| 1 | 1 | | II |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION S. 709 |
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| 5 | 5 | | To provide incentives to physicians to practice in rural and medically |
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| 6 | 6 | | underserved communities, and for other purposes. |
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| 7 | 7 | | IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES |
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| 8 | 8 | | FEBRUARY25, 2025 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Ms. K |
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| 10 | 10 | | LOBUCHAR(for herself, Ms. COLLINS, Ms. ROSEN, and Mr. TILLIS) in- |
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| 11 | 11 | | troduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com- |
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| 12 | 12 | | mittee on the Judiciary |
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| 13 | 13 | | A BILL |
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| 14 | 14 | | To provide incentives to physicians to practice in rural and |
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| 15 | 15 | | medically underserved communities, and for other purposes. |
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| 16 | 16 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 17 | 17 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 19 | 19 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Conrad State 30 and 4 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Physician Access Reauthorization Act’’. 5 |
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| 21 | 21 | | SEC. 2. CONRAD STATE 30 PROGRAM. 6 |
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| 22 | 22 | | (a) E |
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| 23 | 23 | | XTENSION.—Section 220(c) of the Immigration 7 |
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| 24 | 24 | | and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (Public 8 |
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| 25 | 25 | | Law 103–416; 8 U.S.C. 1182 note) is amended by striking 9 |
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| 26 | 26 | | ‘‘September 30, 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘on the date that 10 |
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| 29 | 29 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 30 | 30 | | is 3 years after the date of the enactment of the Conrad 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act’’. 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) E |
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| 33 | 33 | | FFECTIVEDATE.—The amendment made by 3 |
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| 34 | 34 | | subsection (a) shall take effect as if enacted on September 4 |
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| 35 | 35 | | 30, 2018. 5 |
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| 36 | 36 | | SEC. 3. RETAINING PHYSICIANS WHO HAVE PRACTICED IN 6 |
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| 37 | 37 | | MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. 7 |
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| 38 | 38 | | Section 201(b)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality 8 |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(1)) is amended by adding at the 9 |
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| 40 | 40 | | end the following: 10 |
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| 41 | 41 | | ‘‘(F)(i) Alien physicians who have completed 11 |
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| 42 | 42 | | service requirements of a waiver requested under 12 |
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| 43 | 43 | | section 203(b)(2)(B)(ii), including— 13 |
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| 44 | 44 | | ‘‘(I) alien physicians who completed such 14 |
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| 45 | 45 | | service before the date of the enactment of the 15 |
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| 46 | 46 | | Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Act; and 16 |
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| 47 | 47 | | ‘‘(II) the spouse or children of an alien 17 |
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| 48 | 48 | | physician described in subclause (I). 18 |
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| 49 | 49 | | ‘‘(ii) Nothing in this subparagraph may be con-19 |
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| 50 | 50 | | strued— 20 |
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| 51 | 51 | | ‘‘(I) to prevent the filing of a petition with 21 |
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| 52 | 52 | | the Secretary of Homeland Security for classi-22 |
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| 53 | 53 | | fication under section 204(a) or the filing of an 23 |
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| 54 | 54 | | application for adjustment of status under sec-24 |
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| 55 | 55 | | tion 245 by an alien physician described in this 25 |
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| 58 | 58 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 59 | 59 | | subparagraph before the date by which such 1 |
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| 60 | 60 | | alien physician has completed the service de-2 |
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| 61 | 61 | | scribed in section 214(l) or worked full-time as 3 |
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| 62 | 62 | | a physician for an aggregate of 5 years at the 4 |
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| 63 | 63 | | location identified in the section 214(l) waiver 5 |
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| 64 | 64 | | or in an area or areas designated by the Sec-6 |
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| 65 | 65 | | retary of Health and Human Services as having 7 |
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| 66 | 66 | | a shortage of health care professionals; or 8 |
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| 67 | 67 | | ‘‘(II) to permit the Secretary of Homeland 9 |
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| 68 | 68 | | Security to grant a petition or application de-10 |
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| 69 | 69 | | scribed in subclause (I) until the alien has sat-11 |
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| 70 | 70 | | isfied all of the requirements of the waiver re-12 |
