[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2478 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2478

   To designate the Bahamas under section 244 of the Immigration and 
   Nationality Act to provide temporary protected status under such 
             section to eligible nationals of the Bahamas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 12, 2019

  Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
  Markey, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Brown, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. 
Warren, Ms. Harris, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Jones, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Leahy, Mr. 
  Van Hollen, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Cardin) introduced the following 
    bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To designate the Bahamas under section 244 of the Immigration and 
   Nationality Act to provide temporary protected status under such 
             section to eligible nationals of the Bahamas.

    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 ``Bahamas Temporary Protected Status 
Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in 
        the Bahamas as a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds over 
        180 miles per hour.
            (2) Between September 1, 2019, and September 3, 2019, the 
        islands of the Bahamas and the Bahamian people were subjected 
        to hurricane-force winds, heavy rains, and extensive flooding 
        that destroyed critical infrastructure, decimated houses and 
        property, and claimed the lives of at least 50 individuals.
            (3) The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red 
        Crescent Societies stated that more than 60,000 individuals in 
        the Bahamas lack access to clean drinking water as a result of 
        the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian.
            (4) The World Food Programme indicates that more than 
        60,000 individuals in the Bahamas will require food relief as a 
        result of the destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian.
            (5) The Secretary of Homeland Security may, under section 
        244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), 
        designate a foreign state that has experienced an environmental 
        disaster so as to provide temporary protected status in the 
        United States to eligible nationals of such foreign state who 
        cannot return safely to their homeland.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TEMPORARY PROTECTED 
              STATUS.

    (a) Designation.--
            (1) In general.--For purposes of section 244 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), the Bahamas 
        shall be treated as if it had been designated under subsection 
        (b)(1)(B) of that section, subject to the provisions of this 
        section.
            (2) Period of designation.--The initial period of the 
        designation referred to in paragraph (1) shall be for the 18-
        month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.
    (b) Aliens Eligible.--As a result of the designation made under 
subsection (a), an alien who is a national of the Bahamas is considered 
to satisfy the requirements under paragraph (1) of section 244(c) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)), subject to 
paragraph (3) of such section, if the alien--
            (1) has been continuously physically present in the United 
        States since the date of the enactment of this Act;
            (2) is admissible as an immigrant, except as otherwise 
        provided in paragraph (2)(A) of such section, and is not 
        ineligible for temporary protected status under paragraph 
        (2)(B) of such section; and
            (3) registers for temporary protected status in a manner 
        established by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
    (c) Consent To Travel Abroad.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        give prior consent to travel abroad, in accordance with section 
        244(f)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
        1254a(f)(3)), to an alien who is granted temporary protected 
        status pursuant to the designation made under subsection (a) if 
        the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security that emergency and extenuating circumstances 
        beyond the control of the alien require the alien to depart for 
        a brief, temporary trip abroad.
            (2) Treatment upon return.--An alien returning to the 
        United States in accordance with an authorization described in 
        paragraph (1) shall be treated as any other returning alien 
        provided temporary protected status under section 244 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a).
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