[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 163 (Wednesday, October 16, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5843-S5851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Leahy, and Ms. Hirono):
  S. 2603. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to end 
the immigrant visa backlog, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
the Judiciary.
  Mr. DURBIN. 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. 2603

       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 ``Resolving Extended Limbo for 
     Immigrant Employees and Families Act'' or the ``RELIEF Act''.

     SEC. 2. NUMERICAL LIMITATION TO ANY SINGLE FOREIGN STATE.

       (a) In General.--Section 202(a)(2) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1152(a)(2)) is amended--
       (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``and employment-
     based'';
       (2) by striking ``(3), (4), and (5),'' and inserting ``(3) 
     and (4),'';
       (3) by striking ``subsections (a) and (b) of section 203'' 
     and inserting ``section 203(a)'';
       (4) by striking ``7'' and inserting ``15''; and
       (5) by striking ``such subsections'' and inserting ``such 
     section''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 202 of the Immigration 
     and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1152) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ``both subsections 
     (a) and (b) of section 203'' and inserting ``section 
     203(a)'';
       (2) by striking subsection (a)(5); and
       (3) by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:
       ``(e) Special Rules for Countries at Ceiling.--If it is 
     determined that the total number of immigrant visas made 
     available under section 203(a) to natives of any single 
     foreign state or dependent area will exceed the numerical 
     limitation specified in subsection (a)(2) in any fiscal year, 
     in determining the allotment of immigrant visa numbers to 
     natives under section 203(a), visa numbers with respect to 
     natives of that state or area shall be allocated (to the 
     extent practicable and otherwise consistent with this section 
     and section 203) in a manner so that, except as provided in 
     subsection (a)(4), the proportion of the visa numbers made 
     available under each of paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 
     203(a) is equal to the ratio of the total number of visas 
     made available under the respective paragraph to the total 
     number of visas made available under section 203(a).''.
       (c) Country-Specific Offset.--Section 2 of the Chinese 
     Student Protection Act of 1992 (8 U.S.C. 1255 note) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``subsection (e))'' and 
     inserting ``subsection (d))''; and
       (2) by striking subsection (d) and redesignating subsection 
     (e) as subsection (d).
       (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect as if enacted on September 30, 2019, and 
     shall apply to fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 2020.
       (e) Transition Rules for Employment-Based Immigrants.--

[[Page S5844]]

       (1) In general.--Subject to the succeeding paragraphs of 
     this subsection and notwithstanding title II of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.), the 
     following rules shall apply:
       (A) For fiscal year 2020, 15 percent of the immigrant visas 
     made available under each of paragraphs (2), (3), and (5) of 
     section 203(b) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)) shall be 
     allotted to immigrants who are natives of a foreign state or 
     dependent area that is not one of the two states with the 
     largest aggregate numbers of natives who are beneficiaries of 
     approved petitions for immigrant status under such 
     paragraphs.
       (B) For fiscal year 2021, 10 percent of the immigrant visas 
     made available under each of such paragraphs shall be 
     allotted to immigrants who are natives of a foreign state or 
     dependent area that is not one of the two states with the 
     largest aggregate numbers of natives who are beneficiaries of 
     approved petitions for immigrant status under such 
     paragraphs.
       (C) For fiscal year 2022, 10 percent of the immigrant visas 
     made available under each of such paragraphs shall be 
     allotted to immigrants who are natives of a foreign state or 
     dependent area that is not one of the two states with the 
     largest aggregate numbers of natives who are beneficiaries of 
     approved petitions for immigrant status under such 
     paragraphs.
       (2) Per-country levels.--
       (A) Reserved visas.--With respect to the visas reserved 
     under each of subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1), 
     the number of such visas made available to natives of any 
     single foreign state or dependent area in the appropriate 
     fiscal year may not exceed 25 percent (in the case of a 
     single foreign state) or 2 percent (in the case of a 
     dependent area) of the total number of such visas.
       (B) Unreserved visas.--With respect to the immigrant visas 
     made available under each of paragraphs (2), (3), and (5) of 
     section 203(b) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)) and not 
     reserved under paragraph (1), for each of fiscal years 2020, 
     2021, and 2022, not more than 85 percent shall be allotted to 
     immigrants who are natives of any single foreign state.
       (3) Special rule to prevent unused visas.--If, with respect 
     to fiscal year 2020, 2021, or 2022, the operation of 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection would prevent the 
     total number of immigrant visas made available under 
     paragraph (2) or (3) of section 203(b) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1153(b)) from being issued, such visas may be issued during 
     the remainder of such fiscal year without regard to 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection.
       (4) Transition rule for currently approved beneficiaries.--
       (A) In general.--Notwithstanding section 202 of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended by this Act, 
     immigrant visas under section 203(b) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)) shall be allocated such 
     that no alien described in subparagraph (B) receives a visa 
     later than the alien otherwise would have received said visa 
     had this Act not been enacted.
       (B) Alien described.--An alien is described in this 
     subparagraph if the alien is the beneficiary of a petition 
     for an immigrant visa under section 203(b) of the Immigration 
     and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)) that was approved 
     prior to the date of enactment of this Act.
       (5) Rules for chargeability.--Section 202(b) of such Act (8 
     U.S.C. 1152(b)) shall apply in determining the foreign state 
     to which an alien is chargeable for purposes of this 
     subsection.
       (6) Ensuring availability of immigrant visas.--For each of 
     fiscal years 2020 through 2024, notwithstanding sections 201 
     and 202 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1151, 1152), as amended by this Act, additional immigrant 
     visas under section 203 of the Immigration and Nationality 
     Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) shall be made available and allocated--
       (A) such that no alien who is a beneficiary of a petition 
     for an immigrant visa under such section 203 receives a visa 
     later than the alien otherwise would have received such visa 
     had this Act not been enacted; and
       (B) to permit all visas to be distributed in accordance 
     with this section.

     SEC. 3. ENDING IMMIGRANT VISA BACKLOG.

       (a) In General.--In addition to any immigrant visa made 
     available under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1101 et seq.), as amended by this Act, subject to paragraphs 
     (1) and (2), the Secretary of State shall make immigrant 
     visas available to--
       (1) aliens who are beneficiaries of petitions filed under 
     subsection (b) of section 203 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) 
     before the date of the enactment of this Act; and
       (2) aliens who are beneficiaries of petitions filed under 
     subsection (a) of such section before the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.
       (b) Allocation of Visas.--The visas made available under 
     this section shall be allocated as follows:
       (1) Employment-sponsored immigrant visas.--In each of 
     fiscal years 2020 through 2024, the Secretary of State shall 
     allocate to aliens described in subsection (a)(1) a number of 
     immigrant visas equal to 1/5 of the number of aliens 
     described in such subsection the visas of whom have not been 
     issued as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (2) Family-sponsored immigrant visas.--In each of fiscal 
     years 2020 through 2024, the Secretary of State shall 
     allocate to aliens described in subsection (a)(2) a number of 
     immigrant visas equal to 1/5 of the difference between--
       (A) the number of aliens described in such subsection the 
     visas of whom have not been issued as of the date of the 
     enactment of this Act; and
       (B) the number of aliens described in subsection (a)(1).
       (c) Order of Issuance for Previously Filed Applications.--
     The visas made available under this section shall be issued 
     in accordance with section 202 of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1152), as amended by this Act, in 
     the order in which the petitions under section 203 of such 
     Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) were filed.