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| 71 | 71 | | ceived under section 214(l).’’. 13 |
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| 72 | 72 | | SEC. 4. EMPLOYMENT PROTECTIONS FOR PHYSICIANS. 14 |
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| 73 | 73 | | (a) E |
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| 74 | 74 | | XCEPTIONS TO2-YEARFOREIGNRESIDENCY 15 |
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| 75 | 75 | | R |
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| 76 | 76 | | EQUIREMENT.—Section 214(l)(1) of the Immigration 16 |
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| 77 | 77 | | and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(1)) is amended— 17 |
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| 78 | 78 | | (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 18 |
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| 79 | 79 | | by striking ‘‘Attorney General’’ and inserting ‘‘Sec-19 |
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| 80 | 80 | | retary of Homeland Security’’; 20 |
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| 81 | 81 | | (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘Director 21 |
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| 82 | 82 | | of the United States Information Agency’’ and in-22 |
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| 83 | 83 | | serting ‘‘Secretary of State’’; 23 |
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| 86 | 86 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 87 | 87 | | (3) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘, except 1 |
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| 88 | 88 | | as provided in paragraphs (7) and (8)’’ before the 2 |
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| 89 | 89 | | semicolon at the end; 3 |
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| 90 | 90 | | (4) in subparagraph (C), by striking clauses (i) 4 |
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| 91 | 91 | | and (ii) and inserting the following: 5 |
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| 92 | 92 | | ‘‘(i) the alien demonstrates a bona fide 6 |
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| 93 | 93 | | offer of full-time employment at a health facil-7 |
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| 94 | 94 | | ity or health care organization, which employ-8 |
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| 95 | 95 | | ment has been determined by the Secretary of 9 |
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| 96 | 96 | | Homeland Security to be in the public interest; 10 |
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| 97 | 97 | | and 11 |
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| 98 | 98 | | ‘‘(ii) the alien— 12 |
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| 99 | 99 | | ‘‘(I) has accepted employment with 13 |
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| 100 | 100 | | the health facility or health care organiza-14 |
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| 101 | 101 | | tion in a geographic area or areas which 15 |
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| 102 | 102 | | are designated by the Secretary of Health 16 |
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| 103 | 103 | | and Human Services as having a shortage 17 |
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| 104 | 104 | | of health care professionals; 18 |
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| 105 | 105 | | ‘‘(II) begins employment by the later 19 |
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| 106 | 106 | | of the date that is— 20 |
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| 107 | 107 | | ‘‘(aa) 120 days after receiving 21 |
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| 108 | 108 | | such waiver; 22 |
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| 109 | 109 | | ‘‘(bb) 120 days after completing 23 |
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| 110 | 110 | | graduate medical education or train-24 |
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| 113 | 113 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 114 | 114 | | ing under a program approved pursu-1 |
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| 115 | 115 | | ant to section 212(j)(1); or 2 |
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| 116 | 116 | | ‘‘(cc) 120 days after receiving 3 |
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| 117 | 117 | | nonimmigrant status or employment 4 |
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| 118 | 118 | | authorization, if the alien or the 5 |
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| 119 | 119 | | alien’s employer petitions for such 6 |
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| 120 | 120 | | nonimmigrant status or employment 7 |
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| 121 | 121 | | authorization not later than 120 days 8 |
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| 122 | 122 | | after the date on which the alien com-9 |
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| 123 | 123 | | pletes his or her graduate medical 10 |
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| 124 | 124 | | education or training under a pro-11 |
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| 125 | 125 | | gram approved pursuant to section 12 |
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| 126 | 126 | | 212(j)(1); and 13 |
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| 127 | 127 | | ‘‘(III) agrees to continue to work for 14 |
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| 128 | 128 | | a total of not less than 3 years in the sta-15 |
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| 129 | 129 | | tus authorized for such employment under 16 |
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| 130 | 130 | | this subsection, except as provided in para-17 |
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| 131 | 131 | | graph (8).’’; and 18 |
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| 132 | 132 | | (5) in subparagraph (D), in the matter pre-19 |
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| 133 | 133 | | ceding clause (i), by inserting ‘‘(except as provided 20 |
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| 134 | 134 | | in paragraph (8))’’ after ‘‘3 years’’. 21 |
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| 135 | 135 | | (b) A |
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| 136 | 136 | | LLOWABLEVISASTATUS FORPHYSICIANSFUL-22 |
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| 137 | 137 | | FILLINGWAIVERREQUIREMENTS INMEDICALLYUNDER-23 |
