Disaster Recovery Workforce Act

IB Union Calendar No. 560 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 4479 [Report No. 116–676, Part I] To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional worker permits for workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 Mr. SABLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic- tion of the committee concerned DECEMBER 18, 2020 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] DECEMBER 18, 2020 Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 24, 2019] VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:03 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H4479.RH H4479 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 4479 RH A BILL To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional worker permits for workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:03 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H4479.RH H4479 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 4479 RH 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 ‘‘Disaster Recovery Work- 4 force Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTION WORKER PERMITS. 6 Section 6(d)(3) of the Joint Resolution entitled ‘‘Joint 7 Resolution to approve the ‘Covenant To Establish a Com- 8 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political 9 Union with the United States of America’, and for other 10 purposes’’ (48 U.S.C. 1806(d)(3)) is amended by adding at 11 the end the following: 12 ‘‘(E) TYPHOON RECOVERY.— 13 ‘‘(i) PERMITS FOR CONSTRUCTION 14 WORKERS.—Notwithstanding any numer- 15 ical cap set forth in subparagraph (B) for 16 each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022, 17 the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 18 increase by 3,000, for each such fiscal year, 19 the total number of permits available under 20 this subsection for Construction and Extrac- 21 tion Occupations (as defined by the Depart- 22 ment of Labor as Standard Occupational 23 Classification Group 47–0000). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:03 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4479.RH H4479 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 4479 RH ‘‘(ii) PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.—The 1 Secretary may only issue a permit made 2 available under clause (i) to a prospective 3 employer if the permit is for an alien 4 who— 5 ‘‘(I) is a national of a country 6 designated eligible to participate in the 7 program under section 8 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) of the Immigra- 9 tion and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 10 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b)) during calendar 11 year 2018; and 12 ‘‘(II) is performing service or 13 labor pursuant to a contract or sub- 14 contract for construction, repairs, ren- 15 ovations, or facility services directly 16 connected to, or associated with recov- 17 ery from a presidentially declared 18 major disaster or emergency (as those 19 terms are defined in section 102 of the 20 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 21 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 22 5122), or for preparation for a future 23 disaster or emergency. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:03 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4479.RH H4479 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 4479 RH ‘‘(iii) EXCEPTION FOR CONSTRUCTION 1 WORKERS.—Subparagraph (D)(v) shall not 2 apply to a permit made available under 3 clause (i) for any fiscal year described in 4 such clause.’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:03 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4479.RH H4479 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS Union Calendar No. 560 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 4479 [Report No. 116–676, Part I] A BILL To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transi- tional worker permits for workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery, and for other purposes. DECEMBER 18, 2020 Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment DECEMBER 18, 2020 Committee on the Judiciary discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:03 Dec 18, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H4479.RH H4479 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS