JOLT Act of 2019
Latest action · May 15, 2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
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.
- IntroducedApr 9, 2019
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2019 or the JOLT Act of 2019
This bill establishes a nonimmigrant visa for qualified Canadian citizens and makes various amendments related to nonimmigrant visas.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may admit as a visitor a Canadian citizen who (1) is at least 50 years old, (2) maintains a residence in Canada, (3) owns a U.S. residence or has signed a rental agreement for the duration of the stay, (4) is not inadmissible or deportable under various provisions, (5) will not engage in U.S. employment, and (6) will not seek U.S. assistance or benefits. Such visitors may be admitted for up to 240 days out of any single 365-day period.
The Visa Waiver Program (program allowing citizens of participating countries to visit the United States without a visa) shall be renamed the Secure Travel Partnership Program. The bill amends various provisions relating to the program, such as the maximum nonimmigrant visa refusal rate a qualifying country may have. DHS may waive the refusal rate requirement if a country meets other requirements, such as entering into intelligence collection and information sharing arrangements with the United States.
The Department of State shall set a goal of interviewing nonimmigrant visa applicants worldwide within 15 days of receiving the application and periodically report to Congress on efforts to meet this goal. The State Department shall conduct a pilot program for using secure remote videoconferencing technology for conducting visa interviews for certain classes of nonimmigrant visa applications.
Cosponsors 11
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 9, 2019 to Dec 3, 2019; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-SC | Tom Rice | Original | Apr 9, 2019 |
| D-IL | Daniel Lipinski | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-OR | Earl Blumenauer | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Salud O. Carbajal | May 8, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Scott H. Peters | May 16, 2019 | |
| D-IL | Danny K. Davis | Jun 10, 2019 | |
| D-FL | Kathy Castor | Jun 10, 2019 | |
| R-TX | Dan Crenshaw | Jun 28, 2019 | |
| D-NV | Susie Lee | Jun 28, 2019 | |
| D-VA | Elaine G. Luria | Dec 3, 2019 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred Apr 9, 2019 |
| Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred May 15, 2019 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 15, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
- Apr 9, 2019Introduced in House
- Apr 9, 2019Referred 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
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 61, April 9, 2019, page H3219.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 116-49 | MEMBER DAY HEARING109 pages | Judiciary Committee | Sep 20, 2019 |
CRS reports 3
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 3
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL32221 | Visa Waiver Program | Report | Oct 15, 2024 |
| R46300 | Adding Countries to the Visa Waiver Program: National Security and Tourism Considerations | Report | Oct 8, 2024 |
| R46783 | Trusted Traveler Programs | Report | May 5, 2021 |
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2507 | Canadian Snowbirds Act | Related bill | Sep 18, 2019 |
| HR 3241 | Canadian Snowbird Visa Act | Related bill | Jun 28, 2019 |
| HR 4498 | Promoting Tourism to Enhance our Economy Act of 2019 | Related bill | Oct 28, 2019 |
| HR 6618 | JOLT Act of 2018 | Reintroduction of | Oct 1, 2018 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to stimulate international tourism to the United States, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- JOLT Act of 2019
- Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2019
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Administrative remedies
- Border security and unlawful immigration
- Canada
- Congressional oversight
- Department of Homeland Security
- Employee benefits and pensions
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government information and archives
- Immigration
- Immigration status and procedures
- Income tax deferral
- Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
- Judicial review and appeals
- Terrorism
- Travel and tourism
- Visas and passports
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 9, 2019Introduced in House
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.