     SEC. 4. KEEPING AMERICAN FAMILIES TOGETHER.

       (a) Reclassification of Spouses and Minor Children of 
     Lawful Permanent Residents as Immediate Relatives and 
     Exemption of Derivatives.--The Immigration and Nationality 
     Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 201(b) (8 U.S.C. 1151(b))--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:
       ``(F) Aliens who derive status under section 203(d).''; and
       (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
       ``(2)(A) Immediate relatives.--Aliens who are immediate 
     relatives.
       ``(B) Definition of immediate relative.--In this paragraph, 
     the term `immediate relative' means--
       ``(i) a child, spouse, or parent of a citizen of the United 
     States, except that in the case of such a parent such citizen 
     shall be at least 21 years of age;
       ``(ii) a child or spouse of an alien lawfully admitted for 
     permanent residence;
       ``(iii) a child or spouse of an alien described in clause 
     (i), who is accompanying or following to join the alien;
       ``(iv) a child or spouse of an alien described in clause 
     (ii), who is accompanying or following to join the alien;
       ``(v) an alien admitted under section 211(a) on the basis 
     of a prior issuance of a visa to the alien's accompanying 
     parent who is an immediate relative; and
       ``(vi) an alien born to an alien lawfully admitted for 
     permanent residence during a temporary visit abroad.
       ``(C) Treatment of spouse and children of deceased citizen 
     or lawful permanent resident.--If an alien who was the spouse 
     or child of a citizen of the United States or of an alien 
     lawfully admitted for permanent residence and was not legally 
     separated from the citizen or lawful permanent resident at 
     the time of the citizen's or lawful permanent resident's 
     death files a petition under section 204(a)(1)(B), the alien 
     spouse (and each child of the alien) shall remain, for 
     purposes of this paragraph, an immediate relative during the 
     period beginning on the date of the citizen's or permanent 
     resident's death and ending on the date on which the alien 
     spouse remarries.
       ``(D) Protection of victims of abuse.--An alien who has 
     filed a petition under clause (iii) or (iv) of section 
     204(a)(1)(A) shall remain, for purposes of this paragraph, an 
     immediate relative if the United States citizen or lawful 
     permanent resident spouse or parent loses United States 
     citizenship on account of the abuse.''; and
       (2) in section 203(a) (8 U.S.C. 1153(a))--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``23,400'' and inserting 
     ``111,334''; and
       (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
       ``(2) Unmarried sons and unmarried daughters of lawful 
     permanent residents.--Qualified immigrants who are the 
     unmarried sons or unmarried daughters (but are not the 
     children) of aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
     shall be allocated visas in a number not to exceed 26,266, 
     plus--
       ``(A) the number of visas by which the worldwide level 
     exceeds 226,000; and
       ``(B) the number of visas not required for the class 
     specified in paragraph (1).''.
       (b) Protecting Children From Aging Out.--Section 203(h) of 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(h)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
       ``(1) In general.--For purposes of subsection (d), a 
     determination of whether an alien satisfies the age 
     requirement in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of 
     section 101(b)(1) shall be made using the age of the alien on 
     the date on which the petition is filed with the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security under section 204.'';
       (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
       ``(2) Petitions described.--A petition described in this 
     paragraph is a petition filed under section 204 for 
     classification of--
       ``(A) the alien's parent under subsection (a), (b), or (c); 
     or
       ``(B) the alien as an immediate relative based on 
     classification as a child of--
       ``(i) a citizen of the United States; or
       ``(ii) a lawful permanent resident.'';
       (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ``subsections (a)(2)(A) 
     and'' and inserting ``subsection''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Treatment for nonimmigrant categories purposes.--An 
     alien dependent treated as a child for immigrant visa 
     purposes under this subsection shall be treated as a 
     dependent child for nonimmigrant categories.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendments.--

[[Page S5845]]

       (1) Definitions.--Section 101(a)(15)(K)(ii) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(K)(ii)) 
     is amended by striking ``section 201(b)(2)(A)(i)'' and 
     inserting ``section 201(b)(2) (other than clause (v) or (vi) 
     of subparagraph (B))''.
       (2) Rules for determining whether certain aliens are 
     immediate relatives.--Section 201(f) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(f)) is amended--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``paragraphs (2) and 
     (3),'' and inserting ``paragraph (2),'';
       (B) by striking paragraph (2);
       (C) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs 
     (2) and (3), respectively; and
       (D) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``through (3)'' and inserting ``and (2)''.
       (3) Per country level.--Section 202(a)(1)(A) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1152(a)(1)(A)) is 
     amended by striking ``section 201(b)(2)(A)(i)'' and inserting 
     ``section 201(b)(2) (other than clause (v) or (vi) of 
     subparagraph (B))''.
       (4) Numerical limitation to any single foreign state.--
     Section 202(a)(4) (8 U.S.C. 1152(a)(4)) is amended--
       (A) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B);
       (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively; and
       (C) in subparagraph (A), as so redesignated--
       (i) by striking the undesignated matter following clause 
     (ii);
       (ii) by striking clause (ii);
       (iii) in clause (i), by striking ``, or'' and inserting a 
     period; and
       (iv) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
     ``section 203(a)(2)(B) may not exceed'' and all that follows 
     through ``23 percent'' in clause (i) and inserting ``section 
     203(a)(2) may not exceed 23 percent''.
       (5) Procedures for granting immigrant status.--Section 204 
     of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1154) is 
     amended--
       (A) in subsection (a)--
       (i) in paragraph (1)--

