Keep Families Together Act
Latest action · Jan 31, 2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S802-803)
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.
- IntroducedJan 31, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Keep Families Together Act
This bill limits the separation of families at or near U.S. borders or ports of entry.
The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Justice, and Health and Human Services shall not separate a child from a parent or legal guardian at a port of entry or within 100 miles of a U.S. border unless
- a state court terminates the parent or legal guardian's rights;
- a state child welfare agency or court determines it is in the child's best interests to be removed; or
- the child is determined to be a trafficking victim or at risk of becoming one, the accompanying adult is most likely not the parent or legal guardian, or the child is in danger of abuse or neglect.
An agency may not separate a child from a parent or legal guardian solely to deter migration into the United States or to promote compliance with immigration laws.
DHS shall develop (1) training related to the bill's family separation requirements, and (2) guidance for how parents and legal guardians may locate a separated child. DHS shall provide parents and legal guardians periodic status updates about a separated child.
The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the criminal prosecution of asylum seekers.
Cosponsors 41
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jan 31, 2019.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| I-ME | Angus S. King Jr. | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-MD | Benjamin L. Cardin | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-CT | Christopher Murphy | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-MI | Debbie Stabenow | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-AL | Doug Jones | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
| D-MI | Gary C. Peters | Original | Jan 31, 2019 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 31, 2019Introduced in Senate
- Jan 31, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S802-803)
Related bills 5
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 541 | Keep Families Together Act | Related bill | Feb 25, 2019 |
| S 1733 | Protecting Families and Improving Immigration Procedures Act | Related bill | Jun 5, 2019 |
| S 2113 | Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act | Related bill | Jul 15, 2019 |
| HR 3918 | Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act | Related bill | Aug 6, 2019 |
| HR 9040 | Protect Asylum Seekers Act | Related bill | Dec 21, 2020 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Border security and unlawful immigration
- Child care and development
- Child health
- Child safety and welfare
- Congressional oversight
- Crime victims
- Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
- Criminal justice information and records
- Department of Homeland Security
- Detention of persons
- Domestic violence and child abuse
- Family relationships
- Foreign language and bilingual programs
- Government information and archives
- Government studies and investigations
- Human trafficking
- Immigration
- Immigration status and procedures
- Law enforcement officers
- Public contracts and procurement
- Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
- Separation, divorce, custody, support
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 31, 2019Introduced 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.