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







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4293

    To establish a cultural and training program for disadvantaged 
     individuals from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 21, 1998

  Mr. Walsh (for himself, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Gilman, Mr. 
King, Mr. Manton, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Quinn, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. 
Forbes, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Mrs. 
   Kelly, Mr. McGovern, Mr. English of Pennsylvania, Mr. Borski, Mr. 
 Callahan, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Lewis of California, Mrs. McCarthy of 
  New York, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Markey, Mr. Lantos, Mr. 
 Engel, Mr. Payne, Mr. Lazio of New York, Mr. Pastor, Mrs. Kennelly of 
 Connecticut, Mr. Maloney of Connecticut, and Mr. Horn) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
  and in addition to the Committee on International Relations, 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 concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish a cultural and training program for disadvantaged 
     individuals from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

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

SECTION 1. UNITED STATES-NORTHERN IRELAND/REPUBLIC OF IRELAND CULTURAL 
              AND TRAINING PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) Purpose.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with 
        the Secretary of Labor, shall establish a program designed to 
        bring individuals from disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland 
        and the Republic of Ireland to the United States for the 
        purpose of providing such individuals the experience of living 
        and working in a multicultural society while obtaining valuable 
        work skills and experience.
            (2) Guidelines.--The program established under paragraph 
        (1) shall be carried out in accordance with the following 
        guidelines:
                    (A) The program shall expose individuals who have 
                been subjected to a war-torn, mono-cultural, sectarian 
                environment to the diverse, cooperative, multicultural 
                environment of the United States.
                    (B) The program shall identify disadvantaged areas 
                within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland 
                which require public and private sector activity to 
                break the cycle of structural unemployment and identify 
                individuals, including the long-term unemployed and 
                out-of-work young adults, to participate in the program 
                and in doing so assist in regenerating the economies of 
                such areas.
                    (C) The program shall bring individuals to the 
                United States for a period of not more than 60 months.
                    (D) The program shall encourage grassroots support 
                for long-term peace and economic stability by providing 
                training in peaceful coexistence and conflict 
                resolution in addition to work skills and job 
                experience.
                    (E) The program shall promote cross-community and 
                cross-border initiatives which expose individuals from 
                disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland and the 
                Republic of Ireland to the business and social life of 
                other communities.
                    (F) The program shall train individuals in job 
                skills for which there are opportunities for employment 
                in disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland and 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) an alien having a residence in 
                Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland which the 
                alien has no intention of abandoning who is coming 
                temporarily (for a period not to exceed 60 months) to 
                the United States as a participant in a United States-
                Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland cultural and 
                training program approved by the Secretary of State for 
                the purpose of providing practical training, 
                employment, and the experience of coexistence and 
                conflict resolution in a multicultural society, 
                consistent with the history, culture, and traditions of 
                the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of 
                Ireland, and who will be employed under the same wages 
                and working conditions as domestic workers.''.
            (2) Waiver authority.--Section 212 of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182) is amended by adding after 
        subsection (o) the following new subsection:
    ``(p) The Attorney General, in the discretion of the Attorney 
General, may waive the provisions of paragraph (6)(C) and (9) of 
subsection (a) in the case of an alien who is applying for a 
nonimmigrant visa under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii).''.
    (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.
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