       (I) in subparagraph (A)--

       (aa) in clause (i), by striking ``section 201(b)(2)(A)(i)'' 
     and inserting ``clause (i) or (ii) of section 201(b)(2)(B)'';
       (bb) in clause (ii), by striking ``the second sentence of 
     section 201(b)(2)(A)(i)'' and inserting ``section 
     201(b)(2)(C)'';
       (cc) by amending clause (iii) to read as follows:
       ``(iii)(I) An alien who is described in clause (ii) may 
     file a petition with the Secretary of Homeland Security under 
     this subparagraph for classification of the alien (and any 
     child of the alien) if the alien demonstrates to the 
     Secretary that--
       ``(aa) the marriage or the intent to marry the citizen of 
     the United States or lawful permanent resident was entered 
     into in good faith by the alien; and
       ``(bb) during the marriage or relationship intended by the 
     alien to be legally a marriage, the alien or a child of the 
     alien has been battered or has been the subject of extreme 
     cruelty perpetrated by the alien's spouse or intended spouse.
       ``(II) For purposes of subclause (I), an alien described in 
     this subclause is an alien--
       ``(aa)(AA) who is the spouse of a citizen of the United 
     States or lawful permanent resident;
       ``(BB) who believed that he or she had married a citizen of 
     the United States or lawful permanent resident and with whom 
     a marriage ceremony was actually performed and who otherwise 
     meets any applicable requirements under this Act to establish 
     the existence of and bona fides of a marriage, but whose 
     marriage is not legitimate solely because of the bigamy of 
     such citizen of the United States or lawful permanent 
     resident; or
       ``(CC) who was a bona fide spouse of a citizen of the 
     United States or a lawful permanent resident within the past 
     2 years and whose spouse died within the past 2 years, whose 
     spouse renounced citizenship status or renounced or lost 
     status as a lawful permanent resident within the past 2 years 
     related to an incident of domestic violence, or who 
     demonstrates a connection between the legal termination of 
     the marriage within the past 2 years and battering or extreme 
     cruelty by a spouse who is a citizen of the United States or 
     a lawful permanent resident spouse;
       ``(bb) who is a person of good moral character;
       ``(cc) who is eligible to be classified as an immediate 
     relative under section 201(b)(2)(B) or who would have been so 
     classified but for the bigamy of the citizen of the United 
     States or lawful permanent resident that the alien intended 
     to marry; and
       ``(dd) who has resided with the alien's spouse or intended 
     spouse.'';
       (dd) by amending clause (iv) to read as follows:
       ``(iv) An alien who is the child of a citizen or lawful 
     permanent resident of the United States, or who was a child 
     of a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident 
     parent who within the past 2 years lost or renounced 
     citizenship status related to an incident of domestic 
     violence, and who is a person of good moral character, who is 
     eligible to be classified as an immediate relative under 
     section 201(b)(2)(B), and who resides, or has resided in the 
     past, with the citizen or lawful permanent resident parent 
     may file a petition with the Secretary of Homeland Security 
     under this subparagraph for classification of the alien (and 
     any child of the alien) under such section if the alien 
     demonstrates to the Secretary that the alien has been 
     battered by or has been the subject of extreme cruelty 
     perpetrated by the alien's citizen or lawful permanent 
     resident parent. For purposes of this clause, residence 
     includes any period of visitation.''; and
       (ee) in clause (v)(I), in the matter preceding item (aa), 
     by inserting ``or lawful permanent resident'' after 
     ``citizen'';
       (ff) in clause (vi), by striking ``renunciation of 
     citizenship'' and all that follows through ``citizenship 
     status'' and inserting ``renunciation of citizenship or 
     lawful permanent resident status, death of the abuser, 
     divorce, or changes to the abuser's citizenship or lawful 
     permanent resident status''; and
       (gg) in clause (vii), by striking ``section 
     201(b)(2)(A)(i)'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``section 201(b)(2)(B)'';

       (II) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:

       ``(B)(i)(I) Except as provided in subclause (II), any alien 
     lawfully admitted for permanent residence claiming that an 
     alien is entitled to a classification by reason of the 
     relationship described in section 203(a)(2) may file a 
     petition with the Attorney General for such classification.
       ``(II) Subclause (I) shall not apply in the case of an 
     alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence who has been 
     convicted of a specified offense against a minor (as defined 
     in subparagraph (A)(viii)(II)), unless the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security, in the Secretary's sole and unreviewable 
     discretion, determines that such person poses no risk to the 
     alien with respect to whom a petition described in subclause 
     (I) is filed.
       ``(ii) An alien who was the child of a lawful permanent 
     resident who within the past 2 years lost lawful permanent 
     resident status due to an incident of domestic violence, and 
     who is a person of good moral character, who is eligible for 
     classification under section 203(a)(2), and who resides, or 
     has resided in the past, with the alien's permanent resident 
     alien parent may file a petition with the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security under this subparagraph for classification 
     of the alien (and any child of the alien) under such section 
     if the alien demonstrates to the Secretary that the alien has 
     been battered by or has been the subject of extreme cruelty 
     perpetrated by the alien's permanent resident parent.
       ``(iii)(I) For purposes of a petition filed or approved 
     under clause (ii), the loss of lawful permanent resident 
     status by a parent after the filing of a petition under that 
     clause shall not adversely affect approval of the petition, 
     and for an approved petition, shall not affect the alien's 
     ability to adjust status under subsections (a) and (c) of 
     section 245 or obtain status as a lawful permanent resident 
     based on an approved self-petition under clause (ii).
       ``(II) Upon the lawful permanent resident parent becoming 
     or establishing the existence of United States citizenship 
     through naturalization, acquisition of citizenship, or other 
     means, any petition filed with the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security and pending or approved under clause (ii) on behalf 
     of an alien who has been battered or subjected to extreme 
     cruelty shall be deemed reclassified as a petition filed 
     under subparagraph (A) even if the acquisition of citizenship 
     occurs the termination of parental rights.''; and

       (III) in subparagraph (D)(i)(I), by striking ``paragraph 
     (1), (2), or (3)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1) or (3)''; 
     and

       (ii) in paragraph (2)--

       (I) by striking ``spousal second preference petition'' each 
     place it appears and inserting ``petition for the spouse of 
     an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence''; and
       (II) in the undesignated matter following subparagraph 
     (A)(ii), by striking ``preference status under section 
     203(a)(2)'' and inserting ``classification as an immediate 
     relative under section 201(b)(2)(B)(ii)'';

       (B) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``or preference 
     status''; and
       (C) in subsection (k)(1), by striking ``203(a)(2)(B)'' and 
     inserting ``203(a)(2)''.
       (6) Excludable aliens.--Section 212(d)(12)(B) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(12)(B)) is 
     amended by striking ``section 201(b)(2)(A)'' and inserting 
     ``section 201(b)(2) (other than subparagraph (B)(vi))''.
       (7) Admission of nonimmigrants.--Section 214(r)(3)(A) of 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(r)(3)(A)) 
     is amended by striking ``section 201(b)(2)(A)(i)'' and 
     inserting ``section 201(b)(2) (other than clause (v) or (vi) 
     of subparagraph (B)).''
       (8) Definition of alien spouse.--Section 216(h)(1)(A) of 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1186a(h)(1)(A)) 
     is amended by inserting ``or an alien lawfully admitted for 
     permanent residence'' after ``United States''.
       (9) Refugee crisis in iraq act of 2007.--Section 1243(a)(4) 
     of the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-
     118; 8 U.S.C. 1157 note) is amended by striking ``section 
     201(b)(2)(A)(i)'' and inserting ``section 201(b)(2) (other 
     than clause (v) or (vi) of subparagraph (B))''.
       (10) Processing of visa applications.--Section 233(b)(1) of 
     the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 
     (Public Law 107-228; 8 U.S.C. 1201 note) is amended by 
     striking ``section 201(b)(2)(A)(i)'' and inserting ``section 
     201(b)(2) (other than clause (v) or (vi) of subparagraph 
     (B))''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. UDALL (for himself and Mr. Scott of Florida):
  S. 2604. A bill to require the Administrator of the National Highway 
Traffic

[[Page S5846]]