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| 138 | 138 | | SERVEDAREAS.—Section 214(l)(2)(A) of such Act (8 24 |
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| 139 | 139 | | U.S.C. 1184(l)(2)(A)) is amended to read as follows: 25 |
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| 142 | 142 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 143 | 143 | | ‘‘(A) Upon the request of an interested Federal agen-1 |
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| 144 | 144 | | cy or an interested State agency for recommendation of 2 |
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| 145 | 145 | | a waiver under this section by a physician who is main-3 |
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| 146 | 146 | | taining valid nonimmigrant status under section 4 |
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| 147 | 147 | | 101(a)(15)(J) and a favorable recommendation by the 5 |
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| 148 | 148 | | Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security 6 |
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| 149 | 149 | | may change the status of such physician to any status au-7 |
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| 150 | 150 | | thorized for employment under this Act. The numerical 8 |
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| 151 | 151 | | limitations contained in subsection (g)(1)(A) shall not 9 |
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| 152 | 152 | | apply to any alien whose status is changed under this sub-10 |
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| 153 | 153 | | paragraph.’’. 11 |
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| 154 | 154 | | (c) V |
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| 155 | 155 | | IOLATION OF AGREEMENTS.—Section 12 |
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| 156 | 156 | | 214(l)(3)(A) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(3)(A)) is 13 |
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| 157 | 157 | | amended by inserting ‘‘substantial requirement of an’’ be-14 |
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| 158 | 158 | | fore ‘‘agreement entered into’’. 15 |
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| 159 | 159 | | (d) P |
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| 160 | 160 | | HYSICIANEMPLOYMENT IN UNDERSERVED 16 |
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| 161 | 161 | | A |
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| 162 | 162 | | REAS.—Section 214(l) of such Act, as amended by this 17 |
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| 163 | 163 | | section, is further amended by adding at the end the fol-18 |
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| 164 | 164 | | lowing: 19 |
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| 165 | 165 | | ‘‘(4)(A) If an interested State agency denies an appli-20 |
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| 166 | 166 | | cation for a waiver under paragraph (1)(B) from a physi-21 |
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| 167 | 167 | | cian pursuing graduate medical education or training pur-22 |
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| 168 | 168 | | suant to section 101(a)(15)(J) because the State has re-23 |
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| 169 | 169 | | quested the maximum number of waivers permitted for 24 |
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| 170 | 170 | | that fiscal year, the physician’s nonimmigrant status shall 25 |
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| 173 | 173 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 174 | 174 | | be extended for up to 6 months if the physician agrees 1 |
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| 175 | 175 | | to seek a waiver under this subsection (except for para-2 |
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| 176 | 176 | | graph (1)(D)(ii)) to work for an employer described in 3 |
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| 177 | 177 | | paragraph (1)(C) in a State that has not yet requested 4 |
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| 178 | 178 | | the maximum number of waivers. 5 |
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| 179 | 179 | | ‘‘(B) Such physician shall be authorized to work only 6 |
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| 180 | 180 | | for the employer referred to in subparagraph (A) during 7 |
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| 181 | 181 | | the period beginning on the date on which a new waiver 8 |
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| 182 | 182 | | application is filed with such State and ending on the ear-9 |
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| 183 | 183 | | lier of— 10 |
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| 184 | 184 | | ‘‘(i) the date on which the Secretary of Home-11 |
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| 185 | 185 | | land Security denies such waiver; or 12 |
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| 186 | 186 | | ‘‘(ii) the date on which the Secretary approves 13 |
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| 187 | 187 | | an application for change of status under paragraph 14 |
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| 188 | 188 | | (2)(A) pursuant to the approval of such waiver.’’. 15 |
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| 189 | 189 | | (e) C |
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| 190 | 190 | | ONTRACTREQUIREMENTS.—Section 214(l) of 16 |
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| 191 | 191 | | such Act, as amended by this section, is further amended 17 |
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| 192 | 192 | | by adding at the end the following: 18 |
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| 193 | 193 | | ‘‘(5) An alien granted a waiver under paragraph 19 |
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| 194 | 194 | | (1)(C) shall enter into an employment agreement with the 20 |
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| 195 | 195 | | contracting health facility or health care organization 21 |
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| 196 | 196 | | that— 22 |
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| 197 | 197 | | ‘‘(A) specifies the maximum number of on-call 23 |
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| 198 | 198 | | hours per week (which may be a monthly average) 24 |
