Bahamas Temporary Protected Status Act of 2019

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 2478 To designate the Bahamas under section 244 of the Immigration and Nation- ality Act to provide temporary protected status under such section to eligible nationals of the Bahamas. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BENNET, Mrs. GILLI- BRAND, Ms. WARREN, Ms. HARRIS, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. JONES, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and Mr. CARDIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To designate the Bahamas under section 244 of the Immi- gration and Nationality Act to provide temporary pro- tected status under such section to eligible nationals of the Bahamas. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bahamas Temporary 4 Protected Status Act of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:15 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2478.IS S2478 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 2478 IS SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 Congress makes the following findings: 2 (1) On September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian 3 made landfall in the Bahamas as a category 5 hurri- 4 cane with sustained winds over 180 miles per hour. 5 (2) Between September 1, 2019, and Septem- 6 ber 3, 2019, the islands of the Bahamas and the Ba- 7 hamian people were subjected to hurricane-force 8 winds, heavy rains, and extensive flooding that de- 9 stroyed critical infrastructure, decimated houses and 10 property, and claimed the lives of at least 50 individ- 11 uals. 12 (3) The International Federation of the Red 13 Cross and Red Crescent Societies stated that more 14 than 60,000 individuals in the Bahamas lack access 15 to clean drinking water as a result of the devastation 16 caused by Hurricane Dorian. 17 (4) The World Food Programme indicates that 18 more than 60,000 individuals in the Bahamas will 19 require food relief as a result of the destruction 20 caused by Hurricane Dorian. 21 (5) The Secretary of Homeland Security may, 22 under section 244 of the Immigration and Nation- 23 ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), designate a foreign state 24 that has experienced an environmental disaster so as 25 to provide temporary protected status in the United 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:15 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2478.IS S2478 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 2478 IS States to eligible nationals of such foreign state who 1 cannot return safely to their homeland. 2 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TEM- 3 PORARY PROTECTED STATUS. 4 (a) DESIGNATION.— 5 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of section 244 6 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 7 1254a), the Bahamas shall be treated as if it had 8 been designated under subsection (b)(1)(B) of that 9 section, subject to the provisions of this section. 10 (2) PERIOD OF DESIGNATION.—The initial pe- 11 riod of the designation referred to in paragraph (1) 12 shall be for the 18-month period beginning on the 13 date of the enactment of this Act. 14 (b) ALIENS ELIGIBLE.—As a result of the designa- 15 tion made under subsection (a), an alien who is a national 16 of the Bahamas is considered to satisfy the requirements 17 under paragraph (1) of section 244(c) of the Immigration 18 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)), subject to para- 19 graph (3) of such section, if the alien— 20 (1) has been continuously physically present in 21 the United States since the date of the enactment of 22 this Act; 23 (2) is admissible as an immigrant, except as 24 otherwise provided in paragraph (2)(A) of such sec- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:15 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2478.IS S2478 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 2478 IS tion, and is not ineligible for temporary protected 1 status under paragraph (2)(B) of such section; and 2 (3) registers for temporary protected status in 3 a manner established by the Secretary of Homeland 4 Security. 5 (c) CONSENT TO TRAVEL ABROAD.— 6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 7 Security shall give prior consent to travel abroad, in 8 accordance with section 244(f)(3) of the Immigra- 9 tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(f)(3)), to 10 an alien who is granted temporary protected status 11 pursuant to the designation made under subsection 12 (a) if the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the 13 Secretary of Homeland Security that emergency and 14 extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the 15 alien require the alien to depart for a brief, tem- 16 porary trip abroad. 17 (2) TREATMENT UPON RETURN.—An alien re- 18 turning to the United States in accordance with an 19 authorization described in paragraph (1) shall be 20 treated as any other returning alien provided tem- 21 porary protected status under section 244 of the Im- 22 migration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a). 23 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:15 Sep 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S2478.IS S2478 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS