[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 29, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3833. Mr. COTTON (for himself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Grassley, and Mr. 
Scott of Florida) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him 
to the bill H.R. 5305, making continuing appropriations for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2022, and for providing emergency assistance, 
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       Beginning on page 80, strike line 6 and all that follows 
     through page 83, line 4, and insert the following:
       Sec. 2502. (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, a citizen or national of Afghanistan (or a 
     person with no nationality who last habitually resided in 
     Afghanistan) shall be eligible for the benefits described in 
     subsections (b) and (c) if--
       (1) such individual completed security and law enforcement 
     background checks to the satisfaction of the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security and was subsequently--
       (A) paroled into the United States between July 31, 2021, 
     and September 30, 2022; or
       (B) paroled into the United States after September 30, 
     2022, and--
       (i) is the spouse or child (as defined in section 101(b) of 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(b))) of an 
     individual described in subparagraph (A); or
       (ii) is the parent or legal guardian of an individual 
     described in subparagraph (A) who is determined to be an 
     unaccompanied child (as defined in section 462(g)(2) of the 
     Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 279(g)(2))); and
       (2) such individual's parole has not been terminated by the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security.
       (b) Benefits.--An individual described in subsection (a) 
     shall be eligible for--
       (1) resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and 
     other benefits available to refugees admitted under section 
     207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1157) 
     until March 31, 2023; and
       (2) services described in section 412(d)(2) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1522(d)(2)), 
     subject to subparagraph (B) of such section, if such 
     individual is an unaccompanied alien (as defined in section 
     462(g)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
     279(g)(2))).
       (c) Expeditious Adjudication of Asylum Applications.--With 
     respect to an application for asylum under section 208 of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1158) filed by an 
     individual described in subsection (a)--
       (1) the initial interview on the asylum application shall 
     occur not later than 15 days after the date on which such 
     application is filed; and
       (2) in the absence of exceptional circumstances, final 
     administrative adjudication of the asylum application, not 
     including administrative appeal, shall be completed not later 
     than 150 days after the date on which such application is 
     filed.
       (d) Clarification.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, nothing in this Act may be interpreted--
       (1) to preclude an individual described in subsection (a) 
     from applying for or receiving any immigration benefit to 
     which such individual is otherwise entitled;
       (2) to entitle a person described in subsection (a) to 
     adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident; or
       (3) preclude a person described in subsection (a) from 
     applying for a driver's license or identification card for 
     which such person is eligible under State law.
       (e) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, and every 3 months thereafter, the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the 
     Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State, shall submit 
     a report to Congress detailing--
       (1) the number of individuals described in subsection (a);
       (2) the number of individuals receiving benefits under 
     subsection (b), including those who are eligible for benefits 
     as refugees; and
       (3) any other information that the Secretary considers 
     relevant.
       (f) Emergency Requirement.--Each amount provided by this 
     section is designated by Congress as being for an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to subsections (a)(1) and (b) of section 
     4001 of S. Con. Res. 14 (117th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2022.

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