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| 199 | 199 | | that the alien will be expected to be available and 25 |
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| 202 | 202 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 203 | 203 | | the compensation the alien will receive for on-call 1 |
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| 204 | 204 | | time; 2 |
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| 205 | 205 | | ‘‘(B) specifies— 3 |
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| 206 | 206 | | ‘‘(i) whether the contracting facility or or-4 |
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| 207 | 207 | | ganization— 5 |
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| 208 | 208 | | ‘‘(I) has secured medical malpractice 6 |
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| 209 | 209 | | liability protection for the alien under sec-7 |
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| 210 | 210 | | tion 224(g) of the Public Health Service 8 |
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| 211 | 211 | | Act (42 U.S.C. 233(g)); or 9 |
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| 212 | 212 | | ‘‘(II) will pay the alien’s malpractice 10 |
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| 213 | 213 | | insurance premiums; 11 |
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| 214 | 214 | | ‘‘(ii) whether the employer will provide 12 |
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| 215 | 215 | | malpractice insurance for the alien; and 13 |
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| 216 | 216 | | ‘‘(iii) the amount of such liability protec-14 |
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| 217 | 217 | | tion that will be provided; 15 |
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| 218 | 218 | | ‘‘(C) describes all of the work locations that the 16 |
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| 219 | 219 | | alien will work and includes a statement that the 17 |
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| 220 | 220 | | contracting facility or organization will not add addi-18 |
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| 221 | 221 | | tional work locations without the approval of the 19 |
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| 222 | 222 | | Federal agency or State agency that requested the 20 |
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| 223 | 223 | | waiver; and 21 |
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| 224 | 224 | | ‘‘(D) does not include a non-compete provision. 22 |
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| 225 | 225 | | ‘‘(6) An alien granted a waiver under this subsection 23 |
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| 226 | 226 | | whose employment relationship with a health facility or 24 |
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| 227 | 227 | | health care organization terminates under paragraph 25 |
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| 230 | 230 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 231 | 231 | | (1)(C)(ii) during the 3-year service period required under 1 |
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| 232 | 232 | | paragraph (1) shall be considered to be maintaining lawful 2 |
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| 233 | 233 | | status in an authorized period of stay during the 120-day 3 |
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| 234 | 234 | | period referred to in items (aa) and (bb) of subclause (III) 4 |
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| 235 | 235 | | of paragraph (1)(C)(ii) or the 45-day period referred to 5 |
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| 236 | 236 | | in subclause (III)(cc) of such paragraph.’’. 6 |
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| 237 | 237 | | (f) R |
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| 238 | 238 | | ECAPTURINGWAIVERSLOTSLOST TOOTHER 7 |
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| 239 | 239 | | S |
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| 240 | 240 | | TATES.—Section 214(l) of such Act, as amended by this 8 |
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| 241 | 241 | | section, is further amended by adding at the end the fol-9 |
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| 242 | 242 | | lowing: 10 |
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| 243 | 243 | | ‘‘(7) If a recipient of a waiver under this subsection 11 |
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| 244 | 244 | | terminates the recipient’s employment with a health facil-12 |
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| 245 | 245 | | ity or health care organization pursuant to paragraph 13 |
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| 246 | 246 | | (1)(C)(ii), including termination of employment because of 14 |
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| 247 | 247 | | circumstances described in paragraph (1)(C)(ii)(III), and 15 |
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| 248 | 248 | | accepts new employment with such a facility or organiza-16 |
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| 249 | 249 | | tion in a different State, the State from which the alien 17 |
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| 250 | 250 | | is departing may be accorded an additional waiver by the 18 |
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| 251 | 251 | | Secretary of State for use in the fiscal year in which the 19 |
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| 252 | 252 | | alien’s employment was terminated.’’. 20 |
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| 253 | 253 | | (g) E |
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| 254 | 254 | | XCEPTION TO3-YEARWORKREQUIREMENT.— 21 |
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| 255 | 255 | | Section 214(l) of such Act, as amended by this section, 22 |
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| 256 | 256 | | is further amended by adding at the end the following: 23 |
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| 259 | 259 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 260 | 260 | | ‘‘(8) The 3-year work requirement set forth in sub-1 |
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| 261 | 261 | | paragraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph (1) shall not apply 2 |
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| 262 | 262 | | if— 3 |
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| 263 | 263 | | ‘‘(A)(i) the Secretary of Homeland Security de-4 |
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| 264 | 264 | | termines that extenuating circumstances, including 5 |
