H.R. 3497: Protecting UACs Through Enhanced Sponsor Vetting Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-05-25 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-05-25 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] · 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 UACs Through Enhanced Sponsor Vetting Act of 2021

Plain summary

Protecting UACs Through Enhanced Sponsor Vetting Act of 2021 This bill requires the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Department of Health and Human Services to take additional actions when placing an unaccompanied alien child in the custody of a sponsor. Before placing such a child with a sponsor and again when a placement decision has been made, the office must notify the governments of the state and the locality in which the prospective or selected sponsor resides. When making determinations concerning the placement of such a child with a sponsor, the office must (1) include the Federal Bureau of Investigation and appropriate state and local law enforcement in its consultations, (2) ensure that the child is protected from designated transnational criminal organizations, (3) conduct a thorough background check of each prospective sponsor using the Next Generation Identification System, and (4) share with the Terrorist Screening Center any information establishing the child's or sponsor's affiliation with a designated transnational criminal organization.

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 UACs Through Enhanced Sponsor Vetting Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Scott Perry (R-PA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] reported raising $4.1 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)

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).

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-117hr3497.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr3497 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117