[105th Congress Public Law 319]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ319.105]


[[Page 112 STAT. 3013]]

Public Law 105-319
105th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To establish a cultural training program for disadvantaged individuals 
   to assist the Irish peace process. <<NOTE: Oct. 30, 1998 -  [H.R. 
                                4293]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress <<NOTE: Irish Peace Process 
Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998. 8 USC 1101 note.>> assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Irish Peace Process Cultural and 
Training Program Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 8 USC 1101 note.>> IRISH PEACE PROCESS CULTURAL AND 
            TRAINING PROGRAM.

    (a) Purpose.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State and the Attorney 
        General shall establish a program to allow young people from 
        disadvantaged areas of designated counties suffering from 
        sectarian violence and high structural unemployment to enter the 
        United States for the purpose of developing job skills and 
        conflict resolution abilities in a diverse, cooperative, 
        peaceful, and prosperous environment, so that those young people 
        can return to their homes better able to contribute toward 
        economic regeneration and the Irish peace process. The program 
        shall promote cross-community and cross-border initiatives to 
        build grassroots support for long-term peaceful coexistence. The 
        Secretary of State and the Attorney General shall cooperate with 
        nongovernmental organizations to assist those admitted to 
        participate fully in the economic, social, and cultural life of 
        the United States.
            (2) Scope and duration of program.--
                    (A) In general.--The program under paragraph (1) 
                shall provide for the admission of not more than 4,000 
                aliens under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act (including spouses and 
                minor children) in each of 3 consecutive program years.
                    (B) Offset in number of h-2b nonimmigrant admissions 
                allowed.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
                for each alien so admitted in a fiscal year, the 
                numerical limitation specified under section 
                214(g)(1)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
                shall be reduced by 1 for that fiscal year or the 
                subsequent fiscal year.
            (3) Records and report.--The Immigration and Naturalization 
        Service shall maintain records of the nonimmigrant status and 
        place of residence of each alien admitted under the program. Not 
        later than 120 days after the end of the third program year and 
        for the 3 subsequent years, the

[[Page 112 STAT. 3014]]

        Immigration and Naturalization Service shall compile and submit 
        to the Congress a report on the number of aliens admitted with 
        nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii) who have 
        overstayed their visas.
            (4) Designated counties defined.--For the purposes of this 
        Act, the term ``designated counties'' means the six counties of 
        Northern Ireland and the counties of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, 
        Leitrim, Sligo, and Donegal within the Republic of Ireland.

    (b) Temporary Nonimmigrant Visa.--
            (1) In general.--Section 101(a)(15)(Q) of the Immigration 
        and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(Q)) is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``(i)'' after ``(Q)''; and
                    (B) by inserting after the semicolon at the end the 
                following: ``or (ii)(I) an alien 35 years of age or 
                younger having a residence in Northern Ireland, or the 
                counties of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo, and 
                Donegal within the Republic of Ireland, which the alien 
                has no intention of abandoning who is coming temporarily 
                (for a period not to exceed 36 months) to the United 
                States as a participant in a cultural and training 
                program approved by the Secretary of State and the 
                Attorney General under section 2(a) of the Irish Peace 
                Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 for 
                the purpose of providing practical training, employment, 
                and the experience of coexistence and conflict 
                resolution in a diverse society, and (II) the alien 
                spouse and minor children of any such alien if 
                accompanying the alien or following to join the 
                alien;''.

    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for each fiscal year such sums as may be necessary to carry 
out the purposes of this section. Amounts appropriated pursuant to this 
subsection are authorized to be available until expended.
    (d) Sunset.--
            (1) <<NOTE: Effective date.>> Effective October 1, 2005, the 
        Irish Peace Process 
        Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 is repealed.

  

[[Page 112 STAT. 3015]]

            (2) <<NOTE: Effective date.>> Effective October 1, 2005, 
        section 101(a)(15)(Q) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
        U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(Q)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of clause (i);
                    (B) by striking ``(i)'' after ``(Q)''; and
                    (C) by striking clause (ii).

    Approved October 30, 1998.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 4293:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 144 (1998):
            Oct. 7, considered and passed House.
            Oct. 8, considered and passed Senate.

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