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| 265 | 265 | | violations by the employer of the employment agree-6 |
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| 266 | 266 | | ment with the alien or of labor and employment 7 |
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| 267 | 267 | | laws, exist that justify a lesser period of employment 8 |
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| 268 | 268 | | at such facility or organization; and 9 |
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| 269 | 269 | | ‘‘(ii) the alien demonstrates, not later than 120 10 |
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| 270 | 270 | | days after the employment termination date (unless 11 |
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| 271 | 271 | | the Secretary determines that extenuating cir-12 |
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| 272 | 272 | | cumstances would justify an extension), another 13 |
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| 273 | 273 | | bona fide offer of employment at a health facility or 14 |
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| 274 | 274 | | health care organization in a geographic area or 15 |
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| 275 | 275 | | areas which are designated by the Secretary of 16 |
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| 276 | 276 | | Health and Human Services as having a shortage of 17 |
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| 277 | 277 | | health care professionals, for the remainder of such 18 |
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| 278 | 278 | | 3-year period; 19 |
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| 279 | 279 | | ‘‘(B)(i) the interested State agency that re-20 |
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| 280 | 280 | | quested the waiver attests that extenuating cir-21 |
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| 281 | 281 | | cumstances, including violations by the employer of 22 |
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| 282 | 282 | | the employment agreement with the alien or of labor 23 |
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| 283 | 283 | | and employment laws, exist that justify a lesser pe-24 |
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| 286 | 286 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 287 | 287 | | riod of employment at such facility or organization; 1 |
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| 288 | 288 | | and 2 |
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| 289 | 289 | | ‘‘(ii) the alien demonstrates, not later than 120 3 |
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| 290 | 290 | | days after the employment termination date (unless 4 |
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| 291 | 291 | | the Secretary determines that extenuating cir-5 |
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| 292 | 292 | | cumstances would justify an extension), another 6 |
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| 293 | 293 | | bona fide offer of employment at a health facility or 7 |
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| 294 | 294 | | health care organization in a geographic area or 8 |
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| 295 | 295 | | areas which are designated by the Secretary of 9 |
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| 296 | 296 | | Health and Human Services as having a shortage of 10 |
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| 297 | 297 | | health care professionals, for the remainder of such 11 |
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| 298 | 298 | | 3-year period; or 12 |
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| 299 | 299 | | ‘‘(C) the alien— 13 |
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| 300 | 300 | | ‘‘(i) elects not to pursue a determination of 14 |
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| 301 | 301 | | extenuating circumstances pursuant to sub-15 |
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| 302 | 302 | | clause (A) or (B); 16 |
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| 303 | 303 | | ‘‘(ii) terminates the alien’s employment re-17 |
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| 304 | 304 | | lationship with the health facility or health care 18 |
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| 305 | 305 | | organization at which the alien was employed; 19 |
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| 306 | 306 | | ‘‘(iii) demonstrates, not later than 45 days 20 |
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| 307 | 307 | | after the employment termination date, another 21 |
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| 308 | 308 | | bona fide offer of employment at a health facil-22 |
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| 309 | 309 | | ity or health care organization in a geographic 23 |
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| 310 | 310 | | area or areas, in the State that requested the 24 |
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| 311 | 311 | | alien’s waiver, which are designated by the Sec-25 |
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| 314 | 314 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 315 | 315 | | retary of Health and Human Services as having 1 |
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| 316 | 316 | | a shortage of health care professionals; and 2 |
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| 317 | 317 | | ‘‘(iv) agrees to be employed for the remain-3 |
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| 318 | 318 | | der of such 3-year period, and 1 additional year 4 |
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| 319 | 319 | | for each termination under clause (ii).’’. 5 |
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| 320 | 320 | | SEC. 5. ALLOTMENT OF CONRAD 30 WAIVERS. 6 |
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| 321 | 321 | | (a) I |
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| 322 | 322 | | NGENERAL.—Section 214(l) of the Immigration 7 |
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| 323 | 323 | | and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)), as amended by 8 |
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| 324 | 324 | | section 4, is further amended by adding at the end the 9 |
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| 325 | 325 | | following: 10 |
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| 326 | 326 | | ‘‘(9)(A)(i) All States shall be allotted a total of 35 11 |
