[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8073 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8073
To provide for a limitation on obligation and expenditure of funds for
bilateral economic assistance to the Republic of El Salvador, the
Republic of Guatemala, and the Republic of Honduras.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 18, 2024
Ms. Mace (for herself, Mr. Rosendale, and Mr. Gooden of Texas)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, 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 jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for a limitation on obligation and expenditure of funds for
bilateral economic assistance to the Republic of El Salvador, the
Republic of Guatemala, and the Republic of Honduras.
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 ``Northern Triangle Asylum Cooperative
Agreement Reimplementation Act''.
SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON OBLIGATION AND EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS.
(a) In General.--Beginning on the date that is 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act--
(1) none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or
otherwise made available for bilateral economic assistance
under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2151 et seq.) may be obligated or expended for the provision of
assistance to the Republic of El Salvador until the Secretary
of State submits to Congress a certification described in
subsection (b)(1);
(2) none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or
otherwise made available for bilateral economic assistance
under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2151 et seq.) may be obligated or expended for the provision of
assistance to the Republic of Guatemala until the Secretary of
State submits to Congress a certification described in
subsection (b)(2); and
(3) none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or
otherwise made available for bilateral economic assistance
under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2151 et seq.) may be obligated or expended for the provision of
assistance to the Republic of Honduras until the Secretary of
State submits to Congress a certification described in
subsection (b)(3).
(b) Certification.--A certification referred to in subsection (a)
is a certification that--
(1) for the purposes of subsection (a)(1), there is entered
into force an agreement between the Government of the United
States of America and the Government of the Republic of El
Salvador that contains terms and conditions that are
substantially similar to the terms and conditions contained in
the Agreement Between the United States of America and the
Government of the Republic of El Salvador for Cooperation in
the Examination of Protection Claims, signed on September 30,
2019, and terminated on August 4, 2021;
(2) for the purposes of subsection (a)(2), there is entered
into force an agreement between the Government of the United
States of America and the Government of the Republic of
Guatemala that contains terms and conditions that are
substantially similar to the terms and conditions contained in
the Agreement Between the United States of America and the
Government of the Republic of Guatemala on Cooperation
Regarding the Examination of Protection Claims, signed on July
26, 2019, and terminated on May 4, 2021; and
(3) for the purposes of subsection (a)(3), there is entered
into force an agreement between the Government of the United
States of America and the Government of the Republic of
Honduras that contains terms and conditions that are
substantially similar to the terms and conditions contained in
the Agreement Between the United States of America and the
Government of the Republic of Honduras on Cooperation in the
Examination of Protection Claims, signed on September 25, 2019,
and terminated on August 5, 2021.
(c) Recertifications.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date on
which the Secretary of State submits to Congress an initial
certification under subsection (a), and every 180 days
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
recertification that the conditions described in subsection (b)
are continuing to be met.
(2) Further limitation.--If the Secretary of State is
unable to make a recertification described in paragraph (1), or
fails to make such a recertification, the limitations on the
obligations and expenditures of funds described in of
subsection (a) shall apply.
(d) Implementation.--Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the
agreements that are the subject of a certification under subsection (b)
shall be implemented in accordance with the interim final rule entitled
``Implementing Bilateral and Multilateral Asylum Cooperative Agreements
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act'' (84 FR 63994). Such interim
final rule shall thereafter have the force and effect of law, and may
not be repealed or amended.
(e) Limitation.--For purposes of the implementation of any
agreement that is the subject of a certification under subsection (b)--
(1) the Secretary of Homeland Security may not find that it
is in the public interest for an alien subject to the agreement
to receive asylum in the United States; and
(2) the Secretary may not otherwise permit an alien to
remain in the United States on the basis that the alien's life
or freedom would be threatened in the Republic of El Salvador,
the Republic of Guatemala, or the Republic of Honduras because
of--
(A) climate, environmental conditions, or weather-
related natural disasters; or
(B) violence from a criminal street gang.
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