,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ace  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #ae1       
#bjai,mr4 ,thune introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to prioritize   
the allocation of ,h-#b;,b visas for    
,states with low unemployment rates4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,prioritizing ,help to          
,businesses ,act4  #b4 ,prioritizing the
 allocation of ,h-#b;,b visas for       
,states with low unemployment rates  7a7
 ,in general ,section #bad7;g77#aj7 of  
the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act  
7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahd7;g77#aj77 is amended
 to read as follows3  7#aj7 7,a7 ,except
 as provided in subparagraphs 7,b7 and  
7,c71 the numerical limitation under    
paragraph 7#a77;,b7 shall not apply to  
,h-#b;,b visas issued to aliens for     
positions that are certified for        
employment pursuant to subpart ,a of    
part #fee of title #bj1 ,code of        

,federal ,regulations1 to perform       
service or labor in a ,state that had a 
seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of
 #c4e percent or lower in #c of the #e  
most recent monthly reports issued by   
the ,bureau of ,labor ,statistics in the
 previous fiscal year4  7,b7 ,the number
 of aliens exempted from the numerical  
limitation pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7
 in any ,state during any fiscal year   
may not exceed the lesser of--  7i7 #abe
 percent of the number of visas issued  
to aliens working in such ,state during 
the most recently concluded fiscal year2
 or  7ii7 #b1ejj4  7,c7 ,if more        
,h-#b;,b visa applications are received 
in a fiscal year on behalf of aliens    
desiring to work in a ,state described  
in subparagraph 7,a7 than the limit set 
forth in subparagraph 7,b7--  7i7       
eligible applicants1 in a number equal  
to such limit1 shall be selected1 by    
lottery1 from such applications for the 
exemption under subparagraph 7,a72 and  
7ii7 the remaining applicants shall be  

subject to the numerical limitation     
under paragraph 7#a77;,b74  4  7b7      
,effective date ,the amendment made by  
subsection 7a7 shall take place on the  
first day of the first fiscal year      
beginning after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act4