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| 327 | 327 | | waivers under paragraph (1)(B) for a fiscal year if 90 per-12 |
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| 328 | 328 | | cent of the waivers available to the States receiving at 13 |
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| 329 | 329 | | least 5 waivers were used in the previous fiscal year. 14 |
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| 330 | 330 | | ‘‘(ii) When an allotment occurs under clause (i), all 15 |
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| 331 | 331 | | States shall be allotted an additional 5 waivers under 16 |
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| 332 | 332 | | paragraph (1)(B) for each subsequent fiscal year if 90 17 |
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| 333 | 333 | | percent of the waivers available to the States receiving at 18 |
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| 334 | 334 | | least 5 waivers were used in the previous fiscal year. If 19 |
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| 335 | 335 | | the States are allotted 45 or more waivers for a fiscal year, 20 |
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| 336 | 336 | | the States will only receive an additional increase of 5 21 |
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| 337 | 337 | | waivers the following fiscal year if 95 percent of the waiv-22 |
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| 338 | 338 | | ers available to the States receiving at least 1 waiver were 23 |
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| 339 | 339 | | used in the previous fiscal year. 24 |
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| 342 | 342 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 343 | 343 | | ‘‘(B) Any increase in allotments under subparagraph 1 |
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| 344 | 344 | | (A) shall be maintained indefinitely, unless in a fiscal year, 2 |
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| 345 | 345 | | the total number of such waivers granted is 5 percent 3 |
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| 346 | 346 | | lower than in the last year in which there was an increase 4 |
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| 347 | 347 | | in the number of waivers allotted pursuant to this para-5 |
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| 348 | 348 | | graph, in which case— 6 |
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| 349 | 349 | | ‘‘(i) the number of waivers allotted shall be de-7 |
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| 350 | 350 | | creased by 5 for all States beginning in the next fis-8 |
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| 351 | 351 | | cal year; and 9 |
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| 352 | 352 | | ‘‘(ii) each additional 5 percent decrease in such 10 |
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| 353 | 353 | | waivers granted from the last year in which there 11 |
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| 354 | 354 | | was an increase in the allotment, shall result in an 12 |
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| 355 | 355 | | additional decrease of 5 waivers allotted for all 13 |
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| 356 | 356 | | States, provided that the number of waivers allotted 14 |
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| 357 | 357 | | for all States shall not drop below 30.’’. 15 |
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| 358 | 358 | | (b) A |
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| 359 | 359 | | CADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS.—Section 16 |
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| 360 | 360 | | 214(l)(1)(D) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(1)(D)), as 17 |
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| 361 | 361 | | amended by section 4(a)(5), is further amended— 18 |
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| 362 | 362 | | (1) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 19 |
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| 363 | 363 | | (2) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the 20 |
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| 364 | 364 | | end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 21 |
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| 365 | 365 | | (3) by adding at the end the following: 22 |
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| 366 | 366 | | ‘‘(iv) in the case of a request by an inter-23 |
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| 367 | 367 | | ested State agency— 24 |
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| 370 | 370 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 371 | 371 | | ‘‘(I) the head of such agency deter-1 |
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| 372 | 372 | | mines that the alien is to practice medicine 2 |
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| 373 | 373 | | in, or be on the faculty of a residency pro-3 |
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| 374 | 374 | | gram at, an academic medical center (as 4 |
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| 375 | 375 | | that term is defined in section 5 |
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| 376 | 376 | | 411.355(e)(2) of title 42, Code of Federal 6 |
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| 377 | 377 | | Regulations, or similar successor regula-7 |
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| 378 | 378 | | tion), without regard to whether such facil-8 |
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| 379 | 379 | | ity is located within an area designated by 9 |
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| 380 | 380 | | the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-10 |
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| 381 | 381 | | ices as having a shortage of health care 11 |
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| 382 | 382 | | professionals; and 12 |
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| 383 | 383 | | ‘‘(II) the head of such agency deter-13 |
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| 384 | 384 | | mines that— 14 |
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| 385 | 385 | | ‘‘(aa) the alien physician’s work 15 |
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| 386 | 386 | | is in the public interest; and 16 |
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| 387 | 387 | | ‘‘(bb) the grant of such waiver 17 |
