S. 2979: A bill to exempt the African National Congress from treatment as a terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

110th Congress · introduced 2008-05-06 · International Affairs · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 850.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-05-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 850. 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.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to exempt the African National Congress from treatment as a terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Amends the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008 to state that for purposes of alien inadmissibility based upon terrorist-related grounds the African National Congress (ANC) shall not be considered to be a terrorist organization on the basis of any act or event that occurred before the date of enactment of such Act. Authorizes the Secretary of State (after consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security) or the Secretary of Homeland Security (after consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General) to determine, in such Secretary's sole unreviewable discretion, that inadmissibility based upon specified criminal convictions or terrorist activities shall not apply to an alien with respect to activities undertaken in opposition to apartheid rule in South Africa. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security should exercise such authority in appropriate instances to exempt the anti-apartheid activities of aliens who are current or former officials of the government of the Republic of South Africa. Directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of National Intelligence, to ensure that databases used to determine U.S. admissibility are appropriately updated.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment), 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)

Official text

A bill to exempt the African National Congress from treatment as a terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] · 10 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Bernard Sanders (I-VT)

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 (5)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
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 (Reported to Senate without amendment)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110s2979.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/s>

Record fed-us-cong110-s2979 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110