Skip to content
PoliticalRepoPoliticalRepo

United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 666 (118th)

Access to Counsel Act

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

31 January 2023

Last action

31 January 2023 · Introduced

Status

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sponsors

Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7], Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4], Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13], Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ], Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18], Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17], Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12], Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3], Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5], Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8], Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA], Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9], Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35], Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52], Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10], Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35], Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1], Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20], Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]

Subjects

Asylum, Immigration

Source updated

5 December 2025

Asylum · Immigration

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

Access to Counsel Act This bill provides various protections for covered individuals subject to secondary or deferred inspections when seeking admission into the United States. Covered individuals include U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) in possession of a visa, returning asylees, and refugees. The Department of Homeland Security must ensure that a covered individual subject to secondary or deferred inspection has a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel and certain related parties, such as a relative, within an hour of the start of the secondary inspection and as necessary during the inspection process. The counsel and related party must be allowed to advocate on behalf of the covered individual, including by providing evidence and information to the examining immigration officer. A lawful permanent resident subject to secondary or deferred inspection may not abandon lawful permanent resident status until the individual has had a meaningful opportunity to seek advice from counsel, unless the individual voluntarily and knowingly waives in writing this opportunity to seek counsel's advice.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 31 January 2023

    Introduced

    Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 31 January 2023

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 31 January 2023

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in House (text)

View fileDownload file

This file cannot be previewed here. Use View or Download.

Leesvertaling

Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in House (text)

    Introduced in House · EN · 31 January 2023

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Introduced in House (PDF)

    Introduced in House · EN · 31 January 2023

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in House

    summary · EN · 31 January 2023

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

Showing 48 of 64 sponsors and actors.

Related records

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.