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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="H5EA26F7D2B034649878DF08BB7261C29" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>119 HR 8645 IH: New Pathways Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-04-30</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code><congress display="yes">119th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">2d Session</session><legis-num display="yes">H. R. 8645</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20260430">April 30, 2026</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="W000822">Mrs. Watson Coleman</sponsor> (for herself, <cosponsor name-id="V000081">Ms. Velázquez</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="J000288">Mr. Johnson of Georgia</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="N000147">Ms. Norton</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="T000481">Ms. Tlaib</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="D000096">Mr. Davis of Illinois</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="M001229">Mrs. McIver</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="G000553">Mr. Green of Texas</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HJU00">Committee on the Judiciary</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To amend the Second Chance Act of 2007 to require identification for returning citizens, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body id="H55FD8EEFFE9E41C787252CD92A7AB813" style="OLC"> 
<section section-type="section-one" id="H3244CC65B9D043C1930291BA36765210"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>New Pathways Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section> <section id="H9243F537A32544AA9538C3CB86A43306"><enum>2.</enum><header>Identification for returning citizens</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 231(b) of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/34/60541">34 U.S.C. 60541(b)</external-xref>) is amended to read as follows:</text> 
<quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H9A05E9E254284217AC3E9D2AC4B578B4"> 
<subsection id="HE0115EE9DA7849BFB1BC420499F0529C"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Identification and release assistance for Federal prisoners</header> 
<paragraph id="H48F4499F606645FBA04A5B6AA9CBC343"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this subsection—</text> <subparagraph id="H2E483170D18F413FA28ADCEF4150A8E6"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the term <term>community confinement</term> means residence in a community treatment center, halfway house, restitution center, mental health facility, alcohol or drug rehabilitation center, or other community facility;</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H616233BEA8EE457E99932789563E251A"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the term <term>direct-release prisoner</term> means a prisoner who is scheduled for release and will not be placed in prerelease custody;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H9168CD5739CE4542AB64C47C85C79017"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the term <term>noncitizen covered individual</term>—</text> 
<clause id="H135AB7C70B754CC7999D6CA091CE2EC5"><enum>(i)</enum><text>means an individual in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons or sentenced to a term in community confinement who—</text> <subclause id="HAB719312A4814C0E865951855866DC51"><enum>(I)</enum><text>is lawfully present and eligible for employment authorization in the United States; and</text></subclause> 
<subclause id="H931B2D1B92D949A89046AA14555844D8"><enum>(II)</enum><text>has a document demonstrating that the individual will have a place of residence upon release; and</text></subclause></clause> <clause id="H114C41665A5E427EB397558CCE7539D2"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>includes an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/8/1101">8 U.S.C. 1101(a)</external-xref>)), a refugee (as defined in that section of that Act), and an asylee; and</text></clause></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H1546FA756DED419695A8769D741CABF8"><enum>(D)</enum><text>the term <term>United States citizen covered individual</term> means an individual in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons or sentenced to a term in community confinement who has—</text> <clause id="H325BE9F601564826BDE79E773381A533"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a social security card;</text></clause> 
<clause id="HAABE455143F444E593B9F47532A4DE63"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>a document described in paragraph (2)(B)(ii) as proof of United States citizenship; and</text></clause> <clause id="HF3B6CA6B95EA4892A142FDAECB926F05"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>a document demonstrating that the individual will have a place of residence upon release.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H9462C12B02F04B248A63330ED3AB0A19"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Obtaining identification for United States citizens</header> 
<subparagraph id="HA7F26217CA734F9EB586154E60575446"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>With respect to a United States citizen covered individual, the Director shall provide a photo identification card, which shall comply with the minimum requirements described in section 202(b) of the REAL ID Act of 2005 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/49/30301">49 U.S.C. 30301</external-xref> note), prior to—</text> <clause id="H1E6225BAB3C644EFB3F14A086A1B185A"><enum>(i)</enum><text>the release of the United States citizen covered individual from a term of imprisonment in a Federal prison; or</text></clause> 
<clause id="H60546FC942604A50A1FDF1AA1498AF5A"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the release of the United States citizen covered individual from a sentence to a term in community confinement.</text></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H53C290715C894A388412C851C2712393"><enum>(B)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Assistance in obtaining documents</header> <clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HA835A856E56C4303B11BAC84026BE87A"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subject to clause (iii), for the purpose of issuing an identification card under this subsection, the Director shall obtain, on behalf of United States citizen covered individuals—</text> 
<subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H0CD4567E77AC468A9424094CC8252A23"><enum>(I)</enum><text>a social security card; and</text></subclause> <subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H409623ADAAA2420984CAE6176E5B2C40"><enum>(II)</enum><text>a document described in clause (ii) as proof of United States citizenship.</text></subclause></clause> 
<clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HDA33040E5876426AB83F8BA0E7CB63C5"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Proof of United States citizenship</header><text>A document described in this clause is—</text> <subclause id="H218581E545A24317BAA23BEB843E7824"><enum>(I)</enum><text>a United States passport;</text></subclause> 
<subclause id="H5D382F878C3A4378A40D06525804163E"><enum>(II)</enum><text>an original or certified copy of a birth certificate that indicates that the individual was born in the United States or a territory of the United States;</text></subclause> <subclause id="H8CF70407721E4037A1BF61DF4915540B"><enum>(III)</enum><text>in the case of a United States citizen born inside the United States for whom a document described in subclause (I) or (II) is not available, any document described in subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section 435.407 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto; or</text></subclause> 
<subclause id="H8407F1B712E64ECCB3B94A18CDA4B82D"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>in the case of a United States citizen born outside the United States, an original or certified copy of—</text> <item id="H4C34E3C4B06A47DB872F5F14D54FEBA8"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>a certificate of naturalization (Form N–550 or N–570);</text></item> 
<item id="H3C1DB383B88444D3890DEF7F665C6D81"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>a consular report of birth abroad (Form FS–240);</text></item> <item id="H3C5DC8893F06497298703CF2EA22C1AB"><enum>(cc)</enum><text>a certification of birth abroad (Form FS–545);</text></item> 
<item id="H6C5091022919411DB43FD08F5F192966"><enum>(dd)</enum><text>a certification of report of birth (Form DS–1350); or</text></item> <item id="H6D4067B7056E488B845BC012DC9DCF83"><enum>(ee)</enum><text>a certificate of citizenship (Form N–560).</text></item></subclause></clause> 
<clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H6DCD31F9DDAE4E0AA9ABFA15EE52D9EA"><enum>(iii)</enum><header>Exceptions</header> 
<subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H9877BD4AF11740488EBE3B39C4DACE9C"><enum>(I)</enum><header>Lack of response from Federal or State agency</header><text>If the Director cannot obtain a copy of a document required under clause (i) because of inaction by the Federal or State agency from which the document was requested, the Director shall provide to the United States citizen covered individual—</text> <item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H59420E81A318425C90BE518533D53150"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>a written statement that explains what steps the Director took in trying to obtain the document; and</text></item> 
<item commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H7797544D4BDF497288DF42E17E90A3D1"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>any documents transmitted to the Director by the Federal or State agency in response to the request for the document.</text></item></subclause> <subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H2F24FF00C3734F41AFBE24D828E55764"><enum>(II)</enum><header>Lack of authorization from United States citizen covered individual</header><text>If the Director cannot obtain a copy of a document required under clause (i) because the United States citizen covered individual does not provide the authorization required to obtain the document, the Director shall provide a written statement to the United States citizen covered individual that explains why the document was not obtained.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HCD94A60B9CA24D8C8166907AD5AEBE5B"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Provision of documents</header><text>Upon issuance of an identification card to a covered individual under this paragraph, the Director shall provide all documents obtained for the United States citizen covered individual under subparagraph (B).</text></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H67EE3682E50C4F65AD6D067F03E50065"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Obtaining documents for noncitizens</header> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H8FE108415BEC49FCBCC5534A89675C0B"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>With respect to a noncitizen covered individual, the Director shall assist in obtaining from the Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services—</text> 
<clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H57914E78B3E14DAFA7878B2A6AA0D888"><enum>(i)</enum><text>proof of lawful status in the United States of the noncitizen covered individual; and</text></clause> <clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H714011B5ED2545719BCB56021724B155"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in the case of a noncitizen covered individual who is not admitted for lawful permanent residence, an employment authorization document.</text></clause></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H49767306BFFC48D0BD186614DC0A3CC1"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Assistance</header><text>The assistance provided by the Director under subparagraph (A) shall include—</text> <clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H840ECA3147ED444EB6D3A02773B021B7"><enum>(i)</enum><text>providing the noncitizen covered individual with applicable U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services forms and instructions; and</text></clause> 
<clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H214868436F534C919277491F97561113"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>assisting the noncitizen covered individual in completing and submitting such forms, together with any required supporting documentation.</text></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H0A77A0C758CF484080AD0BFF6F373588"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Provision of documents</header><text>Upon receipt of a document for a noncitizen covered individual under this paragraph, the Director shall provide such document to the noncitizen covered individual.</text></subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H6BFCBBBE1F3443FEA7D59FA079AC9E74"><enum>(4)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Assistance developing release plan</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">At the request of a direct-release prisoner, a representative of the United States Probation System shall, prior to the release of that prisoner, help that prisoner develop a release plan.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section> </legis-body></bill>

