[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 24 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S646]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1481. Mr. TUBERVILLE submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 1388 submitted by Mrs. Murray (for herself and 
Mr. Schumer) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 815, to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements relating to 
the eligibility of veterans to receive reimbursement for emergency 
treatment furnished through the Veterans Community Care program, and 
for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. EXPANDED PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL ENTRY OR PRESENCE.

       Section 275 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
     U.S.C. 1325) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a) by inserting after ``for a subsequent 
     commission of any such offense'' the following: ``or if the 
     alien was previously convicted of an offense under subsection 
     (e)(2)(A)'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``at least $50 and not 
     more than $250'' and inserting ``not less than $500 and not 
     more than $1,000''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting after ``in the case of 
     an alien who has been previously subject to a civil penalty 
     under this subsection'' the following: ``or subsection 
     (e)(2)(B)''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Visa Overstays.--
       ``(1) In general.--An alien who was admitted as a 
     nonimmigrant has violated this paragraph if the alien, for an 
     aggregate of 10 days or more, has failed--
       ``(A) to maintain the nonimmigrant status in which the 
     alien was admitted, or to which it was changed under section 
     248, including complying with the period of stay authorized 
     by the Secretary of Homeland Security in connection with such 
     status; or
       ``(B) to comply otherwise with the conditions of such 
     nonimmigrant status.
       ``(2) Penalties.--An alien who has violated paragraph (1)--
       ``(A) shall--
       ``(i) for the first commission of such a violation, be 
     fined under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned not 
     more than 6 months, or both; and
       ``(ii) for a subsequent commission of such a violation, or 
     if the alien was previously convicted of an offense under 
     subsection (a), be fined under such title 18, or imprisoned 
     not more than 2 years, or both; and
       ``(B) in addition to, and not in lieu of, any penalty under 
     subparagraph (A) and any other criminal or civil penalties 
     that may be imposed, shall be subject to a civil penalty of--
       ``(i) not less than $500 and not more than $1,000 for each 
     violation; or
       ``(ii) twice the amount specified in clause (i), in the 
     case of an alien who has been previously subject to a civil 
     penalty under this subparagraph or subsection (b).''.
                                 ______