H.R. 6206: American Tech Workforce Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-12-09 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-12-09 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Banks, Jim [R-IN-3] · 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

American Tech Workforce Act of 2021

Plain summary

American Tech Workforce Act of 2021 This bill eliminates the Optional Practical Training Program and modifies requirements for H-1B visas (nonimmigrant workers in specialty occupations and fashion models). (The Optional Practical Training Program provides an eligible F-1 student visa holder temporary employment authorization before or after completion of the student's studies, or both.) Under this bill, the employer must pay an H-1B visa holder the greater of (1) the annual wage paid to a U.S. worker who did identical or similar work in the two years before the employer's H-1B application; or (2) $110,000, with this amount to be adjusted annually for inflation. Currently, the H-1B visa holder must be paid the greater of (1) the employer's actual wage for similarly qualified U.S. workers in the specific position, or (2) the local prevailing wage for the occupational classification. The bill also removes a requirement for the employer to provide the visa holder with working conditions such that the working conditions of similarly employed workers will not be affected. The bill imposes limits on assigning H-1B visa holders to third-party work sites, such as limiting the visa validity period to one year if the visa holder performs any part of their assignment at a third-party work site. The bill requires the H-1B applications with the highest listed compensation to be granted before those with lower listed compensation.

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

American Tech Workforce Act of 2021

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. Banks, Jim [R-IN-3] · 17 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mary E. Miller (R-IL), Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR), Kevin Hern (R-OK), Austin Scott (R-GA), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Daniel Meuser (R-PA), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Brian Babin (R-TX), Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ), Lauren Boebert (R-CO)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Banks, Jim [R-IN-3] reported raising $2.7 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)

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).

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-117hr6206.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr6206 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117