,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdgh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ab1
 #bjai ,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,schumer1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,booker1  
,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4    
,brown1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1
 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,ms4 ,harris1 ,mrs4      
,murray1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4
 ,leahy1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,ms4        
,klobuchar1 and ,mr4 ,cardin7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was read     
twice and referred to the ,committee on 
the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to designate
 the ,bahamas under section #bdd of the 
,immigration and ,nationality ,act to   
provide temporary protected status under
 such section to eligible nationals of  
the ,bahamas4  #a4 ,short title  ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,bahamas       
,temporary ,protected ,status ,act of   
#bjai4  #b4 ,findings ,congress makes   
the following findings3 7#a7 ,on        
,september #a1 #bjai1 ,hurricane ,dorian
 made landfall in the ,bahamas as a     

category #e hurricane with sustained    
winds over #ahj miles per hour4  7#b7   
,between ,september #a1 #bjai1 and      
,september #c1 #bjai1 the islands of the
 ,bahamas and the ,bahamian people were 
subjected to hurricane-force winds1     
heavy rains1 and extensive flooding that
 destroyed critical infrastructure1     
decimated houses and property1 and      
claimed the lives of at least #ej       
individuals4  7#c7 ,the ,international  
,federation of the ,red ,cross and ,red 
,crescent ,societies stated that more   
than #fj1jjj individuals in the ,bahamas
 lack access to clean drinking water as 
a result of the devastation caused by   
,hurricane ,dorian4  7#d7 ,the ,world   
,food ,programme indicates that more    
than #fj1jjj individuals in the ,bahamas
 will require food relief as a result of
 the destruction caused by ,hurricane   
,dorian4  7#e7 ,the ,secretary of       
,homeland ,security may1 under section  
#bdd of the ,immigration and            
,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4         

#abed;a71 designate a foreign state that
 has experienced an environmental       
disaster so as to provide temporary     
protected status in the ,united ,states 
to eligible nationals of such foreign   
state who cannot return safely to their 
homeland4  #c4 ,designation for purposes
 of granting temporary protected status 
7a7 ,designation  7#a7 ,in general ,for 
purposes of section #bdd of the         
,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h  
,u4,s4,c4 #abed;a71 the ,bahamas shall  
be treated as if it had been designated 
under subsection 7b77#a77;,b7 of that   
section1 subject to the provisions of   
this section4  7#b7 ,period of          
designation ,the initial period of the  
designation referred to in paragraph    
7#a7 shall be for the #ah-month period  
beginning on the date of the enactment  
of this ,act4  7b7 ,aliens eligible ,as 
a result of the designation made under  
subsection 7a71 an alien who is a       
national of the ,bahamas is considered  
to satisfy the requirements under       

paragraph 7#a7 of section #bdd7;c7 of   
the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act  
7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abed;a7c771 subject to   
paragraph 7#c7 of such section1 if the  
alien--  7#a7 has been continuously     
physically present in the ,united       
,states since the date of the enactment 
of this ,act2  7#b7 is admissible as an 
immigrant1 except as otherwise provided 
in paragraph 7#b77;,a7 of such section1 
and is not ineligible for temporary     
protected status under paragraph        
7#b77;,b7 of such section2 and  7#c7    
registers for temporary protected status
 in a manner established by the         
,secretary of ,homeland ,security4  7c7 
,consent ,to travel abroad  7#a7 ,in    
general ,the ,secretary of ,homeland    
,security shall give prior consent to   
travel abroad1 in accordance with       
section #bdd7;f77#c7 of the ,immigration
 and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4    
#abed;a7f77#c771 to an alien who is     
granted temporary protected status      
pursuant to the designation made under  

subsection 7a7 if the alien establishes 
to the satisfaction of the ,secretary of
 ,homeland ,security that emergency and 
extenuating circumstances beyond the    
control of the alien require the alien  
to depart for a brief1 temporary trip   
abroad4  7#b7 ,treatment upon return ,an
 alien returning to the ,united ,states 
in accordance with an authorization     
described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be    
treated as any other returning alien    
provided temporary protected status     
under section #bdd of the ,immigration  
and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4     
#abed;a74