House Legislation
Overview
This page highlights key legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that directly impacts the Iranian American community. From family reunification to healthcare access and cultural recognition, these bills represent critical opportunities to advance equity, dignity, and inclusion. Learn more about each proposal and how PAAIA is advocating for their passage on behalf of our community.
House Legislation
H.R.3215 – Temporary Family Visitation Act
Temporary Family Visitation Act (TFVA) is PAAIA’s signature bicameral legislation (see S.1635 for Senate version). As many Iranian Americans can painfully attest, the current process for bringing relatives to the U.S. for a temporary visit is challenging and deeply flawed. Issues stem from the fact that there is no visa category specifically designed to temporarily reunite U.S. citizens and permanent residents with their relatives.
Currently, travelers who want to visit family in the U.S. must apply through a B-2 tourist visa. The problem with this is that consular officers presume many of these B-2 visitors intend to immigrate rather than simply visit, resulting in a high rate of unnecessary denials and pushed many to apply for immigrant visas as the only path to visit relatives in the U.S.
TFVA would establish a new nonimmigrant visa category allowing U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents to petition for their family members to visit them temporarily through enforceable measures. Family members that can visit under this new B-3 visa include spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews.
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Jim Himes (D-CT), & Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL)
Co-Sponsors: 42
H.R.1333 – NO BAN Act
The NO BAN Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make it difficult for presidential administrations to enact policies like the Travel Ban, and to prevent religious-based discrimination of anyone seeking entry into the United States.
The legislation would also require that Congress, through its appropriate committees, be routinely notified and briefed on the status, implementation and authority of the executive branch’s actions pertaining to immigration and travel bans issued on the basis of national security and human rights.
Status: Passed in the House of Representatives
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
Final Vote: 218 – 208
H.R.3541 – Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act
Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act is a legislation which reauthorizes and strengthens the Conrad 30 federal visa waiver program for foreign doctors, including Iranian students, who have studied medicine in the United States. Since 1994, Conrad 30 has helped rural and other medically unserved communities across the United States obtain access to high-quality, U.S.-educated Iranian and other foreign physicians. Many Iranian Americans come to the United States as medical students, and some have benefited from programs such as Conrad 30.
Under current immigration law, the J-1 visa requires foreign medical students to return to their home country for two years before returning to the United States. Conrad 30 waives this requirement in exchange for at least three years of medical service in an underserved area. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Act reauthorizes the program and makes it even stronger, allowing more medical students to take advantage of it, including Iranian doctors, at a time when there is a critical need for more doctors as we continue to combat COVID-19.
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL)
Co-Sponsors: 25
H.Res.237 – Resolution Recognizing the Cultural & Historical Significance of Nowruz
The Nowruz Resolution honors the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz by wishing Iranian Americans, the people of Iran, and all those who celebrate the holiday a prosperous new year. This resolution helps foster a greater understanding of Iranian culture and heritage and projects an accurate and positive image of the Iranian American community. By supporting such a measure, Congress can also enhance U.S. public diplomacy efforts by cultivating American goodwill towards the people of Iran.
By embracing the spirit of Nowruz, the resolution also reminds lawmakers about the lasting contributions of Iranian civilization to the world and the noteworthy impact Iranian Americans have had on the social and economic fabric of America.
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Co-Sponsors: 29
H.Con.Res.110 – Concurrent Resolution Supporting the Iranian People
The Concurrent Resolution commends the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran who have been out in the streets peacefully demonstrating after the death of Mahsa Amini. The resolution reaffirms U.S. support for internet freedom programs and encourages the Biden Administration to prioritize efforts to expand unrestricted internet access in Iran, including to encourage private sector companies such as SpaceX, Google, Apple, and others to make their services available and help ensure the Iranian people have the tools needed to circumvent government surveillance and repression.
The resolution also calls on the international community to speak out against the Iranian regime’s human rights abuses and impose additional human rights sanctions on officials and entities responsible for the repression of protestors.
Primary Sponsor: Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY)
Co-Sponsors: 60
GL D-1 Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in Support of Internet Freedom
This amendment would have the Department of Treasury, in coordination with the Department of State, review and potentially expand allowable activities under the U.S. Treasury’s General License D-1 (GL D-1), a federal regulation which exempts personal communications tools from sanctions for the Iranian people.
An expanded General License D-1 means more internet freedom for the people of Iran.
Status: Passed unanimously in House of Representatives
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) & Brian Fitzpatrick
Bipartisan & Bicameral Letter on Internet Freedom in Iran (GL D-2)
A bipartisan congressional letter urging tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Apple to help the Iranian people access the tools they need to circumvent government censorship by following updated sanctions guidelines.
Primary Signers: Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), & Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Co-Signers: 8
Bipartisan Letter to Meta on Content Moderation
A bipartisan congressional letter calling on Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to ensure its content moderation policies are not inadvertently suppressing Iranian voices, in response to reports that Meta is taking down online posts from protesters in Iran.
Primary Signers: Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA)
Co-Signers: 14
Bipartisan Congressional Letter Urging Biden Administration to Support Internet Freedom in Iran (GL D-1)
A bipartisan congressional group sent a letter urging U.S. President Joe Biden to support the free flow of information and internet freedom for civil society in Iran by clarifying and updating allowable activities under the U.S. Treasury’s General License D-1 (GL D-1), which exempts the sale of personal communications tools from sanctions on Iran.
While the General Licenses were intended to help the Iranian people maintain access to the personal communications tools they need to evade state censorship and surveillance, companies, technology groups, and human rights organizations continue to report that the Iranian people remain unable to access many of the needed international tools and services.
Companies by and large continue to deny Iranians access to their products, or even make their free services available, because GL-D1 lacks specificity regarding which products are exempt from sanctions, and does not include more current technologies that have become central to online communication. As a result, companies fear violating sanctions and overcomply.