[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4293 Engrossed in House (EH)]


  2d Session

                               H. R. 4293

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To establish a cultural training program for disadvantaged individuals 
                   to assist the Irish peace process.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4293

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To establish a cultural training program for disadvantaged individuals 
                   to assist the Irish peace process.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Irish Peace Process Cultural and 
Training Program Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. IRISH PEACE PROCESS CULTURAL AND TRAINING PROGRAM.

    (a) Purpose.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State and the Attorney 
        General shall establish a program to allow young people from 
        disadvantaged areas of designated counties suffering from 
        sectarian violence and high structural unemployment to enter 
        the United States for the purpose of developing job skills and 
        conflict resolution abilities in a diverse, cooperative, 
        peaceful, and prosperous environment, so that those young 
        people can return to their homes better able to contribute 
        toward economic regeneration and the Irish peace process. The 
        program shall promote cross-community and cross-border 
        initiatives to build grassroots support for long-term peaceful 
        coexistence. The Secretary of State and the Attorney General 
        shall cooperate with nongovernmental organizations to assist 
        those admitted to participate fully in the economic, social, 
        and cultural life of the United States.
            (2) Scope and duration of program.--
                    (A) In general.--The program under paragraph (1) 
                shall provide for the admission of not more than 4,000 
                aliens under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act (including spouses and 
                minor children) in each of 3 consecutive program years.
                    (B) Offset in number of H-2B nonimmigrant 
                admissions allowed.--Notwithstanding any other 
                provision of law, for each alien so admitted in a 
                fiscal year, the numerical limitation specified under 
                section 214(g)(1)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality 
                Act shall be reduced by 1 for that fiscal year or the 
                subsequent fiscal year.
            (3) Records and report.--The Immigration and Naturalization 
        Service shall maintain records of the nonimmigrant status and 
        place of residence of each alien admitted under the program. 
        Not later than 120 days after the end of the third program year 
        and for the 3 subsequent years, the Immigration and 
        Naturalization Service shall compile and submit to the Congress 
        a report on the number of aliens admitted with nonimmigrant 
        status under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) who have overstayed 
        their visas.
            (4) Designated counties defined.--For the purposes of this 
        Act, the term ``designated counties'' means the six counties of 
        Northern Ireland and the counties of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, 
        Leitrim, Sligo, and Donegal within the Republic of Ireland.
    (b) Temporary Nonimmigrant Visa.--
            (1) In general.--Section 101(a)(15)(Q) of the Immigration 
        and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(Q)) is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``(i)'' after ``(Q)''; and
                    (B) by inserting after the semicolon at the end the 
                following: ``or (ii)(I) an alien 35 years of age or 
                younger having a residence in Northern Ireland, or the 
                counties of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo, and 
                Donegal within the Republic of Ireland, which the alien 
                has no intention of abandoning who is coming 
                temporarily (for a period not to exceed 36 months) to 
                the United States as a participant in a cultural and 
                training program approved by the Secretary of State and 
                the Attorney General under section 2(a) of the Irish 
                Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 
                for the purpose of providing practical training, 
                employment, and the experience of coexistence and 
                conflict resolution in a diverse society, and (II) the 
                alien spouse and minor children of any such alien if 
                accompanying the alien or following to join the 
                alien;''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for each fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to 
carry out the purposes of this section. Amounts appropriated pursuant 
to this subsection are authorized to be available until expended.
    (d) Sunset.--
            (1) Effective October 1, 2005, the Irish Peace Process 
        Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 is repealed.
            (2) Effective October 1, 2005, section 101(a)(15)(Q) of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(Q)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of clause (i);
                    (B) by striking ``(i)'' after ``(Q)''; and
                    (C) by striking clause (ii).

            Passed the House of Representatives October 7, 1998.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.