POWER Act
Latest action. Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation Act or the POWER Act
This bill expands protections for non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who are victims of crimes or serious workplace violations.
U visas (nonimmigrant visas for certain crime victims) shall be available to individuals who have suffered substantial harm related to workplace claims.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may allow a non-U.S. national to work and temporarily remain in the United States if the individual (1) has filed for a U visa or T visa (nonimmigrant visas for victims of human trafficking), or (2) has filed or is a material witness to a workplace claim or civil claim arising from criminal activity and is helpful to authorities investigating the claim.
The bill removes direct numerical limitations on U visas.
A notice to an individual to appear at removal proceedings must contain specified certifications, if the individual was taken (1) at a facility where a workplace claim has been filed, or (2) as a result of information provided in retaliation against individuals exercising their legal rights. Specifically, the notice must state that (1) an adverse immigration determination may not be based solely on information furnished by the party engaged in the unlawful activity, and (2) the individual's information may not be disclosed. Such an individual may not be removed until law enforcement has had a chance to interview the individual.
Removal proceedings against an individual who has filed or is a witness to a workplace claim must be stayed until the resolution of the claim, with limited exceptions.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 28, 2023. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 28, 2023: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 118th Congress (2023-24), 274 of the 16,565 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 1.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Judy Chu (D-CA) introduced it on March 28, 2023, and 27 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 27 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 28, 2023, 1262 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 1262 days ago, on March 28, 2023.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 118th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2025 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers