H.R. 2988: Protecting American Lives Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-05-23 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-05-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Gooden, Lance [R-TX-5] · 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 Citizenship. 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

Protecting American Lives Act

Plain summary

Protecting American Lives Act This bill imposes requirements related to state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts and increases criminal penalties for certain removed aliens who reenter the United States. A state or local government jurisdiction shall be ineligible for certain federal law enforcement grants if the jurisdiction has a statute, policy, or practice (1) to not comply with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainer requests, or (2) prohibiting the jurisdiction's law enforcement officers from assisting with federal immigration law enforcement. (A detainer is a DHS request that a jurisdiction hold an alien in its custody until that alien can be transferred to federal custody.) Compliance with a detainer request shall be an action under color of federal authority for immunity and liability purposes in a civil action. A state or local jurisdiction shall timely inform DHS about an alien believed to be inadmissible or deportable in the jurisdiction's custody. DHS shall reimburse each jurisdiction for reasonable costs incurred from this requirement. The bill imposes a minimum imprisonment term of five years for certain aliens who without authorization reenter the United States after being removed or denied admission. Such an alien shall be criminally fined, imprisoned, or both. It shall be unlawful for a state or local jurisdiction to discriminate against a law enforcement officer for complying with a detainer request.

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

Protecting American Lives 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. Gooden, Lance [R-TX-5] · 28 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Steve Scalise (R-LA), Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX), John Joyce (R-PA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Mike Johnson (R-LA), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Brian J. Mast (R-FL), Andy Harris (R-MD), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Tom Cole (R-OK), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Harold Rogers (R-KY), Kevin Hern (R-OK)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Gooden, Lance [R-TX-5] reported raising $1.5 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 (5)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
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).
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

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-116hr2988.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr2988 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116