To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend for an additional 2 years the period for admission of an alien as a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(S) of such Act, and to authorize appropriations for the refugee assistance program under chapter 2 of title IV of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Public Law 106-104 · H.R. 3061 · 106th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 13, 1999 · Immigration
Sponsor: Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Expresses the sense of Congress that in light of increased alien smuggling into the United States, the Attorney General should increase the use of providing nonimmigrant status for aliens assisting in criminal or security investigations ("S" visa) in alien smuggling operations.
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to extend the "S" visa period of admissions.
Authorizes appropriations for refugee admissions.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 10 actions.
- Nov 13, 1999Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 106-104.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 10, 1999PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Nov 8, 1999FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 26, 1999FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Oct 21, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Oct 12, 1999CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.