To remove the African National Congress from treatment as a terrorist organization for certain acts or events, provide relief for certain members of the African National Congress regarding admissibility, and for other purposes.
Public Law 110-257 · H.R. 5690 · 110th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Jul 1, 2008 · Immigration
Sponsor: Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA-28)
Cosponsors (6): Rep. Bennie Thompson, Rep. Donald Payne,
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 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008 to state that for purposes of alien inadmissibility based upon terrorist-related grounds the African National Congress (ANC) shall not be considered to be a terrorist organization on the basis of any act or event that occurred before the date of enactment of such Act.
Authorizes the Secretary of State (after consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security) or the Secretary of Homeland Security (after consultation with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General) to determine, in such Secretary's sole and unreviewable discretion, that inadmissibility based upon specified criminal convictions or terrorist activities shall not apply to an alien with respect to activities undertaken in opposition to apartheid rule in South Africa.
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security should exercise such authority in appropriate instances to exempt the anti-apartheid activities of aliens who are current or former officials of the government of the Republic of South Africa.
Directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of National Intelligence, to ensure that databases used to determine U.S. admissibility are appropriately updated.
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. 2979Related bill
A bill to exempt the African National Congress from treatment as a terrorist organization, 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. 31 actions.
- Jul 1, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-257.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 27, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jun 26, 2008Resolving 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 · Ms. Lee asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 852.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment. Without written report.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- May 12, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- May 8, 2008FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · 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 · Considered as unfinished business.
- May 6, 2008FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Frelinghuysen objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5690.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Conyers moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- May 5, 2008CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 387.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 110-620, Part I.
- Apr 30, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Apr 29, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law Discharged.
- Apr 14, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
- Apr 3, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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.
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
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.