Safety Administration to work with vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, 
and other interested parties to advance the technology developed by the 
Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Research Program, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.
  Mr. UDALL. 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:
  Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Reduce 
Impaired Driving for Everyone Act of 2019 or RIDE Act of 2019. I would 
like to thank my co-sponsor, Senator Rick Scott of Florida, who joins 
me on this important bill--a bill that will help end drunk driving and 
prevent thousands of fatalities and injuries across the nation.
  While we have made progress over the last several decades to reduce 
drunk driving on our roads, it is still a national tragedy. In 2017, 
the latest year for which we have statistics, the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration found that 10,874 person were killed on 
American roads by a drunk driver. That's one death every 48 minutes. 
And most tragically: every single one of those 10,874 deaths could have 
been prevented.
  Traffic fatalities due to drunk driving account for one-third of all 
such fatalities. Yet, drunk drivers have only a two percent chance of 
being caught. And one study found that the average drunk driver has 
driven drunk 87 times before being arrested. The RIDE Act aims to make 
sure these drivers do not hit the road in the first place.
  I'm not new to this fight. When I was Attorney General of New Mexico 
in the 1990's, our State had one of the highest DWI rates in the 
Nation. Then, on Christmas Eve in 1992, a drunk driver killed a mother 
and her three young daughters as he sped down the highway the wrong way 
going 90 miles per hour. That tragedy galvanized me and many others in 
our State. I worked to impose stronger penalties for repeat offenders, 
impose a lower legal limit for intoxication, and close drive-up liquor 
windows. Those efforts and the efforts of many others across New Mexico 
helped bring down the number of alcohol-related fatalities from 460 in 
1992 to 131 in 2017. But that's 131 too many. And so we have more work 
to do in New Mexico and across the Nation.
  I've worked many years to fund development of the Driver Alcohol 
Detection System for Safety or DADSS technology--technology that 
prevents drivers impaired above the legal limit from ever taking the 
wheel. When I first started advocating for this technology, it seemed 
far-fetched to some, out of reach. But, now--it's being road-tested and 
within our grasp.
  The RIDE Act builds on the $50 million dollars Congress has 
appropriated since 2008 by appropriating $5 million per year toward 
drunk driver detection technology during fiscal years 2021 and 2022. 
The bill will fund the technology transfer of this software to ready it 
for installation and testing in vehicles.
  At the same time the Federal government has moved to introduce this 
technology, some private automobile manufacturers are also developing 
technology of their own for installation in their vehicles. They are to 
be applauded.
  NHTSA and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, of which every 
major automobile manufacturer is a member, have engaged in a decade-
long public-private partnership to research, manufacture, and test 
equipment to make vehicles inoperable if alcohol is present in a 
person's breath. They are engaged now in calibration to ensure that a 
vehicle will be inoperable only if a driver is above the legal limit. 
NHTSA and ACTS are working with the states of Maryland and Virginia to 
test this technology. Real world testing is essential--which is why the 
RIDE Act will empower the Federal General Services Administration to 
incorporate anti-drunk driving software into its fleet on a pilot 
basis.
  Finally, the RIDE Act requires the NHTSA to promulgate rules to 
require installation of advanced drunk driving prevention technology in 
all new vehicles not later than two years after enactment of the bill. 
Automobile manufacturers will have two model years to comply with the 
rule. This means the RIDE Act sets out about a four year window to 
prevent drunk driving in all new vehicles. This tremendous goal is 
within reach.
  Again, I appreciate the support of my colleague, Senator Scott. The 
RIDE Act should have strong bipartisan support. Drunk drivers don't 
discriminate on the basis of political party. I urge all our colleagues 
to join us in this important fight against drunk driving and the 
devastation that it causes.

                                S. 2604

       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 ``Reduce Impaired Driving for 
     Everyone Act of 2019'' or the ``RIDE Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) alcohol-impaired driving fatalities represent 
     approximately \1/3\ of all highway fatalities in the United 
     States each year;
       (2) in 2017, there were 10,874 alcohol-impaired driving 
     fatalities in the United States involving drivers with a 
     blood alcohol concentration level of .08 or higher, and 68 
     percent of the crashes that resulted in those fatalities 
     involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration level of 
     .15 or higher;
       (3) the estimated economic cost for alcohol-impaired 
     driving in 2010 was $44,000,000,000;
       (4) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has 
     partnered with automobile manufacturers to develop alcohol 
     detection technologies that could be installed in vehicles to 
     prevent drunk driving; and
       (5) the Federal Government has invested nearly $50,000,000 
     in advanced alcohol detection software, and companies are 
     actively pursuing solutions to the significant problem of 
     drunk driving.

     SEC. 3. ADVANCED DRUNK DRIVING PREVENTION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
     Administration.
       (2) DADSS.--The term ``DADSS'' means the Driver Alcohol 
     Detection System for Safety Research Program carried out 
     through a public-private partnership between the National 
     Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Automotive 
     Coalition for Traffic Safety.
       (3) New vehicle.--The term ``new vehicle'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 37.3 of title 49, Code of Federal 
     Regulations (or a successor regulation).
       (b) Technology Transfer and Vehicle Integration.--
       (1) In general.--During fiscal years 2021 and 2022, the 
     Administrator shall work directly with vehicle manufacturers, 
     suppliers, and other interested parties, including 
     institutions of higher education with expertise in automotive 
     engineering, to advance the technology developed by DADSS, 
     and other suitable advanced drunk driving prevention 
     technology, as determined by the Administrator, with the goal 
     of integrating the technology, at the earliest practicable 
     date, into new vehicles.
       (2) Funding.--Any amounts made available to carry out this 
     subsection under subsection (h)(1) shall be made available 
     for the purposes described in paragraph (1) pursuant to the 
     existing cooperative agreement entered into by the 
     Administrator and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety 
     to carry out DADSS.
       (c) Demonstration of Technology in Federal Fleets.--
       (1) In general.--Beginning in fiscal year 2021, the 
     Administrator shall work with the Administrator of General 
     Services to demonstrate advanced drunk driving prevention 
     technology in not fewer than 2,500 vehicles in Federal 
     fleets.
       (2) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
     Administrator shall ensure that the fleet vehicles in which 
     advanced drunk driving prevention technology is 
     demonstrated--
       (A) are driven not less than 3 days per week;
       (B) are located in various regions in the United States; 
     and
       (C) collectively include not more than 3 make, model, and 
     model year combinations.
       (d) Pilot Deployment of Prototype Advanced Drunk Driving 
     Prevention Technology in Non-Federal Fleets.--
       (1) In general.--To assist in the development of, and to 
     aid the creation of market demand for, advanced drunk driving 
     prevention technology, the Administrator shall carry out a 
     program to encourage the use of advanced drunk driving 
     prevention technology in--
       (A) State and local government fleets; and
       (B) private sector fleets.
       (2) Funding.--
       (A) In general.--Out of any amounts made available to the 
     Administrator and not otherwise obligated, the Administrator 
     shall use such sums as are necessary to carry out paragraph 
     (1).
       (B) Existing program funding.--The Administrator may 
     continue to use, in accordance with existing guidelines for 
     the relevant fund, any Federal fund used by the Administrator 
     on the date of enactment of this Act to carry out an existing 
     program that satisfies the requirements of paragraph (1).