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| 388 | 388 | | would not cause the number of the 18 |
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| 389 | 389 | | waivers granted on behalf of aliens for 19 |
|---|
| 390 | 390 | | such State for a fiscal year (within 20 |
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| 391 | 391 | | the limitation in subparagraph (B) 21 |
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| 392 | 392 | | and subject to paragraph (6)) in ac-22 |
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| 393 | 393 | | cordance with the conditions of this 23 |
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| 394 | 394 | | clause to exceed 3.’’. 24 |
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| 397 | 397 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 398 | 398 | | SEC. 6. AMENDMENTS TO THE PROCEDURES, DEFINITIONS, 1 |
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| 399 | 399 | | AND OTHER PROVISIONS RELATED TO PHYSI-2 |
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| 400 | 400 | | CIAN IMMIGRATION. 3 |
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| 401 | 401 | | (a) D |
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| 402 | 402 | | UALINTENT FORPHYSICIANSSEEKINGGRAD-4 |
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| 403 | 403 | | UATEMEDICALTRAINING.—Section 214(b) of the Immi-5 |
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| 404 | 404 | | gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(b)) is amend-6 |
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| 405 | 405 | | ed by striking ‘‘(other than a nonimmigrant described in 7 |
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| 406 | 406 | | subparagraph (L) or (V) of section 101(a)(15), and other 8 |
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| 407 | 407 | | than a nonimmigrant described in any provision of section 9 |
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| 408 | 408 | | 101(a)(15)(H)(i) except subclause (b1) of such section)’’ 10 |
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| 409 | 409 | | and inserting ‘‘(other than a nonimmigrant described in 11 |
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| 410 | 410 | | subparagraph (L) or (V) of section 101(a)(15), a non-12 |
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| 411 | 411 | | immigrant described in any provision of section 13 |
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| 412 | 412 | | 101(a)(15)(H)(i) (except subclause (b1) of such section), 14 |
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| 413 | 413 | | and an alien coming to the United States to receive grad-15 |
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| 414 | 414 | | uate medical education or training described in section 16 |
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| 415 | 415 | | 212(j) or to take examinations required to receive grad-17 |
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| 416 | 416 | | uate medical education or training described in section 18 |
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| 417 | 417 | | 212(j))’’. 19 |
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| 418 | 418 | | (b) P |
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| 419 | 419 | | HYSICIANNATIONALINTERESTWAIVERCLARI-20 |
|---|
| 420 | 420 | | FICATIONS.— 21 |
|---|
| 421 | 421 | | (1) P |
|---|
| 422 | 422 | | RACTICE AND GEOGRAPHIC AREA .—Sec-22 |
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| 423 | 423 | | tion 203(b)(2)(B)(ii)(I) of the Immigration and Na-23 |
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| 424 | 424 | | tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(2)(B)(ii)(I)) is 24 |
|---|
| 425 | 425 | | amended by striking items (aa) and (bb) and insert-25 |
|---|
| 426 | 426 | | ing the following: 26 |
|---|
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| 429 | 429 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 430 | 430 | | ‘‘(aa) the alien physician agrees to 1 |
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| 431 | 431 | | work on a full-time basis practicing pri-2 |
|---|
| 432 | 432 | | mary care, specialty medicine, or a com-3 |
|---|
| 433 | 433 | | bination thereof, in an area or areas des-4 |
|---|
| 434 | 434 | | ignated by the Secretary of Health and 5 |
|---|
| 435 | 435 | | Human Services as having a shortage of 6 |
|---|
| 436 | 436 | | health care professionals, or at a health 7 |
|---|
| 437 | 437 | | care facility under the jurisdiction of the 8 |
|---|
| 438 | 438 | | Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or 9 |
|---|
| 439 | 439 | | ‘‘(bb) the alien physician is pursuing 10 |
|---|
| 440 | 440 | | such waiver based upon service at a facility 11 |
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| 441 | 441 | | or facilities that serve patients who reside 12 |
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| 442 | 442 | | in a geographic area or areas designated 13 |
|---|
| 443 | 443 | | by the Secretary of Health and Human 14 |
|---|
| 444 | 444 | | Services as having a shortage of health 15 |
|---|
| 445 | 445 | | care professionals (without regard to 16 |
|---|
| 446 | 446 | | whether such facility or facilities are lo-17 |
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| 447 | 447 | | cated within such an area) and a Federal 18 |
|---|
| 448 | 448 | | agency, or a local, county, regional, or 19 |
|---|
| 449 | 449 | | State department of public health deter-20 |
|---|
| 450 | 450 | | mines the alien physician’s work was or 21 |
|---|
| 451 | 451 | | will be in the public interest.’’. 22 |
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| 452 | 452 | | (2) F |
|---|
| 453 | 453 | | IVE-YEAR SERVICE REQUIREMENT .—Sec-23 |
|---|
| 454 | 454 | | tion 203(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the Immigration and Na-24 |
|---|
| 455 | 455 | | tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(B)(ii)) is amended— 25 |
|---|
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| 458 | 458 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 459 | 459 | | (A) by moving subclauses (II), (III), and 1 |
|---|
| 460 | 460 | | (IV) 4 ems to the left; and 2 |
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| 461 | 461 | | (B) in subclause (II)— 3 |
|---|
| 462 | 462 | | (i) by inserting ‘‘(aa)’’ after ‘‘(II)’’; 4 |
|---|
| 463 | 463 | | and 5 |
|---|
| 464 | 464 | | (ii) by adding at the end the fol-6 |
|---|
| 465 | 465 | | lowing: 7 |
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| 466 | 466 | | ‘‘(bb) The 5-year service requirement 8 |
|---|
| 467 | 467 | | under item (aa) shall begin on the date on 9 |
|---|
