HR 2671 · 108th Congress 2003–2005, ended

CLEAR Act of 2003

Introduced Jul 9, 2003 Originated House Sponsor Charles W. Norwood R-GA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Oct 1, 2003 Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJul 9, 2003
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003 or the CLEAR Act of 2003 - States that: (1) State and local law enforcement personnel are fully authorized to investigate, apprehend, or remove aliens in the United States (including interstate transportation of such aliens to detention centers) in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws; and (2) a State that does not have a statute permitting enforcement of Federal immigration laws within two years of enactment of this Act shall not receive certain Federal incarceration assistance.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act with respect to illegal aliens to: (1) establish criminal penalties and forfeiture for aliens unlawfully present in the United States; (2) increase specified criminal and civil penalties for illegal entry and failure to depart violations; and (3) provide for payment of funds from certain civil penalties to State and local law enforcement agencies for apprehension of such aliens.

Provides for the listing of immigration violators in the National Crime Information Center database.

Requires States and localities to provide the Department of Homeland Security with specified information about apprehended illegal aliens. Eliminates certain Federal incarceration assistance for noncompliance.

Directs the Attorney General to make grants to local police agencies for equipment and facilities related to housing and processing illegal aliens.

Amends the Act to provide for Federal custody and State or local compensation of State or locally apprehended illegal aliens.

Establishes a process for State and local claims against the Federal Government for failure to cooperate in enforcing immigration laws.

Directs the Secretary or the Attorney General to establish immigration-related training for State and local personnel.

Provides: (1) personal liability immunity for Federal, State, or local personnel enforcing immigration laws within the scope of their duties; and (2) civil rights money damage immunity for Federal, State, or local agencies enforcing immigration laws unless their personnel violated criminal law in such enforcement.

States that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security shall continue to operate the Institutional Removal Program, which shall be expanded to all States.

Cosponsors 125

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jul 9, 2003 to Nov 19, 2004; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-FLAllen BoydOriginalJul 9, 2003
R-PAMelissa A. HartOriginalJul 9, 2003
R-GANathan DealOriginalJul 9, 2003
R-FLDave WeldonJul 16, 2003
R-NEDoug BereuterJul 16, 2003
R-KYEd WhitfieldJul 16, 2003
R-CAElton GalleglyJul 16, 2003
R-MNGil GutknechtJul 16, 2003
R-FLGinny Brown-WaiteJul 16, 2003
R-VAJ. Randy ForbesJul 16, 2003
R-GAJack KingstonJul 16, 2003
R-VAJo Ann DavisJul 16, 2003
R-SCJoe WilsonJul 16, 2003
R-OHJohn A. BoehnerJul 16, 2003
R-TXJohn Abney CulbersonJul 16, 2003
R-TNJohn J. Duncan, Jr.Jul 16, 2003
R-ILJohn ShimkusJul 16, 2003
R-GAJohnny IsaksonJul 16, 2003
R-PAJoseph R. PittsJul 16, 2003
R-TXKevin BradyJul 16, 2003
R-TXLamar SmithJul 16, 2003
R-GAMac CollinsJul 16, 2003
R-COMarilyn N. MusgraveJul 16, 2003
R-WIMark GreenJul 16, 2003
R-TNMarsha BlackburnJul 16, 2003
R-GAMax BurnsJul 16, 2003
R-INMike PenceJul 16, 2003
R-MINick SmithJul 16, 2003
R-GAPhil GingreyJul 16, 2003
R-FLRic KellerJul 16, 2003
D-ALRobert E. (Bud) Cramer Jr.Jul 16, 2003
R-OHRobert W. NeyJul 16, 2003
R-MSRoger F. WickerJul 16, 2003
R-MDRoscoe G. BartlettJul 16, 2003
R-IASteve KingJul 16, 2003
R-NCSue Wilkins MyrickJul 16, 2003
R-MIThaddeus G. McCotterJul 16, 2003
R-VAVirgil H. Goode Jr.Jul 16, 2003
R-MOW. Todd AkinJul 16, 2003
R-CAWally HergerJul 16, 2003
R-NCWalter B. JonesJul 16, 2003
R-TNWilliam L. JenkinsJul 16, 2003
R-TNZach WampJul 16, 2003
R-IDC. L. (Butch) OtterJul 18, 2003
R-CADana RohrabacherJul 18, 2003
R-FLMichael BilirakisJul 18, 2003
R-ILPhilip M. CraneJul 18, 2003
R-NJScott GarrettJul 18, 2003
R-ALSpencer BachusJul 18, 2003
R-AZTrent FranksJul 18, 2003
D-OKBrad CarsonJul 22, 2003
R-INDan BurtonJul 22, 2003
R-LADavid VitterJul 22, 2003
R-SCJ. Gresham BarrettJul 22, 2003
D-TNJohn S. TannerJul 22, 2003
R-LARichard H. BakerJul 22, 2003
R-FLAnder CrenshawJul 23, 2003
R-OKErnest J. Istook Jr.Jul 23, 2003
R-GAJohn LinderJul 23, 2003
R-AZJohn B. ShadeggJul 24, 2003
R-SDWilliam J. JanklowJul 25, 2003
R-NCCass BallengerSep 3, 2003
R-CADuncan HunterSep 3, 2003
R-FLE. Clay Shaw Jr.Sep 3, 2003
R-TXJohn R. CarterSep 3, 2003
R-OKJohn SullivanSep 3, 2003
R-CAJohn T. DoolittleSep 3, 2003
R-IDMichael K. SimpsonSep 3, 2003
R-OHMichael R. TurnerSep 3, 2003
D-NCMike McIntyreSep 3, 2003
R-MOSam GravesSep 3, 2003
R-TXSam JohnsonSep 3, 2003
R-ALTerry EverettSep 3, 2003
R-COThomas G. TancredoSep 3, 2003
R-FLTom FeeneySep 3, 2003
R-CAChristopher CoxSep 4, 2003
R-CAGary G. MillerSep 4, 2003
R-ILRay LaHoodSep 4, 2003
R-CADarrell IssaSep 5, 2003
R-TXMac ThornberrySep 5, 2003
R-OKTom ColeSep 5, 2003
R-AZJ. D. HayworthSep 9, 2003
R-NVJim GibbonsSep 9, 2003
R-FLMark FoleySep 9, 2003
R-OHPaul E. GillmorSep 9, 2003
R-ALRobert B. AderholtSep 9, 2003
R-WIThomas E. PetriSep 9, 2003
R-LAJim McCrerySep 11, 2003
R-PATodd Russell PlattsSep 11, 2003
R-NETom OsborneSep 11, 2003
R-TXJoe BartonSep 22, 2003
R-NYJohn M. McHughSep 22, 2003
R-CAKen CalvertSep 22, 2003
R-INMark E. SouderSep 22, 2003
R-ILTimothy V. JohnsonSep 22, 2003
R-FLAdam H. PutnamSep 24, 2003
R-PAJim GerlachSep 24, 2003
R-KYRon LewisSep 24, 2003
R-MIPeter HoekstraSep 25, 2003
D-LAW. J. (Billy) TauzinSep 25, 2003
R-PAPatrick J. ToomeySep 30, 2003
R-NYSue W. KellySep 30, 2003
R-FLJeff MillerOct 7, 2003
D-ARMike RossOct 7, 2003
D-LAChristopher JohnOct 8, 2003
R-TXPete SessionsOct 8, 2003
R-MIDave CampOct 28, 2003
R-MIFred UptonOct 28, 2003
R-TXMichael C. BurgessOct 28, 2003
R-MTDenny RehbergNov 6, 2003
R-MORoy BluntNov 6, 2003
R-VABob GoodlatteNov 21, 2003
R-MOJo Ann EmersonFeb 3, 2004
R-PAJohn E. PetersonFeb 3, 2004
R-FLKatherine HarrisFeb 3, 2004
R-TXRalph M. HallMar 4, 2004
R-FLPorter J. GossMar 16, 2004
R-ALMike RogersMar 17, 2004
R-OKFrank D. LucasMar 23, 2004
R-CAEdward R. RoyceMar 30, 2004
R-MNJohn KlineApr 27, 2004
R-ILHenry J. HydeSep 7, 2004
R-NHJeb BradleySep 7, 2004
R-TXRandy NeugebauerSep 9, 2004
D-MNCollin C. PetersonNov 19, 2004

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Jul 9, 2003
Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
Referred Sep 4, 2003Hearings Oct 1, 2003

Actions 7

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Oct 1, 2003Subcommittee Hearings Held.
  2. Sep 23, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H8468-8469)
  3. Sep 4, 2003Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
  4. Jul 21, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H7201-7202)
  5. Jul 18, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H7162-7163)
Show all 7 actions

In the Congressional Record 5

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
HouseDebate and remarks H8997Charles W. Norwood R-GASep 30, 2003
HouseDebate and remarks H8468Charles W. Norwood R-GASep 23, 2003
HouseDebate and remarks H7201Charles W. Norwood R-GAJul 21, 2003
HouseDebate and remarks H7162Charles W. Norwood R-GAJul 18, 2003
HouseDebate and remarks H6586Charles W. Norwood R-GAJul 10, 2003

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 2

  1. Feb 25, 2004H.R. 2671, Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003<p>Cost estimate for the bill as introduced on July 9, 2003</p>
  2. Feb 25, 2004H.R. 2671, Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003Cost estimate for the bill as introduced on July 9, 2003

Printed hearings 1

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
—FUNDING FOR IMMIGRATION IN THE PRESIDENT'S 2005 BUDGET115 pagesJudiciary CommitteeFeb 25, 2004–Mar 11, 2004

Titles 3

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To provide for enhanced Federal, State, and local enforcement of the immigration laws of the United States.
Short Titles as Introduced
Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act of 2003
CLEAR Act of 2003

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jul 9, 2003Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.