[[Page S5847]]

       (e) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the 
     Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee 
     on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a 
     report describing the progress of the Administrator in 
     carrying out subsections (c) and (d).
       (f) Stakeholder Team.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish and 
     maintain a team, to be known as the ``Stakeholder Team'', to 
     provide input for the Administrator to consider on issues of 
     public policy, deployment, and State law relating to the 
     deployment of advanced drunk driving prevention technology in 
     motor vehicles.
       (2) Membership.--The Stakeholder Team shall be composed 
     of--
       (A) vehicle manufacturers;
       (B) suppliers;
       (C) safety advocates;
       (D) fleet administrators or managers; and
       (E) other interested parties with expertise in public 
     policy, marketing, or product release.
       (g) Rulemaking.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (3), not later than 2 
     years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Administrator shall issue a final rule prescribing a Federal 
     motor vehicle safety standard that requires advanced drunk 
     driving prevention technology in all new vehicles.
       (2) Requirements.--
       (A) Lead time.--The compliance date of the rule issued 
     under paragraph (1) shall be not more than 2 model years 
     after the effective date of that rule.
       (B) Technical capability.--Any advanced drunk driving 
     prevention technology required for new vehicles under 
     paragraph (1) that measures blood alcohol concentration shall 
     automatically use the legal limit for blood alcohol 
     concentration of the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is 
     located.
       (3) Timing.--If the Administrator determines that it is not 
     practicable to issue the rule described in paragraph (1) by 
     the applicable date, the Administrator--
       (A) may extend the time period for such time as the 
     Administrator determines to be necessary; and
       (B) shall, not later than the date described in paragraph 
     (1), and not less frequently than annually thereafter until 
     the date on which the rule under that paragraph is issued, 
     submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce of the House of Representatives a report describing, 
     as of the date of submission of the report--
       (i) the reasons for not prescribing a Federal motor vehicle 
     safety standard that requires advanced drunk driving 
     prevention technology in all new vehicles;
       (ii) the deployment of advanced drunk driving prevention 
     technology in vehicles;
       (iii) any information regarding the ability of vehicle 
     manufacturers to include advanced drunk driving prevention 
     technology in new vehicles; and
       (iv) an anticipated timeline for prescribing the Federal 
     motor vehicle safety standard described in paragraph (1).
       (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated--
       (1) to carry out subsection (b), $5,000,000 for each of 
     fiscal years 2021 and 2022; and
       (2) to carry out subsection (c), $25,000,000 for the period 
     of fiscal years 2021 through 2022, to remain available until 
     expended.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mrs. Gillibrand):
  S. 2605. A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to require the 
Secretary of Transportation to award grants to States that have enacted 
and are enforcing certain laws with respect to stretch limousines, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.
  Mr. SCHUMER. 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. 2605

       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 ``Take Unsafe Limos Off the 
     Road Act''.

     SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SAFETY OF STRETCH LIMOUSINES.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter IV of chapter 311 of title 49, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``Sec. 31162. Grant program for safety of stretch limousines

       ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Eligible defect.--The term `eligible defect' means a 
     defect that would cause a motor vehicle to fail a commercial 
     motor vehicle safety inspection.
       ``(2) Passenger motor vehicle.--The term `passenger motor 
     vehicle' has the meaning given the term in section 32101.
       ``(3) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
     of Transportation.
       ``(4) Stretch limousine.--The term `stretch limousine' 
     means a new or used passenger motor vehicle that--
       ``(A) has been modified, altered, or extended in a manner 
     that increases the overall wheelbase of the vehicle--
       ``(i) beyond the wheelbase dimension of the original 
     equipment manufacturer for the base model and year of the 
     vehicle; and
       ``(ii) to a length sufficient to accommodate additional 
     passengers; and
       ``(B) after being altered as described in subparagraph (A), 
     has a seating capacity of not fewer than 9 passengers, 
     including the driver.
       ``(b) Grant Program.--Each fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
     make a grant, in accordance with this section, to each State 
     that is eligible for a grant under subsection (c).
       ``(c) Eligibility.--A State is eligible for a grant under 
     this section for a fiscal year if, on October 1 of that 
     fiscal year, the State--
       ``(1) has enacted a law that requires the impoundment or 
     immobilization of a stretch limousine that is found to have 
     an eligible defect on inspection; and
       ``(2) is enforcing the law described in paragraph (1), as 
     determined by the Secretary.
       ``(d) Grant Amounts.--
       ``(1) In general.--Beginning on October 1 of the first 
     fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this 
     section, the Secretary shall apportion the amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this section to each State that is 
     eligible to receive a grant under subsection (c) in an amount 
     that is equal to the quotient obtained by dividing--
       ``(A) the difference between--
       ``(i) $5,000,000; and
       ``(ii) the total amount provided to States under paragraph 
     (2); and
       ``(B) the number of States eligible for a grant under 
     subsection (c) for the fiscal year.
       ``(2) Increase of grant amounts.--Beginning on October 1 of 
     the first fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment 
     of this section, a State that is eligible for a grant under 
     subsection (c) may receive an additional $50,000 in grant 
     funds if, on October 1 of that fiscal year, the State has 
     enacted and is enforcing a law or regulation that requires--
       ``(A) any safety inspection of a stretch limousine to be 
     conducted at a designated site controlled by the State; and
       ``(B) the inspection described in subparagraph (A) to be 
     conducted by employees trained in the inspection of stretch 
     limousines.
       ``(e) Use of Funds.--A State receiving a grant under this 
     section may use grant amounts--
       ``(1) for the impoundment or immobilization of a stretch 
     limousine;
       ``(2) for the establishment and operating expenses of 
     designated stretch limousine safety inspection sites; or
       ``(3) to train employees in the inspection of stretch 
     limousines.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section 
     $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2024.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for subchapter IV of 
     chapter 311 of title 49 is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 31161 the following:

``31162. Grant program for safety of stretch limousines.''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mrs. Gillibrand):
  S. 2606. A bill to establish safety standards for certain limousines, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.
  Mr. SCHUMER. 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. 2606

       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 ``Safety, Accountability, and 
     Federal Enforcement of Limos Act of 2019'' or the ``SAFE 
     Limos Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Certified vehicle.--The term ``certified vehicle'' 
     means a motor vehicle that has been certified in accordance 
     with section 567.4 or 567.5 of title 49, Code of Federal 
     Regulations, to meet all applicable Federal motor vehicle 
     safety standards.
       (2) Incomplete vehicle.--The term ``incomplete vehicle'' 
     has the meaning given such term in section 567.3 of title 49, 
     Code of Federal Regulations.
       (3) Stretch limousine.--The term ``stretch limousine'' 
     means a new or used passenger motor vehicle that has been 
     altered in a manner that increases the overall wheelbase of 
     the vehicle, exceeding the original equipment manufacturer's 
     wheelbase dimension for the base model and year of the 
     vehicle, in any amount sufficient to accommodate additional 
     passengers with a seating capacity of not fewer than 9 
     passengers including the driver.
       (4) Stretch limousine alterer.--The term ``stretch 
     limousine alterer'' means a person who alters by addition, 
     substitution, or removal of components (other than readily 
     attachable components) a certified passenger motor vehicle 
     before or after the first purchase of the vehicle to produce 
     a stretch limousine.

[[Page S5848]]

       (5) Stretch limousine operator.--The term ``stretch 
     limousine operator'' means a person who owns or leases and 
     operates a stretch limousine in interstate commerce.
       (6) Passenger motor vehicle.--The term ``passenger motor 
     vehicle'' has the meaning given that term in section 32101 of 
     title 49, United States Code.
       (7) Safety belt.--The term ``safety belt'' means an 
     occupant restraint system consisting of integrated lap 
     shoulder belts.
       (8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Transportation.

     SEC. 3. STRETCH LIMOUSINE STANDARDS.

       (a) Safety Belt Standards for Stretch Limousines.--Not 
     later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Secretary shall prescribe a final rule amending Federal 
     Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Numbers 208 to require safety 
     belts to be installed in stretch limousines with a gross 
     vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 pounds at each 
     designated seating position, including on side-facing seats.
       (b) Seating System Standards for Stretch Limousines.--Not 
     later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Secretary shall prescribe a final rule amending Federal 
     Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 207 to require stretch 
     limousines to meet standards for seats (including side-facing 
     seats), attachment assemblies, and installation to minimize 
     the possibility of their failure by forces acting on them as 
     a result of vehicle impact.
       (c) Report on Retrofit Assessment for Stretch Limousines.--
     Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate a report that assesses the feasibility, benefits, and 
     costs with respect to the application of any requirement 
     established under subsection (a) or (b) to a stretch 
     limousine altered before the date on which the requirement 
     applies to a new stretch limousine.
       (d) Safety Standards for Altering Used Vehicles Into 
     Stretch Limousines.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe a final 
     rule revising the regulations under section 567.7 of title 
     49, Code of Federal Regulations, to require a stretch 
     limousine alterer to comply with the requirements for persons 
     who alter certified vehicles.

     SEC. 4. STRETCH LIMOUSINE COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL SAFETY 
                   STANDARDS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 301 of subtitle VI of title 49, 
     United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 
     30128 the following new section:

     ``Sec. 30129. Stretch Limousine compliance with Federal 
       safety standards

       ``(a) Guidelines, Best Practices, and Recommendations.--Not 
     later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
     section, and not less than every 4 years thereafter, the 
     Secretary shall develop and issue guidelines, best practices, 
     and recommendations to assist a stretch limousine alterer to 
     develop and administer the vehicle modifier plan required 
     under subsection (c).
       ``(b) Process and Analysis.--
       ``(1) Notice required.--Not later than 2 years after the 
     date of enactment of this section, and as necessary 
     thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a notice in the 
     Federal Register that describes the process and analysis used 
     for approving or denying a vehicle modifier plan submitted by 
     a stretch limousine alterer.
       ``(2) Elements.--The notice required under paragraph (1) 
     shall include--
       ``(A) a description of the safety elements described in 
     subsection (c) in a vehicle modifier plan; and
       ``(B) a description of the process and criterion that the 
     Secretary will use for determining whether a vehicle modifier 
     plan ensures that a stretch limousine meets applicable 
     Federal motor vehicle safety standards.
       ``(c) Requirement.--Not later than 2 years after the 
     Secretary has released the notice required by subsection (b), 
     a new stretch limousine may not be offered for sale, lease, 
     or rent, introduced or delivered for introduction in 
     interstate commerce, or imported into the United States 
     unless the stretch limousine alterer has developed, and the 
     Secretary has approved, a vehicle modifier plan. A vehicle 
     modifier plan includes the following safety elements:
       ``(1) Design, quality control, manufacturing, and training 
     practices adopted by a stretch limousine alterer to ensure 
     that a stretch limousine complies with Federal motor vehicle 
     safety standards.
       ``(2) Customer support guidelines, including instructions 
     for stretch limousine occupants to wear seatbelts and stretch 
     limousine operators to notify occupants of the date and 
     results of the most recent inspection of the stretch 
     limousine.
       ``(3) Any other safety elements that the Secretary 
     determines to be necessary.
       ``(d) Vehicle Modifier Plan.--
       ``(1) Application.--A stretch limousine alterer shall 
     submit to the Secretary an application for approval of a 
     vehicle modifier plan in such a form, at such a time, and 
     containing the information required to be included in the 
     notice published pursuant to subsection (b). A vehicle 
     modifier plan required under subsection (a) may be approved 
     for not more than 4 years after the date on which the plan is 
     approved.
       ``(2) Review.--The Secretary may approve a vehicle modifier 
     plan submitted under paragraph (1) on a finding that the plan 
     ensures that a stretch limousine will meet Federal motor 
     vehicle safety standards.
       ``(3) Timely consideration of applications.--The Secretary 
     shall approve or reject a vehicle modifier plan not later 
     than 1 year after receiving an application from a stretch 
     limousine alterer.
       ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Incomplete vehicle.--The term `incomplete vehicle' 
     has the meaning given such term in section 567.3 of title 49, 
     Code of Federal Regulations.
       ``(2) Stretch limousine.--The term `stretch limousine' 
     means a new or used passenger motor vehicle that has been 
     altered in a manner that increases the overall wheelbase of 
     the vehicle, exceeding the original equipment manufacturer's 
     wheelbase dimension for the base model and year of the 
     vehicle, in any amount sufficient to accommodate additional 
     passengers with a seating capacity of not fewer than 9 
     passengers including the driver.
       ``(3) Stretch limousine alterer.--The term `stretch 
     limousine alterer' means a person who alters by addition, 
     substitution, or removal of components (other than readily 
     attachable components) an incomplete vehicle or a certified 
     passenger motor vehicle before or after the first purchase of 
     the vehicle to produce a stretch limousine.
       ``(4) Passenger motor vehicle.--The term `passenger motor 
     vehicle' has the meaning given that term in section 32101.''.
       (b) Enforcement.--Section 30165(a)(1) of title 49, United 
     States Code, is amended by inserting ``30129,'' after 
     ``30127,''.

     SEC. 5. STRETCH LIMOUSINE CRASHWORTHINESS.

       (a) Research.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
     enactment, the Secretary shall complete research into side 
     impact protection, roof crush resistance, and air bag systems 
     for the protection of occupants in stretch limousines given 
     alternative seating positions or interior configurations, 
     including perimeter seating arrangements.
       (b) Research Requirements.--In conducting the research 
     required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
       (1) develop one or more tests to evaluate side impact 
     protection, roof crush resistance, and air bag systems of 
     stretch limousines;
       (2) determine metrics that would be most effective at 
     evaluating the side impact protection, roof crush resistance, 
     and air bag systems of stretch limousines; and
       (3) determine criteria to assure the stretch limousines are 
     protecting occupants in any alternative seating positions or 
     interior configurations.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report 
     describing the findings of the research required under this 
     section to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
     and Transportation of the Senate.
       (d) Vehicle Modifier Plans.--The Secretary shall 
     incorporate the findings of the research conducted under this 
     section into the guidelines required under section 30129(a) 
     of title 49 and the process and analysis required under 
     section 30129(b) of title 49, United States Code, as added by 
     section 4(a).
       (e) Crashworthiness Standards.--The Secretary shall issue 
     final motor vehicle safety standards for side impact 
     protection, roof crush resistance, and air bag systems for 
     stretch limousines if the Secretary determines that such 
     standards meet the requirements and considerations set forth 
     in subsections (a) and (b) of section 30111 of title 49, 
     United States Code.

     SEC. 6. STRETCH LIMOUSINE EVACUATION.

       (a) Research.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
     complete research into safety features and standards that aid 
     egress and regress in the event that one exit in the 
     passenger compartment of a stretch limousine is blocked.
       (b) Standards.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue stretch 
     limousine evacuation standards based on the results of the 
     Secretary's research.

     SEC. 7. STRETCH LIMOUSINE INSPECTION DISCLOSURE.

