[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 21127]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 RELIEF OF ANA ESPARZA AND MARIA MUNOZ

  The bill (S. 963) for the relief of Ana Esparza and Maria Munoz was 
considered, ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, read the third 
time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 963

       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 ANA ESPARZA AND 
                   MARIA MUNOZ.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of 
     section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Ana 
     Esparza and Maria Munoz shall be eligible for issuance of 
     immigrant visas or for adjustment of status to that of aliens 
     lawfully admitted for permanent residence upon filing an 
     application for issuance of immigrant visas under section 204 
     of that Act or for adjustment of status to lawful permanent 
     resident.
       (b) Adjustment of Status.--If Ana Esparza or Maria Munoz 
     enters the United States before the filing deadline specified 
     in subsection (c), the alien shall be considered to have 
     entered and remained lawfully and shall be eligible for 
     adjustment of status under section 245 of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act as of the date of enactment of this Act.
       (c) Deadline for Application and Payment of Fees.--
     Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply only if the application 
     for issuance of immigrant visas or the application for 
     adjustment of status are filed with appropriate fees within 2 
     years after the date of enactment of this Act.
       (d) Reduction of Immigrant Visa Numbers.--Upon the granting 
     of immigrant visas or permanent residence to Ana Esparza and 
     Maria Munoz, the Secretary of State shall instruct the proper 
     officer to reduce by the appropriate number, during the 
     current or next following fiscal year, the total number of 
     immigrant visas that are made available to natives of the 
     country of the aliens' birth under section 203(a) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act or, if applicable, the total 
     number of immigrant visas that are made available to natives 
     of the country of the aliens' birth under section 202(e) of 
     such Act.

     SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF ANA ESPARZA FOR PUBLIC BENEFITS.

       Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1601 et 
     seq.) shall not apply for purposes of determining the 
     eligibility of Ana Esparza or Maria Munoz for any Federal 
     public benefit (as defined in section 401(c) (8 U.S.C. 
     1611(c)), including a specified Federal program defined in 
     section 402(a)(3) of that Act (8 U.S.C. 1612(a)(3)), a 
     designated Federal program defined in section 402(b)(3) of 
     that Act (8 U.S.C. 1612(a)(3)), or a State or local public 
     benefit, as defined in section 411(c) of that Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1621(c)).

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