To amend and extend the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998.
Public Law 108-449 · H.R. 2655 · 108th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 10, 2004 · Immigration
Sponsor: Rep. Jim Walsh (R-NY-25)
Cosponsors (27): Rep. Pete King, Rep. Richard Neal,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Amends the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 (IPPCTPA) and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to revise the nonimmigrant alien eligibility qualifications for participants in the Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program. Sets a minimum age of 21 (retaining the current age 35 maximum) and requires that the individual: (1) be a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland; (2) have been unemployed continuously for at least 12 months; (3) have resided continuously for at least 18 months in Northern Ireland or one of designated border counties of the Republic of Ireland; and (4) not have a degree from an institution of higher education.
Requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress each program year (currently, the third program year and the four subsequent years) on the number of aliens admitted under the program who have overstayed their visas.
Extends the authority of the IPPCTPA through FY 2008.
Requires the Secretary of State to verify that the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland continue to pay a reasonable share of costs for administration of IPPCTPA programs.
Amends the INA to reduce from 36 to 24 months the temporary period of the visit to the United States for participation in the program.
Denies any such person eligibility to apply for nonimmigrant status, an immigrant visa, or permanent residence until he or she has resided and been physically present in the country of nationality or last residence for an aggregate of a least two years following departure from the United States. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive this requirement if: (1) departure from the United States would impose exceptional hardship upon the alien's spouse or child (if such spouse or child is a U.S. citizen or a lawfully resident alien); or (2) the admission of the alien is in the U.S. public or national interest.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: 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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 1479Related bill
A bill to amend and extend the Irish Peace Process and Cultural Training Program Act of 1998.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 27 actions.
- Dec 10, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-449.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 30, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 20, 2004Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Sensenbrenner asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Nov 19, 2004FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 14, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Oct 7, 2003FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2655.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Sensenbrenner moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Sep 4, 2003CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 149.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on International Relations discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · House Committee on International Relations Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Sept. 4, 2003.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 108-260, Part I.
- Jul 25, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jul 21, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims Discharged.
- Jul 8, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims.
- Jun 26, 2003CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on International Relations, 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.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4071SenateSen. Richard LugarR-IN· offered Nov 19, 2004Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Nov 19, 2004: Amendment SA 4071 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.