       (a) Stretch Limousine Inspection Disclosure.--A stretch 
     limousine operator introducing a stretch limousine into 
     interstate commerce may not deploy for commercial use a 
     stretch limousine unless the stretch limousine operator has 
     prominently disclosed in a clear and conspicuous notice, 
     including on its website to the extent the stretch limousine 
     operator uses a website, that includes--
       (1) the date of the most recent inspection of the stretch 
     limousine required under State or Federal law;
       (2) the results of the inspection; and
       (3) any corrective action taken by the stretch limousine 
     operator to ensure the stretch limousine passed inspection.
       (b) Federal Trade Commission Enforcement.--A violation of 
     subsection (a) shall be treated as a an unfair or deceptive 
     act or practice within the meaning of section 5(a)(1) of the 
     Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45(a)(1)). The 
     Federal Trade Commission shall enforce this section in the 
     same manner, by the same means, and with the same 
     jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all applicable 
     terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act were 
     incorporated into and made a part of this Act.
       (c) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to limit the authority of the Federal Trade 
     commission under any other provision of law.

[[Page S5849]]

       (d) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect 180 
     days after the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 8. EVENT DATA RECORDERS FOR STRETCH LIMOUSINES.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the 
     Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety 
     Administration, shall issue a final rule requiring the use of 
     event data recorders for stretch limousines.
       (b) Privacy Protections.--Any standard promulgated under 
     subsection (a) pertaining to event data recorder information 
     shall comply with the collection and sharing requirements 
     under the FAST Act (Public Law 114-94).
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. Graham):
  S. 2612. A bill for the relief of Maria Isabel Bueso Barrera, Alberto 
Bueso Mendoza, and Karla Maria Barrera De Bueso; to the Committee on 
the Judiciary.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill with 
Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsay Graham for the private relief of 
Maria Isabel Bueso Barrera and her parents. Ms. Bueso is a Guatemalan 
national living in Concord, California. She has a rare medical 
condition and her removal from the United States would deprive her of 
lifesaving medical care.
  Ms. Bueso suffers from a rare, life-threatening disorder called 
Mucopolysaccharidosis Type VI (MPS-VI)--a rare genetic condition caused 
by the absence of an enzyme that is needed for the growth of healthy 
bones and connective tissues. Ms. Bueso uses a wheelchair for mobility, 
has a shunt in her brain, and requires a tracheotomy to help her 
breathe.
  In 2003, Ms. Bueso and her family came to the United States at the 
invitation of doctors who were conducting a clinical trial to treat her 
condition. That trial led to Food and Drug Administration approved 
treatment for MPS-VI. Ms. Bueso now receives this life-saving treatment 
every week at UCSF Children's Hospital in Oakland, CA, where she 
undergoes a 6-hour infusion of a prescription drug that replaces the 
enzyme that people with MPS-VI lack. Ms. Bueso has participated in six 
other medical trials.
  For the past 10 years, Isabel and her family received deferred action 
from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services so that she could 
continue receiving the treatments that keep her alive. This treatment 
is not available in Guatemala.
  On August 13, 2019, USCIS notified Ms. Bueso and her family that 
their extensions of deferred action were denied, and that they would be 
deported if they did not leave the United States within 33 days. This 
decision was effectively a death sentence for Ms. Bueso. On September 
3, 2019, USCIS announced that they would reconsider her case, but a 
final decision has not been made.
  Ms. Bueso has beaten the odds because of the life-saving treatment 
that she has received in the United States. She is now 24 years old, 
and a 2018 graduate of California State University, East Bay. She has 
become an outspoken advocate on behalf of people with rare diseases. 
Her family pays taxes, owns a home, and is active in their community.
  The Bueso family should be allowed to remain in California, where 
they will continue to enrich their community, and where Isabel will be 
able to receive the care that allows her to survive and thrive.
  The legislation that Chairman Graham and I are introducing today 
would provide a permanent solution for Isabel and her parents. I ask my 
colleagues to support this private bill, which makes the Bueso family 
eligible for issuance of an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. 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. 2612

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

     SECTION 1. PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS FOR MARIA ISABEL BUESO 
                   BARRERA, ALBERTO BUESO MENDOZA, AND KARLA MARIA 
                   BARRERA DE BUESO.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of 
     section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1151), Maria Isabel Bueso Barrera, Alberto Bueso Mendoza, and 
     Karla Maria Barrera De Bueso shall each be eligible for 
     issuance of an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to 
     that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
     upon filing an application for issuance of an immigrant visa 
     under section 204 of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1154) or for 
     adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident.
       (b) Adjustment of Status.--If Maria Isabel Bueso Barrera, 
     Alberto Bueso Mendoza, or Karla Maria Barrera De Bueso enters 
     the United States before the filing deadline specified in 
     subsection (c), Maria Isabel Bueso Barrera, Alberto Bueso 
     Mendoza, or Karla Maria Barrera De Bueso shall be considered 
     to have entered and remained lawfully in the United States 
     and shall be eligible for adjustment of status under section 
     245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255) as 
     of the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (c) Application and Payment of Fees.--Subsections (a) and 
     (b) shall apply only if the applications for issuance of 
     immigrant visas or the applications for adjustment of status 
     are filed with appropriate fees not later than two years 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (d) Reduction of Immigrant Visa Numbers.--Upon the granting 
     of immigrant visas or permanent resident status to Maria 
     Isabel Bueso Barrera, Alberto Bueso Mendoza, and Karla Maria 
     Barrera De Bueso, the Secretary of State shall instruct the 
     proper officer to reduce by three, during the current or next 
     following fiscal year--
       (1) the total number of immigrant visas that are made 
     available to natives of the country of birth of Maria Isabel 
     Bueso Barrera, Alberto Bueso Mendoza, and Karla Maria Barrera 
     De Bueso under section 203(a) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(a)); or
       (2) if applicable, the total number of immigrant visas that 
     are made available to natives of the country of birth of 
     Maria Isabel Bueso Barrera, Alberto Bueso Mendoza, and Karla 
     Maria Barrera De Bueso under section 202(e) of such Act (8 
     U.S.C. 1152(e)).
       (e) PAYGO.--The budgetary effects of this Act, for the 
     purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 
     2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest 
     statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' 
     for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional 
     Record by the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, 
     provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 
     vote on passage.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. SASSE:
  S.J. Res. 58. A joint resolution expressing support for freedom of 
conscience; read the first time.
  Mr. SASSE. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to ask each and 
every Member of Congress to answer this simple question: Is it right 
for the U.S. Federal Government to get into the business of policing 
Muslims', Jews', and Christians' religious beliefs, about whether or 
not they are acceptable? Is it the business of the Federal Government 
of the United States to determine true and false religion?
  Last week, a former Member of Congress now running for President, 
didn't blink an eye when he announced that he would strip religious 
institutions, colleges, churches, and other not-for-profit service 
organizations of their tax-exempt status if they don't agree with his 
political positions.
  That is a pretty major departure from what America is and what we 
usually talk about in this body. So we should pause, and we should call 
that what it is. That is extreme intolerance, it is extreme bigotry, 
and it is profoundly un-American.
  The whole point of America is the First Amendment, and the whole 
point of the First Amendment is that, no matter who you love and no 
matter how you worship, we believe in America that everyone--everyone--
is created with dignity. This is a fundamental American tenet. It is 
why this country was founded.
  Because we are all created with dignity, none of us has the right to 
dictate the conscience commitments of other people. The freedom of 
conscience is a fundamental American belief, and, thankfully, 
politicians have no business policing that.
  At the end of the day, there are really just two kinds of societies. 
There are societies that are about force and power, and there are 
societies that are about persuasion, about assembly, and about love.
  For more than 230 years, we have decided in this country that we are 
the latter. We are a community of persuasion, not primarily a community 
of power and force.
  In America, we don't think the center of life is defined by 
government. We think the frame of life is defined by government.
  Abraham Lincoln often, sort of apocryphally summarizing George 
Washington, used to talk about the silver frame and the golden apple. 
In America, the government is just the silver

