Return of Talent Act
Latest action. Placed on Senate legislative calendarThe list of measures reported out of committee and eligible for floor action. Being on the calendar is not a promise of a vote.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) under General Orders. Calendar No. 338.
Return of Talent Act - (Sec. 2) Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish the Return of Talent Program to permit a lawful permanent resident (and certain family members) to return to his or her country of citizenship or nationality for up to one year (with a six-month extension) in order to contribute to such country's postconflict or natural disaster reconstruction activities or to provide medical services.
Permits such a resident to be considered to be physically present and residing in the United States for naturalization purposes under specified conditions, including that: (1) such absence was solely to engage in postconflict or natural disaster reconstruction or to provide medical services in the resident's country of citizenship or nationality and the Secretary determines that the resident is a citizen or national of certain countries in which there was a conflict or disaster; or (2) the resident is a physician or other health care worker and such temporary absence was solely for the purpose of providing medical services in the resident's country of citizenship or nationality in which certain conflicts or disasters occurred; and (3) prior to, and after, such temporary absence the resident establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary that his or her U.S. absence was solely for the purpose of performing such activities or services.
Authorizes up to 1,000 aliens in any fiscal year to obtain such preservation of residence and physical presence.
Authorizes the spouse and any minor, dependent unmarried son or daughter who resides in the same household as the Program participant to return to such alien's country of citizenship or nationality or to reenter the United States.
(Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary to report to Congress regarding participating Program countries and reconstruction efforts and medical services provided.
(Sec. 4) Authorizes FY2011 appropriations for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to carry out this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to Senate with amendment(s)" stage on March 26, 2010. 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 26, 2010: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 338.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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 111th Congress (2009-10), 383 of the 10,778 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.6 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?
RICHARD LUGAR (R-IN) introduced it on February 2, 2010, and 3 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 3 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 February 2, 2010, 6064 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 6012 days ago, on March 26, 2010.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 111th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2011 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers