COMPETE Act of 2006
Public Law 109-463 · S. 3821 · 109th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 22, 2006 · Immigration
Sponsor: Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. John Cornyn,
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.
Creating Opportunities for Minor League Professionals, Entertainers, and Teams through Legal Entry Act of 2006 or the COMPETE Act of 2006 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to enlarge the scope of P-1 (athletes and entertainers) nonimmigrant visas to include: (1) a professional athlete; (2) a person who performs as an athlete, coach, or part of a team that is located in the United States and is a member of certain amateur foreign leagues or associations from which a significant number of individuals are drafted by major sports leagues or their minor league affiliates; and (3) a professional or amateur athlete who performs individually or as part of a group in a theatrical ice skating production coming to the United States in a specific ice skating production or tour. (Currently such provision is limited to athletes performing at an "internationally recognized level of performance.")
Prohibits visa issuance to an alien from a country that is a state sponsor of international terrorism unless the Secretary of State determines that such alien is not a threat to U.S. security.
Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to permit: (1) a petition to seek P-1 classification for multiple alien athletes; and (2) athletes or their employers to seek admission for such athletes under other than P-1 provisions of INA if eligible under such other provisions.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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. 1443Related bill
A bill to permit athletes to receive nonimmigrant alien status under certain conditions, and for other purposes.
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. 17 actions.
- Dec 22, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-463.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 20, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 9, 2006FloorFloor · 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 · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3821.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Cannon moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Dec 7, 2006FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Dec 6, 2006FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 3, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8839)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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
2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 5223SenateSen. Susan CollinsR-ME· offered Dec 6, 2006Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 6, 2006: Amendment SA 5223 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- Other
S.Amdt. 5211SenateSen. Susan CollinsR-ME· offered Dec 5, 2006Other
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 5, 2006: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
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.