[[Page S5850]]

frame. It is the structure that defines the framework for the order of 
liberty so that the golden apple--the good, the true, and the 
beautiful, the things that you love and that you want to build--you go 
do by persuading people to join with you in a cause. Government doesn't 
define the center.
  Washington, DC, is not the center of American life. Washington, DC, 
is supposed to be a servant community that exists to maintain a 
framework for the order of liberty and guards us against enemies, 
foreign and domestic, so that your household and your neighborhood and 
your place of worship can be the center of life.
  We are not Chinese Communists who take Uighurs and throw them into 
camps. We are not Russian oligarchs who tell journalists what they can 
and can't write. We are not Venezuelan strongmen who beat the hell out 
of protesters. We are Americans. And in America, we disagree about many 
things. We disagree profoundly and vigorously, but then we come 
together and create a system where we work out our differences not with 
fists but with words. We work out our differences with civility and 
tolerance and respect and persuasion.
  All of this starts with the First Amendment. The five freedoms of the 
First Amendment--religion, speech, press, assembly, and protest--define 
who we are as a people and what we believe in common. And guess what. 
You can't separate these five. These five freedoms are all in the same 
amendment for a reason--because if one of them falls, they all fall. 
They stand or fall together, and you are a hypocrite if you pat 
yourself on the back for defending one of these five freedoms and then 
the next day, when another one is unpopular, say: Well, we don't need 
that one; we can throw it overboard. The five freedoms are 
interconnected and are interdependent, and they are all in that same 
amendment, the First Amendment, for a reason.
  These are the rights of conscience that belong together, and they 
cannot be taken or policed by government. That means that if a Texas 
politician pandering for a sound bite decides to make a boldfaced 
threat against Muslims and Jews and Christians--all Americans from 
every faith and every walk of life--we have an obligation to come 
together and defend our freedoms, so we should do that.
  That is what I am on the floor here today to do. I am introducing a 
simple resolution today that will give every Member of the Congress--
the House and Senate--the opportunity to tell our constituents whether 
we still believe in the First Amendment. It is an opportunity to show 
the American people that bigotry against religion in the name of 
partisan politics is not permitted in our system of government. This 
isn't a Republican or a Democratic premise; this is an American idea, 
that we condemn politicians who say they are going to police other 
people's religious beliefs. Congress doesn't target or punish 
organizations that are exercising constitutionally protected rights.
  This really shouldn't be complicated. Government doesn't rifle 
through your pastor's or your rabbi's sermon notes. Government doesn't 
tell your clerics what they can or can't say. Government doesn't tell 
your religious leaders how they will perform their services. Government 
doesn't tell you where or when you will worship. Government doesn't 
teach our kids how they are to pray. Government doesn't lecture you on 
Heaven and Hell. Government's job is not to define true and false 
religion. That is something much closer to the center of the frame, the 
golden apple. The silver frame is the humble job we have to do in 
public life, which is to maintain a framework for ordered liberty so 
that Americans, in their neighborhoods and over dinner tables, can try 
to persuade each other how to worship and what to believe by arguments, 
not by fists and not by the police.
  Government doesn't get to do any of that in this country because we 
recognize that government is not God. Americans reject the divine right 
of Kings, and we reject the infallibility of politics.
  Government doesn't try to make an example of your church or your 
synagogue or your mosque because some politician decided your views 
were out of favor. Your religious organization doesn't get taxed 
differently because a politician running for office decides to disagree 
with one of your beliefs. Whatever faith you are from in America, 
whatever party you are in, we believe in America that all 225 million 
of us are created equal, and we believe that whether your faith is 
traditional or progressive, it is yours, and it is between you and your 
religious community and your God. It is not the domain of politicians.
  Government can't force you out of the public square because of the 
faith you hold--at least that is what we have always believed in the 
past. It is what we believed for more than 200 years. We are not 
perfect, of course. We have fallen short of that idealism time and 
again. That doesn't mean the ideas of the American founding in the 
First Amendment are wrong; it means that our ideals need to be strived 
for yet again and reaffirmed.
  I want to give every Member of Congress the opportunity in the coming 
weeks to do just that. The resolution I am introducing today ought to 
get a vote so House and Senate Members can be on record for our 
constituents about whether we affirm the First Amendment and in 
particular the free exercise of religion and the free assembly clause. 
I am going to read it for everyone's benefit. It is pretty short. This 
is the resolution being submitted:

       Whereas the settlement of the 13 colonies was driven in 
     part by those seeking refuge from government-sponsored 
     religious persecution;
       Whereas the Framers of the Constitution of the United 
     States recognized the centrality of freedom of conscience to 
     the establishment of the United States, enshrining in the 
     First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that 
     ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of 
     religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 
     abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the 
     right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition 
     the Government for a redress of grievances'';
       Whereas churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious 
     organizations have played a central and invaluable role in 
     life in the United States; and
       Whereas Congress has recognized the importance of religious 
     institutions by enacting a variety of legal protections for 
     those institutions, including exemption from income taxes: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That--
       (1) the protections of freedom of conscience enshrined in 
     the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
     remain central to the experiment of the United States in 
     republican self-government under the Constitution of the 
     United States;
       (2) government should not be in the business of dictating 
     what ``correct'' religious beliefs are; and
       (3) any effort by the government to condition the receipt 
     of the protections of the Constitution of the United States 
     and the laws of the United States, including an exemption 
     from taxation, on the public policy positions of an 
     organization is an affront to the spirit and letter of the 
     First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

  I don't care what some nitwit said on CNN last week to satisfy his 
fringy base and try to get a sound bite in a Presidential debate. The 
American people ought to know that this body stands for the historic 
First Amendment. That is what we all took an oath to uphold and to 
defend, and that is what we ought to vote to affirm again. Let's do it.

                              S.J. Res. 58

       Whereas the settlement of the 13 colonies was driven in 
     part by those seeking refuge from government-sponsored 
     religious persecution;
       Whereas the Framers of the Constitution of the United 
     States recognized the centrality of freedom of conscience to 
     the establishment of the United States, enshrining in the 
     First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that 
     ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of 
     religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 
     abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the 
     right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition 
     the Government for a redress of grievances'';
       Whereas churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious 
     organizations have played a central and invaluable role in 
     life in the United States; and
       Whereas Congress has recognized the importance of religious 
     institutions by enacting a variety of legal protections for 
     those institutions, including exemption from income taxes: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That--
       (1) the protections of freedom of conscience enshrined in 
     the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
     remain central to the experiment of the United States in 
     republican self-government under the Constitution of the 
     United States;

[[Page S5851]]

       (2) government should not be in the business of dictating 
     what ``correct'' religious beliefs are; and
       (3) any effort by the government to condition the receipt 
     of the protections of the Constitution of the United States 
     and the laws of the United States, including an exemption 
     from taxation, on the public policy positions of an 
     organization is an affront to the spirit and letter of the 
     First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

                          ____________________