HR 3999 · 114th Congress 2015–2017, ended

American SAFE Act of 2015

Introduced Nov 16, 2015 Originated House Sponsor Richard Hudson R-NC

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Dec 4, 2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

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. IntroducedNov 16, 2015
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 or the American SAFE Act of 2015

This bill prohibits a covered refugee from being admitted to the United States until the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) certifies to Congress that such individual is not a security threat to the United States. The Inspector General of DHS shall review 20% of all such certifications each fiscal year.

The term "covered refugee" is defined as any alien applying for refugee status who is: (1) a national or resident of Iraq or Syria, or (2) present in Iraq or Syria at any time while the application for refugee status is pending.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take actions to ensure that each covered refugee receives a thorough background investigation prior to admission. A covered refugee may not be admitted until the FBI certifies that such covered refugee has received such an investigation.

Cosponsors 53

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Nov 16, 2015 to Nov 18, 2015; 35 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-GABarry LoudermilkOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-TXBill FloresOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-MOBilly LongOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-MOBlaine LuetkemeyerOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-TXBlake FarentholdOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-OHBob GibbsOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-TNCharles J. "Chuck" FleischmannOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-MIDan BenishekOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-OHDavid P. JoyceOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-NCDavid RouzerOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-CADoug LaMalfaOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-NCGeorge HoldingOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-WIGlenn GrothmanOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-FLGus M. BilirakisOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-MOJason SmithOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-TXJohn Abney CulbersonOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-TXK. Michael ConawayOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-NDKevin CramerOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-NYLee M. ZeldinOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-PALou BarlettaOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-GALynn A. WestmorelandOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-OKMarkwayne MullinOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-TXMichael C. BurgessOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-TXMichael T. McCaulOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-KSMike PompeoOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-ILPeter J. RoskamOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-NCRenee L. EllmersOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-IARod BlumOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-TXRoger WilliamsOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-MTRyan K. ZinkeOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-MSSteven M. PalazzoOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-FLTed S. YohoOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-MNTom EmmerOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-SCTrey GowdyOriginalNov 16, 2015
R-NCWalter B. JonesOriginalNov 16, 2015
D-NEBrad AshfordNov 18, 2015
R-LACharles W. Boustany, Jr.Nov 18, 2015
R-NYChris CollinsNov 18, 2015
R-NYChristopher P. GibsonNov 18, 2015
R-WADan NewhouseNov 18, 2015
R-AZDavid SchweikertNov 18, 2015
R-TNDiane BlackNov 18, 2015
R-WVEvan H. JenkinsNov 18, 2015
R-INJackie WalorskiNov 18, 2015
R-TXJeb HensarlingNov 18, 2015
R-FLJeff MillerNov 18, 2015
R-FLJohn L. MicaNov 18, 2015
R-TXJohn RatcliffeNov 18, 2015
R-INLarry BucshonNov 18, 2015
R-NCMark MeadowsNov 18, 2015
R-SCMark SanfordNov 18, 2015
R-NCMark WalkerNov 18, 2015
R-CAStephen KnightNov 18, 2015

Committees 1

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

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Nov 16, 2015
Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
Referred Dec 4, 2015

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Dec 4, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
  2. Nov 16, 2015Introduced in House
  3. Nov 16, 2015Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

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.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: The Foreign Commerce Clause (art. I, sec. 8, cl. 3); The Naturalization Clause (art. I, sec. 8, cl. 4); Necessary and Proper Clause (art. I, sec. 8, cl. 18).

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 168, November 16, 2015, pages H8241, H8240.

Related bills 4

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 2300American SAFE Act of 2015Related billNov 18, 2015
HR 4038American SAFE Act of 2015Related billJan 20, 2016
HR 4078Give States a Chance Act of 2015Related billDec 4, 2015
HR 6071Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2017, and for other purposes.Related billSep 20, 2016

Titles 3

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

Official Title as Introduced
To require that the Secretary of Homeland Security certify that refugees admitted to the United States from Iraq or Syria are not security threats to the United States prior to admission.
Short Titles as Introduced
American SAFE Act of 2015
American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015

Subjects

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

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Nov 16, 2015Introduced 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.