H.R. 523: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to render overstaying a visa a criminal offense, and for other purposes.

116th Congress · introduced 2019-01-11 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-01-11 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] · 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

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to render overstaying a visa a criminal offense, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

This bill makes it a criminal offense to overstay a visa. For the first offense, the overstaying alien shall be fined or imprisoned up to six months, or both. For each subsequent offense, the alien shall be fined or imprisoned up to two years, or both. The Department of Homeland Security may make case-by-case exceptions for medical necessity, public safety, or national security. Aliens who overstay a visa shall be barred from admission into the United States and may not be granted a visa. For the first offense, the overstaying alien shall be barred from admission for 5 years and barred from receiving a visa for 10 years. For a subsequent offense, the alien shall be permanently barred from admission and from getting a visa. If an alien's visa is revoked, all valid visas in that alien's possession are automatically cancelled. The bill expands the types of removal proceedings where an alien shall have the right to counsel. The government shall not bear the expense for such counsel. The Department of State may share visa and entry permit-related records with foreign governments on a case-by-case basis, if it is in the interests of the United States to do so. The State Department shall have access to National Crime Information Center files for determining whether visas for certain applicants should be granted.

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

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to render overstaying a visa a criminal offense, and for other purposes.

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. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

John Joyce (R-PA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] reported raising $1.9 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 (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

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr523.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr523 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116