,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cjhd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ah1     
#bjah,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,wyden1 and ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill 
,to require the ,secretary of ,homeland 
,security and the ,secretary of ,health 
and ,human ,services to allow ,members  
of ,congress to tour detention          
facilities that house unaccompanied     
alien children4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,congressional 
,access to ,children's ,detention       
,facilities ,act4  #b4 ,definitions ,in 
this ,act3  7#a7 ,secretary concerned   
,the term ,secretary concerned means1 as
 applicable-- 7,a7 the ,attorney        
,general2  7,b7 the ,secretary of       
,homeland ,security2 or  7,c7 the       
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services4  7#b7 ,unaccompanied alien   
child ,the term unaccompanied alien     

child has the meaning given the term in 
section #dfb7;g7 of the ,homeland       
,security ,act of #bjjb 7#f ,u4,s4,c4   
#bgi7;g774  #c4 ,mandatory access to    
detention facilities housing            
unaccompanied alien children  7a7 ,in   
general ,subject to subsection 7c71 the 
,secretary concerned shall allow a      
,member of ,congress to tour any        
facility in which #a or more            
unaccompanied alien children are housed 
at a time between #h3jj a4m4 and #g3jj  
p4m4 on a date requested by the ,member 
of ,congress if1 not later than #bd     
hours before midnight on the date       
requested1 the ,secretary receives      
written notice from the ,member of      
,congress that includes--  7#a7 the name
 of the facility2 and  7#b7 the date on 
which the ,member of ,congress intends  
to tour the facility4  7b7 ,accompanying
 members of the press  7#a7 ,in general 
,the ,secretary concerned shall allow #a
 or more members of the press to        
accompany any ,member of ,congress on a 

tour of a facility under this section4  
7#b7 ,limitation ,the ,secretary        
concerned shall not be required to allow
 a member of the press accompanying a   
,member of ,congress under paragraph    
7#a7 to enter such facility with a still
 or video camera4  7c7 ,limitation ,the 
,secretary concerned may limit a tour   
under subsection 7a7 to-- 7#a7 in the   
case of a facility that houses fewer    
than #ej unaccompanied alien children-- 
7,a7 not more than #e ,members of       
,congress2 and  7,b7 accompanying       
members of the press under subsection   
7b72 and  7#b7 in the case of a facility
 that houses not fewer than #ej         
unaccompanied alien children-- 7,a7 not 
more than #aj ,members of ,congress2 and
  7,b7 accompanying members of the press
 under subsection 7b74  #d4 ,rule of    
construction ,nothing in this ,act shall
 be construed to supersede or modify    
applicable--  7#a7 ,federal child       
welfare laws1 including the ,adoption   
and ,safe ,families ,act of #aiig       

7,public ,law #aje-hi72 or  7#b7 child  
welfare laws of any ,state4