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H.R. 666 · 118th Congress

Access to Counsel Act

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IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 118th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

PJD JayapalSponsor
62 cosponsors · 62 D
JAD Auchincloss EBD Blumenauer SBD Bonamici NBD Barragán YCD Clarke ACD Carson JCD Chu DCD Cicilline SCD Casten JCD Crockett DDD Davis AED Espaillat RGD Grijalva RGD Gallego CGD García SGD Garcia SJD Jackson Lee HJD Johnson SJD Jacobs DKD Kilmer RKD Khanna RKD Krishnamoorthi TLD Leger Fernandez ZLD Lofgren BLD Lee JMD McGovern GMD Moore JND Nadler END Norton GND Napolitano MQD Quigley JRD Raskin ASD Smith JSD Schakowsky ASD Schiff ESD Swalwell MSD Scanlon NTD Torres RTD Tlaib JVD Vargas DWD Wasserman Schultz BWD Watson Coleman GCD Casar MDD DeSaulnier SCD Cherfilus-McCormick DDD DeGette GMD Meng NWD Williams MSD Stansbury KPD Porter DGD Goldman DTD Trone DPD Payne LFD Frankel TLD Lieu DED Evans SLD Lee JCD Correa JTD Tokuda JBD Bowman APD Pressley DRD Ramirez

42 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

This bill provides various protections for covered individuals subject to secondary or deferred inspections when seeking admission into the United States. Covered individuals include U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) in possession of a visa, returning asylees, and refugees.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Jan 31, 2023

Access to Counsel Act

This bill provides various protections for covered individuals subject to secondary or deferred inspections when seeking admission into the United States. Covered individuals include U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) in possession of a visa, returning asylees, and refugees.

The Department of Homeland Security must ensure that a covered individual subject to secondary or deferred inspection has a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel and certain related parties, such as a relative, within an hour of the start of the secondary inspection and as necessary during the inspection process. The counsel and related party must be allowed to advocate on behalf of the covered individual, including by providing evidence and information to the examining immigration officer.

A lawful permanent resident subject to secondary or deferred inspection may not abandon lawful permanent resident status until the individual has had a meaningful opportunity to seek advice from counsel, unless the individual voluntarily and knowingly waives in writing this opportunity to seek counsel's advice.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Access to Counsel Act

Latest action (Jan 31, 2023): Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Policy area: Immigration · Origin: House · Introduced: Jan 31, 2023

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.