[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 107 (Thursday, June 23, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3148-S3149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 BRIDGING THE GAP FOR NEW AMERICANS ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee be discharged from further 
consideration of S. 3157, and the Senate proceed to its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3157) to require the Secretary of Labor to 
     conduct a study of the factors affecting employment 
     opportunities for immigrants and refugees with professional 
     credentials obtained in foreign countries.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I further ask that the bill be considered 
read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 3157) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                S. 3157

       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 ``Bridging the Gap for New 
     Americans Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Applicable immigrants and refugees.--The term 
     ``applicable immigrants and refugees''--
       (A) means individuals who--
       (i)(I) are not citizens or nationals of the United States; 
     and
       (II) are lawfully present in the United States and 
     authorized to be employed in the United States; or
       (ii) are naturalized citizens of the United States who were 
     born outside of the United States and its outlying 
     possessions; and
       (B) includes individuals described in section 602(b)(2) of 
     the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (title VI of 
     division F of Public Law 111-8; 8 U.S.C. 1101 note).
       (2) Other terms.--Except as otherwise defined in this 
     section, terms used in this Act have the definitions given 
     such terms under section 101(a) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)).

     SEC. 3. STUDY ON FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 
                   FOR IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES WITH PROFESSIONAL 
                   CREDENTIALS OBTAINED IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

       (a) Study Required.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Labor, in coordination 
     with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Education, the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of 
     Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the 
     Administrator of the Internal Revenue Service, and the 
     Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, shall 
     conduct a study of the factors affecting employment 
     opportunities in the United States for

[[Page S3149]]

     applicable immigrants and refugees who have professional 
     credentials that were obtained in a country other than the 
     United States.
       (2) Work with other entities.--The Secretary of Labor shall 
     seek to work with relevant nonprofit organizations and State 
     agencies to use the existing data and resources of such 
     entities to conduct the study required under paragraph (1).
       (3) Limitations on disclosure.--Any information provided to 
     the Secretary of Labor in connection with the study required 
     under paragraph (1)--
       (A) may only be used for the purposes of, and to the extent 
     necessary to ensure the efficient operation of, such study; 
     and
       (B) may not be disclosed to any other person or entity 
     except as provided under this subsection.
       (b) Inclusions.--The study required under subsection (a)(1) 
     shall include--
       (1) an analysis of the employment history of applicable 
     immigrants and refugees admitted to the United States during 
     the 5-year period immediately preceding the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, which shall include, to the extent 
     practicable--
       (A) a comparison of the employment applicable immigrants 
     and refugees held before immigrating to the United States 
     with the employment they obtained in the United States, if 
     any, since their arrival; and
       (B) the occupational and professional credentials and 
     academic degrees held by applicable immigrants and refugees 
     before immigrating to the United States;
       (2) an assessment of any barriers that prevent applicable 
     immigrants and refugees from using occupational experience 
     obtained outside the United States to obtain employment in 
     the United States;
       (3) an analysis of available public and private resources 
     assisting applicable immigrants and refugees who have 
     professional experience and qualifications obtained outside 
     of the United States to obtain skill-appropriate employment 
     in the United States; and
       (4) policy recommendations for better enabling applicable 
     immigrants and refugees who have professional experience and 
     qualifications obtained outside of the United States to 
     obtain skill-appropriate employment in the United States.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall--
       (1) submit a report to Congress that describes the results 
     of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a); and
       (2) make such report publicly available on the website of 
     the Department of Labor.

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