H.R. 5908: POWER Act

115th Congress · introduced 2018-05-22 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2018-05-22 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] · 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

POWER Act

Plain summary

Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act or the POWER Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to expand the nonimmigrant U-visa category (crime victims and their immediate family members) to include an alien who: has suffered substantial abuse or harm resulting from a workplace violation claim; is a victim of specified criminal activity or a workplace violation and would suffer extreme hardship upon removal; has been helpful in a workplace violation investigation; or has filed, is a material witness in, or is likely to be helpful in the investigation of, a workplace claim and reasonably fears, or has been the victim of, employer retaliation. An alien who is a material witness in a workplace claim and who has been helpful in a related law enforcement action may remain and work temporarily in the United States. In a Department of Homeland Security workplace enforcement action a detained alien: (1) who is necessary as a witness shall not be removed until the appropriate law enforcement agency is notified and has an opportunity to interview such individual, and (2) who is entitled to a stay or abeyance of removal shall not be removed. An alien in removal proceedings who is a witness in a workplace claim or who has filed for U-visa status shall be entitled to a stay or abeyance of removal and permitted to work until the claim's disposition unless the alien has been convicted of a felony or filed a bad faith claim.

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

POWER Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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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: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] · 17 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] reported raising $1.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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.
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

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr5908.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr5908 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115