[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1580 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 303
108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1580

  To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend the special 
                  immigrant religious worker program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 3, 2003
    Mr. Hatch (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Leahy) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

                            October 2, 2003

                Reported by Mr. Hatch, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend the special 
                  immigrant religious worker program.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Religious Workers Act of 
2003''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. PERMANENT EXTENSION OF SPECIAL IMMIGRANT RELIGIOUS 
              WORKER PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--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 ``2003'' each place that term appears and inserting 
``2008''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
shall take effect on October 1, 2003.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SPECIAL IMMIGRANT RELIGIOUS WORKER PROGRAM.

    (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Religious 
Workers Act of 2003''.
    (b) Extension of Special Immigrant Religious Worker Program.--
            (1) In general.--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 ``2003'' each place that term appears 
        and inserting ``2008''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall take effect on October 1, 2003.

SEC. 2. PILOT IMMIGRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Processing Priority Under Pilot Immigration Program for 
Regional Centers To Promote Economic Growth.--Section 610 of the 
Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 (8 U.S.C. 1153 note) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Attorney General'' each place such term 
        appears and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland Security''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) In processing petitions under section 204(a)(1)(H) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154(a)(1)(H)) for 
classification under section 203(b)(5) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
1153(b)(5)), the Secretary of Homeland Security may give priority to 
petitions filed by aliens seeking admission under the pilot program 
described in this section. Notwithstanding section 203(e) of such Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1153(e)), immigrant visas made available under such section 
203(b)(5) may be issued to such aliens in an order that takes into 
account any priority accorded under the preceding sentence.''.
    (b) Extension.--Section 610(b) of the Departments of Commerce, 
Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act, 1993 (8 U.S.C. 1153 note) is amended by striking ``10 years'' and 
inserting ``15 years''.

SEC. 3. GAO STUDY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the General Accounting Office shall report to Congress on 
the immigrant investor program created under section 203(b)(5) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)).
    (b) Contents.--The report described in subsection (a) shall include 
information regarding--
            (1) the number of immigrant investors that have received 
        visas under the immigrant investor program in each year since 
        the inception of the program;
            (2) the country of origin of the immigrant investors;
            (3) the localities where the immigrant investors are 
        settling and whether those investors generally remain in the 
        localities where they initially settle;
            (4) the number of immigrant investors that have sought to 
        become citizens of the United States;
            (5) the types of commercial enterprises that the immigrant 
        investors have established; and
            (6) the types and number of jobs created by the immigrant 
        investors.




                                                       Calendar No. 303

108th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1580

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend the special 
                  immigrant religious worker program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            October 2, 2003

                       Reported with an amendment