[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10504 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10504

 To establish in the Department of Homeland Security the Task Force on 
         the Reunification of Families, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 18, 2024

 Mrs. Ramirez (for herself, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Robert Garcia of 
    California, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. Norton, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. 
Carbajal, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Vargas, 
Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Carson, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Menendez, 
 Mr. McGovern, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Barragan, Mr. 
   Tonko, and Mr. Thanedar) introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish in the Department of Homeland Security the Task Force on 
         the Reunification of Families, 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 ``Family Reunification Task Force 
Act''.

SEC. 2. TASK FORCE ON THE REUNIFICATION OF FAMILIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, and the Attorney General, shall establish in the 
Department of Homeland Security a task force on the reunification of 
families, to be known as the ``Task Force on the Reunification of 
Families'' (in this section referred to as the ``Task Force'').
    (b) Activities.--The Task Force shall carry out the following:
            (1) Identify all covered children.
            (2) Provide recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security concerning the following:
                    (A) The legal authorities necessary to reunite such 
                covered children with their parents or legal guardians.
                    (B) The exercise of parole under section 
                212(d)(5)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
                U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)(A)) to reunite such covered children 
                with their parents or legal guardians.
                    (C) The issuance of visas or other immigration 
                benefits to reunite such covered children with their 
                parents or legal guardians.
                    (D) The provision of additional services and 
                support to such covered children and their parents or 
                legal guardians, including trauma and mental health 
                services.
                    (E) Reunification of any additional family members 
                of such covered children, such as siblings.
    (c) Consultation.--In developing the recommendations under 
paragraph (2) of subsection (b), the Task Force shall consult with the 
following:
            (1) Relevant stakeholders, including domestic and 
        international non-governmental organizations.
            (2) Representatives of covered children.
    (d) Reports.--Not later than 60 days after the establishment of the 
Task Force and every 60 days thereafter, the Task Force shall report to 
the appropriate congressional committees on the activities of the Task 
Force during the immediately preceding 60-day period, including 
relating to any recommendations under subsection (b)(2) that require 
congressional action.
    (e) Sunset.--This Act shall terminate on the date that is--
            (1) 120 days after the date on which all covered children 
        have been reunited with their parents or legal guardians, or
            (2) January 20, 2039,
whichever is earliest.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) in the House of Representatives--
                            (i) the Committee on Homeland Security;
                            (ii) the Committee on the Judiciary;
                            (iii) the Committee on Energy and Commerce; 
                        and
                            (iv) the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and
                    (B) in the Senate--
                            (i) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                        Governmental Affairs;
                            (ii) the Committee on the Judiciary;
                            (iii) the Committee on Health, Education, 
                        Labor and Pensions; and
                            (iv) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
                        the Senate.
            (2) Covered children.--The term ``covered children'' means 
        all persons who were under the age of 18 who were separated 
        from their parents or legal guardians at the United States-
        Mexico border between January 20, 2017, and January 20, 2021, 
        in connection with the implementation of the Zero-Tolerance 
        Policy.
            (3) Zero-tolerance policy.--The term ``Zero-Tolerance 
        Policy'' means--
                    (A) the policy specified in the Attorney General's 
                memorandum of April 6, 2018, entitled ``Zero-Tolerance 
                for Offenses Under 8 U.S.C. Sec.  1325(a)''; or
                    (B) any other related policy, program, practice, or 
                initiative.
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