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H.R. 1036: American Families United Act

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H.R. 1036: American Families United Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-14 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-14 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. 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.
  5. 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

American Families United Act

Plain summary

American Families United Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to revise waiver of inadmissibility requirements, including by waiving inadmissibility for: (1) certain persons who entered the United States before age 16 who have earned a degree from a U.S. institution of higher education, (2) false claims of U.S. citizenship by persons under age 18 or lacking mental competence to knowingly misrepresent a claim, and (3) false claims of U.S. citizenship if inadmissibility would create family separation hardship for the alien (including a self-petitioner under the Violence Against Women Act) or for a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member. The bill: (1) authorizes parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility for unlawful presence, (2) places a three-year limit on immigration-related misrepresentations rendering aliens inadmissible, and (3) revises the definition "conviction" for INA purposes. An immigration judge in specified circumstances, including family separation hardship, but with certain exceptions, may decline to order an alien removed, deported, or excluded and terminate related proceedings or grant permission to reapply for admission or for relief from removal. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to enable the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to expand their discretionary authority beyond a case-by-case basis or to provide legalization or nationalization of covered persons.

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

American Families United Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), David G. Valadao (R-CA), Darren Soto (D-FL)

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 (2)
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).
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr1036 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115