| 468 | 468 | | which the alien physician begins work in 10 |
|---|
| 469 | 469 | | the shortage area in any legal status and 11 |
|---|
| 470 | 470 | | not on the date on which an immigrant 12 |
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| 471 | 471 | | visa petition is filed or approved. Such 13 |
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| 472 | 472 | | service shall be aggregated without regard 14 |
|---|
| 473 | 473 | | to when such service began and without re-15 |
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| 474 | 474 | | gard to whether such service began during 16 |
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| 475 | 475 | | or in conjunction with a course of graduate 17 |
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| 476 | 476 | | medical education. 18 |
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| 477 | 477 | | ‘‘(cc) An alien physician shall not be 19 |
|---|
| 478 | 478 | | required to submit an employment contract 20 |
|---|
| 479 | 479 | | with a term exceeding the balance of the 5- 21 |
|---|
| 480 | 480 | | year commitment yet to be served or an 22 |
|---|
| 481 | 481 | | employment contract dated within a min-23 |
|---|
| 482 | 482 | | imum time period before filing a visa peti-24 |
|---|
| 483 | 483 | | tion under this subsection. 25 |
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| 486 | 486 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 487 | 487 | | ‘‘(dd) An alien physician shall not be 1 |
|---|
| 488 | 488 | | required to file additional immigrant visa 2 |
|---|
| 489 | 489 | | petitions upon a change of work location 3 |
|---|
| 490 | 490 | | from the location approved in the original 4 |
|---|
| 491 | 491 | | national interest immigrant petition.’’. 5 |
|---|
| 492 | 492 | | (c) T |
|---|
| 493 | 493 | | ECHNICALCLARIFICATIONREGARDINGAD-6 |
|---|
| 494 | 494 | | VANCED DEGREE FOR PHYSICIANS.—Section 7 |
|---|
| 495 | 495 | | 203(b)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 8 |
|---|
| 496 | 496 | | U.S.C. 1153(b)(2)(A)) is amended by adding at the end 9 |
|---|
| 497 | 497 | | the following: ‘‘An alien physician holding a foreign med-10 |
|---|
| 498 | 498 | | ical degree that has been deemed sufficient for acceptance 11 |
|---|
| 499 | 499 | | by an accredited United States medical residency or fel-12 |
|---|
| 500 | 500 | | lowship program is a member of the professions holding 13 |
|---|
| 501 | 501 | | an advanced degree or its equivalent.’’. 14 |
|---|
| 502 | 502 | | (d) S |
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| 503 | 503 | | HORT-TERMWORKAUTHORIZATION FOR PHY-15 |
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| 504 | 504 | | SICIANSCOMPLETINGTHEIRRESIDENCIES.— 16 |
|---|
| 505 | 505 | | (1) I |
|---|
| 506 | 506 | | N GENERAL.—A physician completing 17 |
|---|
| 507 | 507 | | graduate medical education or training described in 18 |
|---|
| 508 | 508 | | section 212(j) of the Immigration and Nationality 19 |
|---|
| 509 | 509 | | Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(j)) as a nonimmigrant described 20 |
|---|
| 510 | 510 | | in section 101(a)(15)(H)(i) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 21 |
|---|
| 511 | 511 | | 1101(a)(15)(H)(i))— 22 |
|---|
| 512 | 512 | | (A) shall have such nonimmigrant status 23 |
|---|
| 513 | 513 | | automatically extended until October 1 of the 24 |
|---|
| 514 | 514 | | fiscal year for which a petition for a continu-25 |
|---|
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| 517 | 517 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 518 | 518 | | ation of such nonimmigrant status has been 1 |
|---|
| 519 | 519 | | submitted in a timely manner and the employ-2 |
|---|
| 520 | 520 | | ment start date for the beneficiary of such peti-3 |
|---|
| 521 | 521 | | tion is October 1 of that fiscal year; and 4 |
|---|
| 522 | 522 | | (B) shall be authorized to be employed in-5 |
|---|
| 523 | 523 | | cident to status during the period between the 6 |
|---|
| 524 | 524 | | filing of such petition and October 1 of such fis-7 |
|---|
| 525 | 525 | | cal year. 8 |
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| 526 | 526 | | (2) T |
|---|
| 527 | 527 | | ERMINATION.—The physician’s status and 9 |
|---|
| 528 | 528 | | employment authorization shall terminate on the 10 |
|---|
| 529 | 529 | | date that is 30 days after the date on which a peti-11 |
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| 530 | 530 | | tion described in paragraph (1)(A) is rejected, de-12 |
|---|
| 531 | 531 | | nied or revoked. 13 |
|---|
| 532 | 532 | | (3) A |
|---|
| 533 | 533 | | UTOMATIC EXTENSION .—A physician’s 14 |
|---|
| 534 | 534 | | status and employment authorization will automati-15 |
|---|
| 535 | 535 | | cally extend to October 1 of the next fiscal year if 16 |
|---|
| 536 | 536 | | all of the visas described in section 101(a)(15)(H)(i) 17 |
|---|
| 537 | 537 | | of such Act that were authorized to be issued for the 18 |
|---|
| 538 | 538 | | fiscal year have been issued. 19 |
|---|
| 539 | 539 | | (e) A |
|---|
| 540 | 540 | | PPLICABILITY OFSECTION212(e) TOSPOUSES 20 |
|---|
| 541 | 541 | | ANDCHILDREN OFJ–1 EXCHANGEVISITORS.—A spouse 21 |
|---|
| 542 | 542 | | or child of an exchange visitor described in section 22 |
|---|
| 543 | 543 | | 101(a)(15)(J) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 23 |
|---|
| 544 | 544 | | U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(J)) shall not be subject to the require-24 |
|---|
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| 547 | 547 | | •S 709 IS |
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| 548 | 548 | | ments under section 212(e) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1 |
|---|
| 549 | 549 | | 1182(e)). 2 |
|---|
| 550 | 550 | | SEC. 7. ANNUAL CONRAD STATE 30 J–1 VISA WAIVER PRO-3 |
|---|
| 551 | 551 | | GRAM STATISTICAL REPORT. 4 |
|---|
| 552 | 552 | | The Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 5 |
|---|
| 553 | 553 | | Services shall submit an annual report to Congress and 6 |
|---|
| 554 | 554 | | to the Department of Health and Human Services that 7 |
|---|
| 555 | 555 | | identifies the number of aliens admitted during the most 8 |
|---|
| 556 | 556 | | recently concluded fiscal year as a result of the Conrad 9 |
|---|
| 557 | 557 | | State 30 J–1 Visa Waiver Program established under sec-10 |
|---|
| 558 | 558 | | tions 212(e) and 214(l) of the Immigration and Nation-11 |
|---|
| 559 | 559 | | ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(e) and 1184(l)), disaggregated 12 |
|---|
| 560 | 560 | | by State. 13 |
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| 561 | 561 | | Æ |
|---|
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