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H.R. 419

U.S. HouseIn House Committee

Summary

H.R. 419, the Protecting America From Spies Act, was introduced in the House on Jan 15, 2025 by Rep. Ben Cline (R) with 9 co-sponsors. It was referred to Judiciary, and last saw action on Jan 15, 2025: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.


Record

Text

H.R. 419 has 9 co-sponsors.

hb419/introduced-in-house.txt
119 HR 419 IH: Protecting America From Spies Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2025-01-15
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 419 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 15, 2025 Mr. Cline (for himself, Mr. Bergman , Mr. Ogles , and Mr. Higgins of Louisiana ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL
To amend section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that efforts to engage in espionage or technology transfer are considered in visa issuance, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Protecting America From Spies Act .
2.
Expanding inadmissibility on security and related grounds
(a)
In general
Section 212(a)(3)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(A) ) is amended to read as follows:
(A)
In general
Any alien is inadmissible if a consular officer, an immigration officer, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Attorney General knows, or has reasonable ground to believe, that the alien—
(i)
engages, has engaged, or will engage in any activity—
(I)
in violation of any law of the United States relating to espionage or sabotage; or
(II)
that would violate any law of the United States relating to espionage or sabotage if the activity occurred in the United States;
(ii)
engages, has engaged, or will engage in any activity in violation or evasion of any law prohibiting the export from the United States of goods, technology, or sensitive information;
(iii)
seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in any other unlawful activity;
(iv)
seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force, violence, or other unlawful means; or
(v)
is the spouse or child of an alien who is inadmissible under this subparagraph, if the activity causing the alien to be found inadmissible occurred within the last 5 years.
.
(b)
Waiver authority
Section 212(d)(3)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(3)(A) ) is amended by striking (other than paragraphs (3)(A)(i)(I), (3)(A)(ii), (3)(A)(iii), (3)(C), and clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (3)(E) of such subsection) each place such phrase appears and inserting (other than subparagraphs (A)(i)(I), (A)(ii), (A)(iii), (A)(iv), (C), (E)(i), and (E)(ii) of paragraph (3) of such subsection) .

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-01-15
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Jan 15, 2025

hb419/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (01/15/2025)

Protecting America From Spies Act

This bill expands the grounds for barring non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) from entering the United States on the basis of espionage or sabotage.

Currently, an individual is inadmissible if the individual seeks to enter the United States to engage in an act that (1) violates a U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage; or (2) violates any U.S. law prohibiting the export of goods, technology, or sensitive information. Under the bill, an individual is inadmissible if the individual engages, has engaged, or will engage in such an act or in an act that would violate any U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage if it occurred in the United States.

Furthermore, the bill expands these grounds of inadmissibility and other security-related grounds to cover the spouse or child of the barred individual if the act occurred in the last five years.

Sponsors

Rep. Ben Cline (R) sponsors H.R. 419, and 9 members have co-sponsored it, 3 of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 419 went before 1 committee: Judiciary.

Judiciary
Judiciary
Referred To · Jan 15, 2025 · 2,181 Bills

Actions

H.R. 419 has taken 2 actions since Jan 15, 2025.

ChamberAction
Jan 15, 2025
House
Introduced in House
Jan 15, 2025
House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.Judiciary Committee

Votes

H.R. 419 has not gone to a roll call.

Titles

H.R. 419 goes by 3 titles, 1 of them short titles.

  • Protecting America From Spies Act — Display Title
  • To amend section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that efforts to engage in espionage or technology transfer are considered in visa issuance, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced
  • Protecting America From Spies Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 419 under Immigration, one of its 31 policy areas.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 419’s is Immigration.

hr419/policy-areas.txt
ImmigrationAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 419, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. CLINE:H.R. 419.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article I, Section 8, clause 4 and clause 18 of theConstitution.[Page H186]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com