H.R. 5131: American Dream Act
Before you vote › Federal bills
H.R. 5131: American Dream Act
109th Congress · introduced 2006-04-06 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2006-04-06 · official record
- Who proposed it: Rep. Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [R-FL-21] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
American Dream Act
Plain summary
American Dream Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States prior to his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth requirements respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) confidentiality; (3) fee prohibitions; (4) higher education assistance; and (5) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text
No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.
Limited to a few requests an hour per person.
The strongest published arguments
Arguments for (supporters)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Arguments against (opponents)
Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
Alternatives
Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.
How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Rep. Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [R-FL-21] · 54 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Al Green (D-TX), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Gwen Moore (D-WI)
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (3)
- Appropriation
- Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
- Jurisdiction
- The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
- Securities
- Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-109hr5131.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/109/hr>
Record fed-us-cong109-hr5131 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong109 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong109