceable, with exceptions. Authorizes recovery of expert fees by prevailing parties in civil rights actions. Equal Remedies Act of 2008 - Repeals provisions limiting the amount of compensatory and punitive damages that may be awarded in cases of intentional discrimination in employment. Amends the FLSA to revise provisions governing discrimination in the payment of wages, including equal pay requirements. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit denying back-pay or other monetary relief for unlawful employment practices against undocumented immigrant workers. Applies specified provisions of this act to violations pending as of enactment or occurring prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2008
Reinstatement of the Secure Fence Act of 2008 - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to construct at least 700 miles of two-layered, 14-foot reinforced fencing along the southwest border and provide for the installation of additional physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors within six months of enactment of this Act. Prohibits the inclusion of fencing in existence on January 1, 2008, as part of the fencing requirement under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2008
Civil Rights Act of 2008 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 to set forth requirements for: (1) establishing discrimination based on disparate impact; and (2) rights of action and recovery for unlawful discrimination (intentional or based on disparate impact). Amends those Acts and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to set forth requirements regarding a right of recovery for harassment. Amends the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to provide that a state's receipt or use of federal financial assistance for a state program or activity constitutes a waiver of sovereign immunity for a suit by a program employee. Amends the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 to authorize civil actions in federal court for discrimination based on disability. Settlement Encouragement and Fairness Act - Modifies the definition of "prevailing party" for purposes of provisions governing the recovery of attorney's fees to include a party whose pursuit of a non-frivolous claim or defense was a catalyst for a voluntary or unilateral change in position by the opposing party that provides any significant part of the relief sought. Preservation of Civil Rights Protections Act of 2008 - Makes arbitration clauses in employment contracts unenforceable, with exceptions. Authorizes recovery of expert fees by prevailing parties in civil rights actions. Equal Remedies Act of 2008 - Repeals provisions limiting the amount of compensatory and punitive damages that may be awarded in cases of intentional discrimination in employment. Amends the FLSA to revise provisions governing discrimination in the payment of wages, including equal pay requirements. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit denying back-pay or other monetary relief for unlawful employment practices against undocumented immigrant workers. Applies specified provisions of this act to violations pending as of enactment or occurring prior to enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2008
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit certain athletes admitted as nonimmigrants to renew their period of authorized admission in five-year increments. (Current law permits a single five-year renewal of admission.)
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2008
Fence By Date Certain Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to revise deadline and funding provisions for certain fencing and security project requirements along the southern border.
United States · United States Congress · 15 January 2008
Immigration Law Corrections Act of 2008 - Rescinds specified funds made available under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 for: (1) the Executive Office for Immigration Review's legal orientation programs; and (2) defender services in immigration enforcement proceedings. Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, to eliminate the Secretary of Homeland Security's discretionary authority to not install security fencing and related security resources at locations along the southwest border.