118 HR 10274 IH: Public Oversight of Detention Centers Act of 2024 U.S. House of Representatives 2024-12-03 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I118th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 10274IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESDecember 3, 2024Mr. Crow (for himself and Mr. Rutherford) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedA BILLTo prohibit any limitation on the entry of a Member of Congress to any facility for the detention of aliens, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Public Oversight of Detention Centers Act of 2024 or as the POD Act of 2024.

2.

Congressional oversight of detention facilities

(a)

Prohibition on limitations on oversight of detention facilities

Chapter 4 of title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

244A.

Prohibition on limitations on oversight of detention facilities

(a)

In general

A covered person may not be prevented from entering immediately, or, in the case of a person described in subsection (c)(2) by not later than 24 hours after making a request to do so, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security (including any facility operated by a private contractor with the Department) used to detain or otherwise house aliens, or nor may any temporary modification be made at any such facility that in any way alters what is observed by a visiting Member of Congress, compared to what would be observed in the absence of such modification.(b)

Facilities housing alien minors

A covered person may not be prevented from entering by not later than two business days after making a request to do so, for the purpose of conducting oversight, any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Health and Human Services (including any facility operated by a private contractor with either Department) used to detain or otherwise house alien minors, or to make any temporary modification at any such facility that in any way alters what is observed by a visiting Member of Congress, compared to what would be observed in the absence of such modification.(c)

Covered person

For purposes of this section, the term covered person means the following:(1)A Member of Congress.(2)An employee of the House of Representatives or the Senate designated by such a Member for purposes of this section.

.(b)

Clerical amendment

The table of contents for such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 244 the following:244A. Prohibition on limitations on oversight of detention facilities..