POWER Act
Latest action · Dec 19, 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.
- IntroducedNov 21, 2019
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act or the POWER Act
This bill expands protections for aliens who are victims of crimes or serious workplace violations.
U visas (nonimmigrant visas for victims of crimes helping with the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity) shall be available to aliens who have suffered substantial harm related to workplace claims.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may allow an alien to work and temporarily remain in the United States if the alien (1) has filed for a U visa, or (2) has filed or is a material witness to a workplace claim and is helpful to authorities investigating the claim.
The bill removes (1) certain fees to petition for a U visa, and (2) direct numerical limitations on such visas.
A notice to an alien to appear at removal proceedings shall contain specified certifications, if the alien was taken (1) at a facility where a workplace claim has been filed, or (2) as a result of information provided to DHS in retaliation against individuals exercising their legal rights. Specifically, the notice shall state that (1) an adverse immigration determination may not be based solely on information furnished by the party engaged in the unlawful activity, and (2) the alien's information shall not be disclosed. Such an alien may not be removed until the appropriate law enforcement agency has had a chance to interview the alien.
Removal proceedings against an alien who has filed or is a witness to a workplace claim shall be stayed until the resolution of the claim, with limited exceptions.
Cosponsors 13
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Nov 21, 2019 to Dec 6, 2019; 9 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MD | David J. Trone | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-CA | Grace F. Napolitano | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-MD | Jamie Raskin | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-CA | Lucille Roybal-Allard | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-CA | Nanette Diaz Barragán | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-WA | Pramila Jayapal | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-VA | Robert C. "Bobby" Scott | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-TX | Sylvia R. Garcia | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-MA | James P. McGovern | Nov 26, 2019 | |
| D-IL | Jesús G. "Chuy" García | Nov 26, 2019 | |
| D-AZ | Raúl M. Grijalva | Nov 26, 2019 | |
| D-OH | Marcy Kaptur | Dec 6, 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 Nov 21, 2019 |
| Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred Dec 19, 2019 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 19, 2019Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
- Nov 21, 2019Introduced in House
- Nov 21, 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. 187, November 21, 2019, page H9170.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2929 | POWER Act | Related bill | Nov 21, 2019 |
| HR 8954 | Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2020 | Related bill | Dec 14, 2020 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To protect victims of crime or serious labor violations from removal during Department of Homeland Security enforcement actions, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- POWER Act
- Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Administrative remedies
- Crime victims
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Detention of persons
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Evidence and witnesses
- Foreign labor
- Immigration
- Immigration status and procedures
- State and local government operations
- User charges and fees
- Visas and passports
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Nov 21, 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.
