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--H.R.2961--
H.R.2961
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
the twenty-fourth day of January, two thousand
An Act
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize a 3-year
pilot program under which the Attorney General may extend the period for
voluntary departure in the case of certain nonimmigrant aliens who require
medical treatment in the United States and were admitted under the visa waiver
pilot program, 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 `International Patient Act of 2000'.
SEC. 2. THREE-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM TO EXTEND VOLUNTARY DEPARTURE PERIOD FOR
CERTAIN NONIMMIGRANT ALIENS REQUIRING MEDICAL TREATMENT WHO WERE ADMITTED UNDER
VISA WAIVER PILOT PROGRAM.
Section 240B(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1229c(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
`(A) IN GENERAL- Subject to subparagraph (B), permission to depart
voluntarily under this subsection shall not be valid for a period exceeding 120
days.
`(B) Three-YEAR PILOT PROGRAM WAIVER- During the period October 1, 2000,
through September 30, 2003, and subject to subparagraphs (C) and (D)(ii), the
Attorney General may, in the discretion of the Attorney General for humanitarian
purposes, waive application of subparagraph (A) in the case of an
alien--
`(i) who was admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant visitor
(described in section 101(a)(15)(B)) under the provisions of the visa waiver
pilot program established pursuant to section 217, seeks the waiver for the
purpose of continuing to receive medical treatment in the United States from a
physician associated with a health care facility, and submits to the Attorney
General--
`(I) a detailed diagnosis statement from the physician, which includes the
treatment being sought and the expected time period the alien will be required
to remain in the United States;
`(II) a statement from the health care facility containing an assurance that
the alien's treatment is not being paid through any Federal or State public
health assistance, that the alien's account has no outstanding balance, and that
such facility will notify the Service when the alien is released or treatment is
terminated; and
`(III) evidence of financial ability to support the alien's day-to-day
expenses while in the United States (including the expenses of any family member
described in clause (ii)) and evidence that any such alien or family member is
not receiving any form of public assistance; or
`(I) is a spouse, parent, brother, sister, son, daughter, or other family
member of a principal alien described in clause (i);
and
`(II) entered the United States accompanying, and with the same status as,
such principal alien.
`(i) Waivers under subparagraph (B) may be granted only upon a request
submitted by a Service district office to Service
headquarters.
`(ii) Not more than 300 waivers may be granted for any fiscal year for a
principal alien under subparagraph (B)(i).
`(iii)(I) Except as provided in subclause (II), in the case of each
principal alien described in subparagraph (B)(i) not more than one adult may be
granted a waiver under subparagraph (B)(ii).
`(II) Not more than two adults may be granted a waiver under subparagraph
(B)(ii) in a case in which--
`(aa) the principal alien described in subparagraph (B)(i) is a dependent
under the age of 18; or
`(bb) one such adult is age 55 or older or is physically
handicapped.
`(D) REPORT TO CONGRESS; SUSPENSION OF WAIVER AUTHORITY-
`(i) Not later than March 30 of each year, the Commissioner shall submit to
the Congress an annual report regarding all waivers granted under subparagraph
(B) during the preceding fiscal year.
`(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authority of the
Attorney General under subparagraph (B) shall be suspended during any period in
which an annual report under clause (i) is past due and has not been
submitted.'.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.
END
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