[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 99 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 466. Ms. McSALLY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
her to the bill S. 1790, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2020 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1290. IMPROVING ACCESS TO COUNTRY-SPECIFIC INFORMATION 
                   RELATING TO ASYLUM CLAIMS.

       (a) Annual Country Conditions Report.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of State, in coordination 
     with the Secretary of Defense shall compile an annual report 
     that objectively identifies, for each country from which a 
     national submitted an application for asylum under section 
     208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158) 
     during the most recent fiscal year, any conditions within 
     such country that would support a claim that a national of 
     such country would be unable or unwilling to return to such 
     country due to a well-founded fear of persecution on account 
     of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular 
     social group, or political opinion.
       (2) Personnel.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that 
     sufficient personnel in the Department of State are available 
     to compile the report required under paragraph (1).
       (b) Review of Credible Fear Claims and Asylum 
     Applications.--
       (1) In general.--The Director of U.S. Citizenship and 
     Immigration Services shall provide all credible fear claims 
     and asylum applications to the Secretary of State for review.
       (2) Additional information.--The Chief Immigration Judge of 
     the Executive Office for Immigration Review or the Director 
     of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services may request that 
     the Secretary of State provide information pertaining to the 
     conditions in the country of origin for consideration in 
     asylum processing, including examples that do or do not meet 
     asylum standards. The Secretary of State shall respond to the 
     judge or Director not later than 14 days after receiving a 
     request under this paragraph.
       (c) Use of Country-specific Information Received From the 
     Secretary of State.--Asylum officers and immigration judges 
     shall consider any information compiled or provided by the 
     Secretary of State under subsections (a) and (b) before 
     making a determination regarding credible fear claims in 
     conjunction with an application for asylum under section 208 
     of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158).
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