[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 14, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1043-S1044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1961. Mr. HATCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2579, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
to allow the premium tax credit with respect to unsubsidized COBRA 
continuation coverage; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. SECURING A SUPPLY OF HIGHLY-SKILLED WORKERS.

       Section 214(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
     U.S.C. 1184(g)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (5)--
       (A) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D);
       (B) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
       ``(C) has earned a master's or higher degree from a United 
     States institution of higher education (as defined in section 
     1001(a) of title 20) and whose employer has certified that 
     the employer has filed or will file an Immigrant Petition on 
     behalf of the alien; or''; and

[[Page S1044]]

       (C) by amending subparagraph (D), as redesignated, to read 
     as follows:
       ``(D) has earned a master's or higher degree from a United 
     States institution of higher education (as defined in section 
     101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1001(a))) and whose employer has not certified that the 
     employer has filed or will file an Immigrant Petition on 
     behalf of the alien, until the number of such aliens who are 
     exempted from such numerical limitations during such year 
     exceeds 20,000.''; and
       (2) in paragraph (6)--
       (A) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``Any alien''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B)(i) The initial period of validity of a nonimmigrant 
     visa issued under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) to an alien 
     described in paragraph (5)(C) who is exempted from the 
     numerical limitations under paragraph (1)(A) shall be 12 
     months.
       ``(ii) The period of validity of a visa described in clause 
     (i) may be extended beyond the initial period described in 
     such clause if the employer provides evidence to the 
     Secretary that--
       ``(I) the employer has filed, on the alien's behalf, a 
     nonfrivolous Application for Permanent Employment 
     Certification or a nonfrivolous Immigrant Petition; and
       ``(II) such application or petition has not been denied in 
     a final agency action.''.
                                 ______