Rep. Juan Vargas

This resolution recognizes Immigrant Heritage Month in honor of the contributions immigrants and their children have made to the United States. It also welcomes immigrants presently in the United States and individuals seeking to immigrate to the United States to contribute to the health, safety, diversity, and prosperity of the United States.

This resolution recognizes the sacrifices and bravery of the Afghan people in their struggle for democracy while enduring decades-long conflict and oppression by the Taliban. It also condemns the Taliban's continued human rights violations.

Maddy summaryHRES 490 is a symbolic House resolution (not a law) passed on June 22, 2021, that reaffirms the U.S. commitment to supporting refugees and displaced persons globally. It highlights the scale of the global displacement crisis (over 82 million forcibly displaced people in 2020) and emphasizes the importance of the U.S. refugee resettlement program as a tool for security, diplomacy, and humanitarian aid. The resolution calls on the Secretary of State to continue robust funding, uphold U.S. leadership in refugee protection, support host countries, and meet refugee admissions goals. It directly affects U.S. foreign policy implementation and international humanitarian efforts, though it does not create new legal requirements or allocate funds.

This resolution addresses issues involving LGBTQI+ identifying people. Specifically, the resolution calls on the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and other federal agencies to include the promotion of equal rights for LGBTQI+ identifying people in their work; condemns discrimination, persecution, and violence against LGBTQI+ identifying people; calls on governments across Europe and Eurasia to foster safe and equitable environments for all people; and urges the U.S. government to increase funding for LGBTQI+ human rights organizations in Europe and Eurasia.

Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act of 2022 This bill increases by .5% the excise tax on firearms, including pistols, revolvers, and shells and cartridges. The bill establishes the Gun Violence Prevention Trust Fund into which the increased tax revenues are deposited to fund gun violence prevention programs. The Trust Fund creates separate accounts for violence prevention, gun violence research, hate crimes data collection and enforcement, and firearm forensics. The bill also requires an inflation adjustment to the amount of the special tax on importers, manufacturers, and dealers in firearms and the transfer tax on firearms.

Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act of 2022 This bill prohibits the detention or removal of certain nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia, or Laos. Specifically, this protection from detention or removal shall apply to nationals of these countries who (1) entered the United States on or before January 1, 2008, (2) have continuously resided in the United States since entry, and (3) are subject to a final order of removal. Such individuals shall also receive employment authorization. The Department of Homeland Security must notify each individual covered by this bill, as well as information and instructions on how to file a motion to reopen removal proceedings.

Afghan Adjustment Act This bill expands eligibility for special immigrant visas to certain Afghan nationals (and accompanying spouse and children) and addresses related issues. The Department of Homeland Security may provide such visas to Afghan nationals who provided qualifying service as a member of the Afghan Air Force or other specified entities and meet eligibility requirements, such as passing a background check. Currently, special immigrant visas for Afghan nationals are generally only available to those who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan. Such visas shall also be available to an Afghan national who is a qualifying relative of a veteran or member of the U.S. Armed Forces. The bill also modifies procedures for providing lawful permanent resident status to certain classes of Afghan nationals, such as by (1) providing a streamlined process with specified vetting requirements for certain individuals, including those who provided support to the U.S. government in Afghanistan; and (2) preserving the eligibility of certain battered spouses whose eligibility for such status stemmed from a marriage that has terminated. Furthermore, the Department of State (1) must respond to inquiries from Members of Congress about specific applications from Afghan nationals seeking special immigrant or refugee status; and (2) establish an office in Afghanistan to perform certain tasks, such as issuing visas, if no U.S. embassies are operational in Afghanistan. The President must establish a task force to develop and implement a strategy to assist Afghan nationals who qualify for admission to the United States.

Deter PRC Support to the Russian War Effort Act The bill authorizes the President to impose sanctions on persons associated with China for financial, material, or technological support contributing materially to Russia's military action in Ukraine.  The sanctions include, for example, blocking transactions in U.S. property and prohibiting U.S. entry visas.

Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2022 This bill imposes requirements related to the treatment of noncitizen children detained in immigration custody. For example, the bill (1) prohibits an accompanied noncitizen child from being separated from a parent or legal guardian while in immigration custody, except in certain situations; (2) requires each child in immigration custody to receive a legal orientation presentation and have access to legal counsel and child advocates; and (3) requires each unaccompanied noncitizen child in Department of Health and Human Services custody to be placed in the least restrictive setting that most approximates a family and in which any special needs may be met.

Youth Voting Rights Act This bill expands voting access for youth. Specifically, the bill establishes a private right of action to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, which prohibits denying or abridging the right to vote based on age. Additionally, the bill directs each state to designate as voter registration agencies all offices within public institutions of higher education (IHEs) that provide assistance to students, implement a preregistration process to allow minors who are 16 years or older to register to vote in federal elections that take place when or after the preregistered individual turns age 18, and ensure the availability of polling places on campuses of IHEs (with the availability of waivers). The bill prohibits durational residency requirements for voting in all federal elections. Currently, this prohibition applies only to voting for the offices of President and Vice President. States and local jurisdictions with voter identification requirements must treat IHE-issued student identification cards as voter identification. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must make grants to states to increase the involvement of individuals under age 18 in public election activities. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on trends related to voter registration, absentee voting, and provisional voting. The EAC must also collect and make publicly available certain data from states.