[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7899 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7899

 To limit the removal from the United States of certain recipients of 
  temporary protected status who are essential workers, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2026

   Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To limit the removal from the United States of certain recipients of 
  temporary protected status who are essential workers, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Respect for Essential Workers Act''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a 
covered alien may not be removed from the United States on the basis 
that the grant of temporary protected status under section 244 of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) has been terminated.
    (b) Adjustment of Status.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, a covered alien may adjust to the status of an alien lawfully 
admitted for permanent residence under section 245 of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255) beginning on the date that is 90 
days after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered alien'' means an alien who--
                    (A) on the date of enactment of this Act, is 
                present in the United States pursuant to a grant of 
                temporary protected status under section 244 of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a); and
                    (B) works in or receives training for an occupation 
                in--
                            (i) an essential industry or in a region 
                        with a documented labor shortage, as determined 
                        by the Secretary of Labor; or
                            (ii) a health care-related profession in a 
                        health professional shortage area, as 
                        determined by the Administrator of the Health 
                        Resources and Services Administration.
            (2) The term ``essential industry'' means any of the 
        following:
                    (A) Health care.
                    (B) Emergency response.
                    (C) Sanitation.
                    (D) Restaurant ownership, food preparation, 
                vending, catering, food packaging, food services, or 
                food delivery.
                    (E) Hotel or retail.
                    (F) Fish, poultry, and meat processing.
                    (G) Agricultural work, including labor that is 
                seasonal in nature.
                    (H) Housing, residential, or commercial 
                construction-related activities, or public works 
                construction.
                    (I) Natural disaster recovery, disaster 
                reconstruction, and related construction.
                    (J) Home and community-based work, including--
                            (i) home health care;
                            (ii) residential care;
                            (iii) the provision of assistance with 
                        activities of daily living;
                            (iv) any service provided by a direct care 
                        worker (as such term is defined in section 799B 
                        of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        295p)), a personal care aide, job coach, or 
                        supported employment provider; and
                            (v) the provision of any other type of care 
                        to an individual in their home by a direct 
                        service provider, personal care attendant, and 
                        home health aide.
                    (K) Family care, including the provision of child 
                care services, including in-home child care services 
                (such as nanny services), and care services provided by 
                one family member to another family member.
                    (L) Transportation or logistics.
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