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HR 3824 IH

To provide assistance to Iraqi nationals who supported the United States, and for other purposes.

October 12, 2007

Mr. ISRAEL (for himself, Mr. WOLF, and Mr. HASTINGS of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

To provide assistance to Iraqi nationals who supported the United States, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Relocation Empowerment and Placement Assistance for Iraqi Refugees Act of 2007' or the `REPAIR Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The United States has relied on Iraqi nationals who have risked their lives and worked diligently side by side with United States and coalition forces.

(2) The United States is grateful to these individuals for the risks they took in assisting the United States and coalition forces.

(3) Many of these Iraqi nationals desire to come to the United States to seek protection from threats they face at home because of the work they did for the United States.

(4) Special immigrant status is available in limited numbers to Iraqi nationals who have worked directly for the United States Armed Forces as translators.

(5) Special immigrant status allows translators and their immediate families to gain admission to the United States, apply for permanent residency, and eventually acquire United States citizenship.

(6) Special immigrant status is not available, however, to those individuals who otherwise assisted United States efforts but who were not translators, including cooks, drivers, guides, security personnel, and mechanics.

(7) Currently, an individual who applies for special immigrant status for service as a translator is required to file form I-360 with the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for adjudication at a United States diplomatic or consular post outside of Iraq. The filing fee for the I-360 form is $375.

(8) Iraqis are being forced to leave Iraq and travel through potentially hostile territory to obtain special immigrant status and visas.

(9) To apply for special immigrant status, an applicant must provide a copy of the applicant's passport or birth certificate showing the applicant is a national of Iraq, provide proof from the United States Armed Forces or United States Chief of Mission in Iraq that the applicant worked as a translator for the Armed Forces at least 12 months, pass a background check and screening by the Armed Forces or the Chief of Mission, provide a letter of recommendation from the Chief of Mission, a general, or a flag officer, and provide a copy of the front and back of the applicant's Arrival Departure Record (Form I-94) if the applicant applies in the United States for such status.

SEC. 3. STATEMENTS OF POLICY.

The following shall be the policies of the United States:

(1) To waive any filing or administrative fees in connection with applications for special immigrant status for those brave and committed Iraqi nationals who have risked their lives to assist the United States Armed Forces as translators.

(2) To allow Iraqis to apply for special immigrant status and visas in Iraq at the United States Embassy in Baghdad and at the United States Consulate in Irbil.

(3) To allow Iraqis working in any capacity with the Armed Forces to apply for special immigrant status and visas for admission to the United States in the same manner that Iraqi translators currently can.

(4) To broaden domestic relocation assistance to Iraqis to include housing credits, cultural counseling, meetings with social workers, and advice on how to work with schools and employment systems.

SEC. 4. PROVISIONS RELATING TO SPECIAL IMMIGRANT STATUS FOR IRAQI ALLIES OF THE UNITED STATES.

(a) Waiver of Fees; Provision of Documentation- Notwithstanding any other provision of law or any regulation, an alien described in subsection (b) of section 1059 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (Public Law 109-163; 8 U.S.C. 1101 note), as amended by this section, shall not be charged any filing, administrative, or application fee in connection with an application for, or issuance of, special immigrant status and visa under such section. The Secretary of State shall ensure that aliens described in such subsection who are provided special immigrant status are provided with the appropriate documentation to enter the United States.

(b) Other Service Acceptable- Section 1059(b)(1)(B) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 is amended--

(1) by inserting `or with a United States contractor,' before `as a translator'; and

(2) by inserting after `interpreter' the following: `or in any other capacity'.

(c) Additional Military Officers Entitled To Recommend Nationals of Iraq or Afghanistan for Special Immigrant Status- Section 1059(b)(1)(C) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 is amended by striking `a general or flag officer' and inserting `an officer serving in or having the grade of O-6 or higher'.

(d) Processing for Certain Iraqis- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of State shall make every effort to ensure that aliens applying for special immigrant status and visas, and aliens applying for refugee status and visas, may apply and interview for admission to the United States as special immigrants or as refugees, as the case may be, within Iraq in Baghdad and in Irbil through in-country processing mechanisms, including mailing applications to off-site locations.

(e) Waiver of Numerical Limitations- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including subsection (c) of section 1059 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, aliens provided special immigrant status and visas under such section shall not be counted against any numerical limitation under sections 201(d), 202(a), or 203(b)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(d), 1152(a), and 1153(b)(4)).

SEC. 5. PROGRAM AT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

(a) In General- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State shall jointly establish and operate a program to offer employment to relocated Iraqi special immigrants as translators, interpreters, and cultural awareness instructors within the agencies of Federal Government.

(b) Funding- The program established under subsection (a) shall be funded from the annual general operating budget of the Department of Defense.

(c) Rule of Construction Regarding Access to Classified Information- Nothing in this section may be construed as affecting in any manner practices and procedures regarding the handling of or access to classified information.

(d) Information Sharing- The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State shall work with nongovernmental organizations to ensure that Iraqi special immigrants are informed of the program established under subsection (a).

(e) Report-

(1) IN GENERAL- Not later than one year after the date determined under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the status of the program established under such subsection and the number of full-time employees of the Federal Government created under such program.

(2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED- In this subsection, the term `appropriate congressional committees' means the following:

(A) In the House of Representatives:

(i) The Committee on Foreign Affairs.

(ii) The Committee on Homeland Security.

(iii) The Committee on the Judiciary.

(iv) The Committee on Appropriations.

(B) In the Senate:

(i) The Committee on Foreign Relations.

(ii) The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

(iii) The Committee on the Judiciary.

(iv) The Committee on Appropriations.

SEC. 6. SERVICES UPON ARRIVAL.

(a) In General- Aliens provided special immigrant status and visas pursuant to section 4 shall be eligible for the same resettlement assistance, programs, and benefits as refugees admitted under section 207 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (8 U.S.C. 1157). The Secretary of of Health and Human Services, in cooperation with the Secretary of State, shall work with nongovernmental organizations to provide such assistance, programs, and benefits and ensure that such aliens are referred to refugee resettlement agencies.

(b) Computer Literacy and Vocational Training- The Secretary of State shall utilize existing programs of the Department of State and contracts between the Department and nongovernmental organizations to make available computer literacy programs and vocational training programs to aliens provided special immigrant status pursuant to section 4.

(c) Rule of Construction- Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the cooperation of nongovernmental organizations.

SEC. 7. TRAINING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish a program in the Department of State to provide instruction in English as a second language, vocational training, computer training, employment services, and certain counseling services for Iraqis admitted to the United States as special immigrants.

SEC. 8. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that the United States should provide an orientation into life in the United States for Iraqi special immigrants under this Act who are newly admitted to the United States and should make all reasonable efforts to provide temporary safe haven for aliens described in section 4 who are applying for special immigrant status and visas if such aliens are in imminent danger in Iraq.