[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 76 (Thursday, May 24, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S3636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself and Mr. Grassley):
  S. 3245. A bill to permanently reauthorize the EB 5 Regional Center 
Program, the E-Verify Program, the Special Immigrant Nonminister 
Religious Worker Program, and the Conrad State 30 J 1 Visa Waiver 
Program; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by Senator 
Grassley, in introducing legislation that will permanently authorize 
four expiring immigration programs. I thank Senator Grassley for 
working with me on this needed legislation.
  The bill we introduce will permanently authorize the EB 5 Regional 
Center Program, the voluntary E-Verify electronic work authorization 
program, the State 30 J 1 Visa program that Senator Conrad champions 
and the Special Immigrant Nonminister Religious Worker Program that is 
so important to Senator Hatch. All of these programs have been in 
temporary status for many years, and the time has come for Congress to 
make them permanent so that the proponents of these programs can get to 
work building upon the benefits these programs bring to communities 
across the country. Permanency for these programs will strengthen our 
economy, create jobs, and enhance the security of American workers. 
Permanency will help medically underserved areas obtain talented 
physicians and religious institutions welcome individuals from around 
the world to participate in good works. These programs serve diverse 
and important interests in America, and should become permanent 
fixtures in our immigration law.
  I am particularly pleased that the EB 5 Regional Center Program is a 
part of this package. With permanency, I believe this program can 
become an even greater economic driver than it has been in communities 
across the United States. Making the program permanent will also create 
a solid foundation for me and others interested in its success to begin 
in earnest to make improvements and reforms that will make it more 
business friendly, more predictable and stable for investors, and will 
provide U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with the tools it 
needs to ensure that the program meets the highest standards of quality 
and integrity. There is little reason that this program should not 
continue to improve as a deficit-neutral source of capital investment 
and job creation across America.
  I hope our introduction of this legislation today is the beginning of 
a strong bipartisan effort to make these programs permanent. I look 
forward to working with Senator Grassley and others to accomplish this 
goal.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3245

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

     SECTION 1. PERMANENT REAUTHORIZATION OF EB 5 REGIONAL CENTER 
                   PROGRAM.

       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 ``pilot'' each place such term appears; and
       (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``until September 30, 
     2012''.

     SEC. 2. PERMANENT REAUTHORIZATION OF E VERIFY.

       (a) In General.--Section 401 of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1324a note) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``pilot'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) by striking ``the pilot programs'' and inserting ``the 
     programs required under this subtitle''; and
       (B) by striking ``Unless the Congress otherwise provides, 
     the Secretary of Homeland Security shall terminate a pilot 
     program on September 30, 2012.''; and
       (3) in subsection (d)--
       (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), 
     (6), and (7) as paragraphs (4), (1), (5), (2), (3), (7), and 
     (6), respectively; and
       (B) by amending paragraph (4), as redesignated, to read as 
     follows:
       ``(4) Program.--The term `program' means any of the 3 
     programs provided for under this subtitle.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Subtitle A of title IV of 
     division C of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant 
     Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1324a note) is amended--
       (1) in section 402, by striking ``pilot'' each place such 
     term appears; and
       (2) in section 403(a)(2)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by amending clause (i) to read as 
     follows:
       ``(i) A document referred to in section 274A(b)(1)(B)(ii) 
     of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1324a(b)(1)(B)(ii)) shall be designated by the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security as suitable for the purpose of 
     identification in a program provided for under this 
     subtitle.''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``pilot''.

     SEC. 3. PERMANENT REAUTHORIZATION OF SPECIAL IMMIGRANT 
                   NONMINISTER RELIGIOUS WORKER PROGRAM.

       Section 101(a)(27)(C)(ii) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(C)(ii)) is amended--
       (1) in subclause (II), by striking ``before September 30, 
     2012,''; and
       (2) in subclause (III), by striking ``before September 30, 
     2012,''.

     SEC. 4. PERMANENT REAUTHORIZATION OF CONRAD STATE 30 J 1 VISA 
                   WAIVER PROGRAM.

       Section 220(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Technical 
     Corrections Act of 1994 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note) is amended by 
     striking ``and before September 30, 2012''.
                                 ______