On Wednesday, President Bush signed H.R. 2152 in to law (P.L. 108-99), amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend for an additional 5 years the special immigrant religious worker program.

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The following bills were recently introduced in Congress:

H.R.3273: To amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to allow States and localities to provide primary and preventive care to all individuals.

Sponsor: Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] (introduced 10/8/2003)

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2003 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R.3284: To improve the health of residents of, and the environment in, the United States-Mexico border area.

Sponsor: Rep Reyes, Silvestre [TX-16] (introduced 10/8/2003)

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2003 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, International Relations, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.3289: Making emergency supplemental appropriations for defense and for the reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Young, C. W. Bill [FL-10] (introduced 10/14/2003)

Related Bills: H.RES.396, H.RES.401, S.1689

Latest Major Action: 10/17/2003 Resolving differences / Conference -- Senate actions. Status: Senate insists on its amendment, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Stevens; Cochran; Specter; Domenici; Bond; McConnell; Burns; Shelby; Gregg; Bennett; Campbell; Craig; Hutchison; DeWine; Brownback; Byrd; Inouye; Hollings; Leahy; Harkin; Mikulski; Reid; Kohl; Murray; Dorgan; Feinstein; Durbin; Johnson; Landrieu.

H.R.3293: To amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to expand or add coverage of pregnant women under the Medicaid and State children's health insurance programs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep DeGette, Diana [CO-1] (introduced 10/15/2003)

Latest Major Action: 10/15/2003 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.R.3306: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to remove from an alien the initial burden of establishing that he or she is entitled to nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(B) of such Act, in the case of certain aliens seeking to enter the United States for a temporary stay occasioned by the serious illness or death of a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Case, Ed [HI-2] (introduced 10/16/2003)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 10/16/2003 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

H.R.3309: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to restore certain provisions relating to the definition of aggravated felony and other provisions as they were before the enactment of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 10/16/2003)

Committees: House Judiciary

Latest Major Action: 10/16/2003 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

S.1734: A bill to amend titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to expand or add coverage of pregnant women under the medicaid and State children's health insurance programs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche [AR] (introduced 10/15/2003)

Latest Major Action: 10/15/2003 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

For a review of all the immigration bills introduced this year, visit our legislative chart at www.visalaw.com/advocacy.html.