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H.R. 2489: Waiver Accountability and Transparency Act

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H.R. 2489: Waiver Accountability and Transparency Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-05-02 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-05-02 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7] · 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 Citizenship. 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

Waiver Accountability and Transparency Act

Plain summary

Waiver Accountability and Transparency Act This bill imposes requirements related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) granting waivers to immigration detention facilities that do not meet certain standards. ICE shall publicly post within three days of submission each waiver request, request justification, assessment, final decision, and rationale for whether the waiver was granted or denied. ICE shall grade each waiver request from 1 to 3, with 3 being the most serious and including those with issues impacting due process, medical safety, and security. For grade 3 waivers, all parties involved, including ICE, must sign off on a corrective action plan, which shall include a timeline and plan to make the facility compliant with the relevant standards. A waiver may not be approved for longer than 90 days, and waivers may be reapproved every 90 days. After one year, any reapproval shall be approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE, and DHS and ICE shall jointly publish the justification for the reapproval. ICE shall periodically report to Congress and publicly post online financial penalties imposed on a facility. DHS shall periodically report to Congress and publicly post online an analysis of sample of cases where facility failed to meet a standard but DHS declined to impose a penalty. The Government Accountability Office shall periodically conduct a study on the waiver process and the ability of DHS to hold contractors accountable.

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

Waiver Accountability and Transparency Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7] · 43 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Jason Crow (D-CO), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Scott H. Peters (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Robin L. Kelly (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 (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-cong116-hr2489 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116