[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1198 Referred in House (RFH)]

  1st Session
                                S. 1198


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 22, 1997

               Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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                                 AN ACT


 
   To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide permanent 
    authority for entry into the United States of certain religious 
                                workers.

    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 ``Religious Workers Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR ENTRY INTO UNITED STATES OF CERTAIN 
              RELIGIOUS WORKERS.

    Section 101(a)(27)(C)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(C)(ii)) is amended by striking ``before October 1, 
1997,'' each of the two places it appears.

SEC. 3. WAIVER OF NONIMMIGRANT VISA FEES FOR CERTAIN CHARITABLE 
              PURPOSES.

    Section 281 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1351) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``Subject 
to such criteria as the Secretary of State may prescribe, including the 
duration of stay of the alien and the financial burden upon the 
charitable organization, the Secretary of State shall waive or reduce 
the fee for application and issuance of a nonimmigrant visa for any 
alien coming to the United States primarily for, or in activities 
related to, a charitable purpose involving health or nursing care, the 
provision of food or housing, job training, or any other similar direct 
service or assistance to poor or otherwise needy individuals in the 
United States.''.

            Passed the Senate September 18, 1997.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.