H.R. 6097: Immigration Courts Bail Reform Act

114th Congress · introduced 2016-09-21 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-09-21 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY-15] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security. 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

Immigration Courts Bail Reform Act

Plain summary

Immigration Courts Bail Reform Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the minimum bond amount needed to release a detained alien. An immigration judge may review an initial custody determination for an adult alien, subject to specified rules, which include the following: the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall, within 72 hours, file the notice to appear or charging document with the appropriate immigration court and serve such notice on the detained alien; except for criminals or suspected terrorists, DHS may continue to detain an alien only if no conditions will reasonably assure the alien's appearance and the safety of any other person and the community; the Department of Justice shall ensure that an alien has the opportunity to promptly appear before an immigration judge for a custody redetermination hearing; except for criminals or suspected terrorists, an immigration judge shall review the custody determination de novo and may continue to detain the alien only if DHS demonstrates that no conditions will reasonably assure the alien's appearance and the community's safety; DHS and an immigration judge shall order an alien's release on personal recognizance or upon an unsecured appearance bond unless such release will not reasonably assure the alien's appearance or the community's safety; if DHS or an immigration judge determines that such release will not reasonably assure the alien's appearance or such safety, DHS or the immigration judge shall order the alien's release under the least restrictive conditions that will assure the alien's appearance and the community's safety; DHS or an immigration judge shall consider the alien's financial ability in determining whether to impose a bond as a condition of release; and DHS or an immigration judge may not impose a financial condition that results in an alien's detention.

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)

Official text

Immigration Courts Bail Reform Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [D-NY-15] · 37 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Norma J. Torres (D-CA), André Carson (D-IN), Mark Takano (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL)

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 (6)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bail: Money or conditions a court sets so a person charged with a crime can leave jail while waiting for trial, to make sure they come back to court.
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).
Bond: A way to borrow money. A government sells bonds to raise money now and promises to pay it back with interest over time. Bonds repaid from taxes often need voter approval.
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 (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr6097.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr6097 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114