[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4293 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.4293

                       One Hundred Fifth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the twenty-seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-
                                  eight


                                 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).

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.