ALLIES Act of 2021

117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3985 AN ACT To amend the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to expe- dite the special immigrant visa process for certain Af- ghan allies, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:51 Jul 21, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 Z:\XMLBILLS\H3583.EH NODE 2 •HR 3985 EH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Averting Loss of Life 2 and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act of 2021’’ or as the 3 ‘‘ALLIES Act of 2021’’. 4 SEC. 2. IMPROVING AFGHAN SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA 5 PROGRAM. 6 (a) EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS THREAT.—Section 7 602(b)(2) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (8 8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended— 9 (1) in subparagraph (A)(iv), by striking ‘‘has 10 experienced or is experiencing’’ and inserting ‘‘has 11 asserted a credible basis for concern about the possi- 12 bility of’’; 13 (2) by striking subparagraph (E); and 14 (3) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub- 15 paragraph (E). 16 (b) ACTIVITIES FOR UNITED STATES MILITARY PER- 17 SONNEL STATIONED WITH INTERNATIONAL SECURITY 18 ASSISTANCE OR SUCCESSOR FORCE.—Section 19 602(b)(2)(A)(ii)(II)(bb) of the Afghan Allies Protection 20 Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended by striking 21 ‘‘sensitive and trusted’’. 22 (c) AFGHANS EMPLOYED SUBJECT TO A GRANT OR 23 COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—Section 602(b)(2)(A)(ii)(I) 24 of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 25 1101 note) is amended by inserting after ‘‘United States 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:51 Jul 21, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 Z:\XMLBILLS\H3583.EH NODE 3 •HR 3985 EH Government’’ the following ‘‘, including employment or 1 other work in Afghanistan through a cooperative agree- 2 ment or grant funded by the United States Government 3 if the Secretary of State determines, based on a rec- 4 ommendation from the Federal agency or organization au- 5 thorizing such funding, that such alien contributed to the 6 United States mission in Afghanistan’’. 7 (d) ELIMINATING DUPLICATIVE PROCESSING RE- 8 QUIREMENTS.—Section 602(b) of the Afghan Allies Pro- 9 tection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended— 10 (1) in paragraph (1)— 11 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 12 (A), by striking ‘‘, notwithstanding any other 13 provision of law, the Secretary of State in con- 14 sultation with the Secretary of Homeland Secu- 15 rity’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary of State’’; 16 and 17 (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘a 18 petition for classification under section 19 203(b)(4) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(4))’’ 20 and inserting ‘‘a request for such status in ac- 21 cordance with procedures established by the 22 Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary 23 of State’’; and 24 (2) in paragraph (2)— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:51 Jul 21, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 Z:\XMLBILLS\H3583.EH NODE 4 •HR 3985 EH (A) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking 1 ‘‘petition’’ and inserting ‘‘request’’; and 2 (B) in subparagraph (D)(i), by striking 3 ‘‘petition’’ and inserting ‘‘request’’. 4 (e) STRENGTHENING PROTECTIONS FOR SURVIVING 5 SPOUSES AND CHILDREN.—Subparagraph (C) of section 6 602(b)(2) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (8 7 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended to read as follows: 8 ‘‘(C) SURVIVING SPOUSE OR CHILD.—An 9 alien is described in this subparagraph if— 10 ‘‘(i) the alien was the spouse or child 11 of a principal alien described in subpara- 12 graph (A) who had submitted a request for 13 classification pursuant to this section or a 14 petition pursuant to section 1059 of the 15 National Defense Authorization Act for 16 Fiscal Year 2006 (Public Law 109–163; 8 17 U.S.C. 1101 note) which included the alien 18 as an accompanying spouse or child; and 19 ‘‘(ii) such request or petition— 20 ‘‘(I) if approved, was revoked (or 21 otherwise rendered null) due to the 22 death of the principal alien; or 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:51 Jul 21, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 Z:\XMLBILLS\H3583.EH NODE 5 •HR 3985 EH ‘‘(II) if pending, is otherwise ap- 1 provable but for the death of the prin- 2 cipal alien.’’. 3 (f) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 4 section shall apply to any requests for special immigration 5 status, applications for special immigrant visas, or appli- 6 cations for adjustment of status under the Afghan Allies 7 Protection Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) that are 8 pending on the date of the enactment of this Act or filed 9 on or after such date. 10 (g) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The amendments 11 made by this section shall not diminish, replace or override 12 any vetting, verification of employment, approval by chief 13 of mission, or any other screening process required for a 14 special immigrant visa under the Afghan Allies Protection 15 Act of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note). 16 SEC. 3. AFGHAN ALLIES PROTECTION ACT. 17 Section 602(b)(3) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act 18 of 2009 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended by adding at 19 the end the following: 20 ‘‘(G) SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEARS.—Begin- 21 ning on the date of the enactment of this sub- 22 paragraph, in addition to any unused balance 23 under this paragraph, 8,000 principal aliens 24 may be granted special immigrant status under 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:51 Jul 21, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 Z:\XMLBILLS\H3583.EH NODE 6 •HR 3985 EH this subsection. For purposes of status provided 1 under this subparagraph the authority to issue 2 visas or adjust status shall commence on the 3 date of the enactment of this subparagraph and 4 shall terminate on the date such visa numbers 5 are exhausted.’’. 6 Passed the House of Representatives July 22, 2021. Attest: Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:51 Jul 21, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 Z:\XMLBILLS\H3583.EH NODE VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:51 Jul 21, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 Z:\XMLBILLS\H3583.EH NODE 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3985 AN ACT To amend the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to expedite the special immigrant visa process for certain Afghan allies, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 12:51 Jul 21, 2021 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 Z:\XMLBILLS\H3583.EH NODE