[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6095 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6095
To designate Lebanon under section 244 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act to permit nationals of Lebanon to be eligible for
temporary protected status under such section, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 30, 2021
Ms. Tlaib (for herself, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Lofgren, and Mr. Nadler)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To designate Lebanon under section 244 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act to permit nationals of Lebanon to be eligible for
temporary protected status under such section, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lebanon TPS Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On August 4, 2020, one of the most powerful explosions
ever to impact an urban population ripped through the Lebanese
capital of Beirut. The blast--linked to 2,750 metric tons of
ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse--killed at least 220
people, wounded approximately 7,000, left an estimated 300,000
people homeless, and caused approximately $15,000,000,000 in
property damage.
(2) The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on
Lebanon, which has recorded over 628,000 cases and 8,400 deaths
since the pandemic began. Lebanon's public health system,
already weakened by the Beirut disaster and political upheaval,
has struggled to cope in the face of the pandemic.
(3) While progress has been made towards a return to
political normalcy, Lebanon lacked a fully formed government
for much of the COVID-19 pandemic and the political
establishment remains highly polarized and divided.
(4) Lebanon has been experiencing one of the worst economic
crises in its history at the same time as the COVID-19
pandemic, Beirut Port explosion, and political crisis.
(5) According to the United Nations, up to 78 percent of
the Lebanese population (3,000,000 people) were living in
poverty as of March 2021.
(6) Per the United Nations, 36 percent of the Lebanese
population (1,380,000 people) are experiencing extreme poverty.
(7) Since October 2019, the Lebanese pound has lost 90
percent of its value, resulting in a year-on-year inflation
rate of more than 120 percent from May 2020 to May 2021.
(8) Food prices have skyrocketed, increasing 400 percent in
2020 alone.
(9) In July 2021, the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) warned that Lebanon's water system is on the verge of
collapse, with more than 70 percent of the country facing
critical water shortages. In January 2019, 1,000 Lebanese
pounds bought 4 liters of water. By August 2021, it only bought
half a liter.
(10) Dire fuel shortages plague Lebanon, leading the
American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut's top
hospital and one of the leading medical centers in the region,
to issue a warning in August 2021 that hundreds of patients
would die if they failed to secure enough fuel to keep their
generators running.
(11) The combined crises have strained many of Lebanon's
public institutions to the breaking point, including the
Lebanese Army, whose budget and soldiers' salaries have been
devastated by the devaluation of the Lebanese Pound.
(12) On October 14, 2021, gunmen fired on a crowd of
protestors gathered near the Beirut Justice Palace sparking
heavy armed clashes in nearby neighborhoods. The ensuing
fighting killed at least seven individuals and wounded more
than 30 others. As of October 28, 2021, 68 people have been
charged with murder, attempted murder, stirring sectarian
strife, possession of illicit war weapons, and destroying
private and public property.
(13) Tensions remain extremely high as the investigation
into the clashes is still ongoing leading to fears of further
violence and instability.
(14) Numerous residents of Beirut living in the vicinity of
the clashes have been quoted by domestic and international
media comparing the October 14th clashes and ongoing tensions
to the devastating 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war, reflecting
well-founded fears of the potential for a return to significant
sectarian violence.
(15) The United States has long stood with the Lebanese
people in times of need and standing with them now is both
morally right and in line with our national interests.
(16) President Biden's pledge of an additional $98,000,000
in aid to Lebanon on the first anniversary of the Beirut Port
explosion was a good first step in supporting the Lebanese
people, and designating Lebanon for Temporary Protected Status
(TPS) is the logical next step given the circumstances.
(17) Lebanon needs significant continued international
support to prevent the worsening of its economic, social,
political, and public health crises and to rebuild from this
period of extraordinary difficulty for the Lebanese people.
(18) A country is designated for TPS when it is determined
by the United States Government that it is unsafe for its
citizens to return to due to ``ongoing armed conflict'',
``environmental disaster'', or ``extraordinary and temporary
conditions in the foreign state that prevent aliens who are
nationals of the state from returning to the state in safety''.
(19) The combined crises facing Lebanon amount to
extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent Lebanese
nationals from safely returning to Lebanon. Any returned
individual would have to contend without access to clean water,
adequate healthcare, and affordable basic necessities--all in
the face of the very real threat of significant political
violence. After years of uncertainty, these individuals deserve
stability and temporary relief in the United States.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TEMPORARY PROTECTED
STATUS.
(a) Designation.--
(1) In general.--For purposes of section 244 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), Lebanon shall
be treated as if it had been designated under subsection
(b)(1)(A) of that section, subject to the provisions of this
section.
(2) Period of designation.--The initial period of the
designation referred to in paragraph (1) shall be for the 18-
month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this
Act.
(b) Aliens Eligible.--As a result of the designation made under
subsection (a), an alien who is a national of Lebanon is deemed to
satisfy the requirements under paragraph (1) of section 244(c) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)), subject to
paragraph (3) of such section, if the alien--
(1) has been continuously physically present in the United
States since the date of the enactment of this Act;
(2) is admissible as an immigrant, except as otherwise
provided in paragraph (2)(A) of such section, and is not
ineligible for temporary protected status under paragraph
(2)(B) of such section; and
(3) registers for temporary protected status in a manner
established by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(c) Consent To Travel Abroad.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
give prior consent to travel abroad, in accordance with section
244(f)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1254a(f)(3)), to an alien who is granted temporary protected
status pursuant to the designation made under subsection (a) if
the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary of
Homeland Security that emergency and extenuating circumstances
beyond the control of the alien require the alien to depart for
a brief, temporary trip abroad.
(2) Treatment upon return.--An alien returning to the
United States in accordance with an authorization described in
paragraph (1) shall be treated as any other returning alien
provided temporary protected status under section 244 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a).
SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
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