International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2003
Latest action · Jul 25, 2003 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9961-9963)
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.
- IntroducedJul 25, 2003
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2003 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPRs) from filing more than one application for a K fiance(e) visa in any one-year period.
Amends the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997 to prohibit international marriage brokers from releasing a foreign national client's personal contact information until the broker has informed the foreign national of the rights of domestic violence victims in the United States and received a signed consent to the release. Requires brokers to obtain specified background information from citizen or LPR clients and to forward such information to foreign nationals. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations of this Act. Authorizes States to bring civil actions for such violations in the U.S. district courts.
Requires petitioners for fiance(e) visas to undergo criminal history background checks.
Modifies consular processing procedures for fiance(e) visa applications to require specified disclosures to alien applicants.
Amends the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 to require an evaluation of the role of international marriage brokers in facilitating trafficking.
Requires a citizen or LPR client to provide to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, as part of a fiance(e) visa petition, the information that such clients are required to submit to brokers under this Act.
Prohibits a fiance(e) visa holder's awareness of the criminal background of a citizen or LPR client from being used as evidence that the marriage was not entered into in good faith.
Cosponsors
Members who signed on, in the order they did.
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Jul 25, 2003 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 25, 2003Introduced in Senate
- Jul 25, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9960-9961)
- Jul 25, 2003Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S9961-9963)
In the Congressional Record 1
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.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9960Text printed S9961–S9963 | Maria Cantwell D-WA | Jul 25, 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.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 108-695 | HUMAN TRAFFICKING: MAIL ORDER BRIDE ABUSES51 pages | Foreign Relations Committee | Jul 13, 2004 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to regulate international marriage broker activity in the United States, to provide for certain protections for individuals who utilize services of international marriage brokers, and for other services.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2003
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Administrative remedies
- Aliens
- Assault
- Child abuse
- Citizenship
- Civil actions and liability
- Commerce
- Congress
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Consumer education
- Consumer protection
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Criminal justice information
- Criminal statistics
- Damages
- Department of Homeland Security
- Divorce
- Electronic mail systems
- Evidence (Law)
- Ex-offenders
- Families
- Family violence
- Fines (Penalties)
- Fraud
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Government publicity
- Governmental investigations
- Homicide
- Housing and Community Development
- Identification devices
- Identification of criminals
- Immigration
- Injunctions
- International Affairs
- Kidnapping
- Law
- Legal services
- Marriage
- Names
- Rape
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Sentences (Criminal procedure)
- Telephone
- Victims of crimes
- Visas
- Women
- Women's shelters
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 25, 2003Introduced in Senate
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.