,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #fcf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #bh1 #bjai,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 and ,mr4 ,booker7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to designate ,venezuela under section #bdd of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act to permit nationals of ,venezuela to be eligible for temporary protected status under such section4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,venezuela ,temporary ,protected ,status ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,venezuela is enduring an unprecedented economic1 humanitarian1 security1 and refugee crisis1 consisting of extreme food and medicine shortages1 severe infant and child malnutrition1 rampant crime1 and government-sponsored repression4 7#b7 ,venezuela's economic crisis continues unabated and the ,international ,monetary ,fund projects that inflation in ,venezuela could reach an annual rate of #aj1jjj1jjj percent in #bjai4 7#c7 ,as evidence of the humanitarian crisis created by ,venezuela's systemic economic turmoil-- 7,a7 more than #i1jjj1jjj people in ,venezuela are eating #b or fewer meals a day2 and 7,b7 approximately #ge percent of the population have reported losing an average of-- 7i7 #ai pounds in #bjaf2 and 7ii7 #bd pounds in #bjag4 7#d7 ,moderate to severe malnutrition among ,venezuelan children under #e years of age increased by more than #ej percent in #bjag1 and approximately #cjj1jjj ,venezuelan children are at risk of dying from malnutrition1 according to ,critas de ,venezuela1 a ,catholic humanitarian organization4 7#e7 ,pharmacies in ,venezuela have shortages of approximately #he percent of needed medicines and #gf percent of public hospitals lack the basic medicines that should be available in any functional public hospital1 including those that are on the ,world ,health ,organization's ,list of ,essential ,medicines4 7#f7 ,as evidence of the significant effect that ,venezuela's economic crisis on public health1 ,venezuela's ,health ,ministry reported that in #bjaf-- 7,a7 there was a #cj-percent increase in the infant mortality rate2 and 7,b7 there was a #fe-percent increase in the maternal mortality rate4 7#g7 ,violent crime in ,venezuela has risen sharply and the ,venezuelan ,violence ,observatory1 an independent nongovernmental organization1 calculated the national per capita murder rate to be #hi per #ajj1jjj people in #bjag4 7#h7 ,according to ,citizens ,council for ,public ,safety and ,criminal ,justice1 ,caracas was the most dangerous capital city in the world in #bjag1 with #aaa murders per #ajj1jjj residents4 7#i7 ,according to the ,united ,nations ,human ,rights ,office of the ,high ,commissioner-- 7,a7 ,venezuelan intelligence and security forces have increasingly used arbitrary arrests and detentions to repress and intimidate civil society1 political opponents1 and any voices of dissent2 and 7,b7 between #bjae and #bjag1 at least #eje people including #bd children1 were executed by ,venezuelan security forces1 leading the ,international ,criminal ,court prosecutor to announce a preliminary investigation into the use of excessive force in ,venezuela4 7#aj7 ,zeid ,ra'ad ,al ,hussein1 the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights1 stated1 ,the failure to hold security forces accountable for such serious human rights violations suggests that the rule of law is virtually absent in ,venezuela44 7#aa7 ,according to the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights1 more than #c1djj1jjj ,venezuelans have left their country for reasons such as violence1 political oppression1 economic hardship1 and the ongoing humanitarian crisis4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of the ,congress that-- 7#a7 ,venezuela's economic1 humanitarian1 security1 and refugee crisis has resulted in extraordinary and temporary conditions that currently prevent ,venezuelan nationals from safely returning to ,venezuela2 and 7#b7 ,venezuela should be designated under subsection 7b77#a77;,c7 of section #bdd of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #abed;a7 for a period of #ah months to permit nationals of ,venezuela to be eligible for temporary protected status in accordance with such section4 #d4 ,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 ,venezuela shall be treated as if it had been designated under subsection 7b77#a77;,c7 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 ,venezuela is deemed 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 #e4 ,improving internal migration systems in countries surrounding ,venezuela 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 shall work with international partners1 including the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,refugees1 to support and provide technical assistance to improve the domestic capacity of countries surrounding ,venezuela and in the region to provide migration services and asylum to eligible ,venezuelan citizens-- 7#a7 by establishing and expanding temporary and long-term1 in-country reception centers and shelter capacity in those surrounding countries to meet the humanitarian needs of ,venezuelan migrants or ,venezuelans seeking asylum or other forms of international protection2 7#b7 by improving migration and asylum registration systems in those surrounding countries to ensure that ,venezuelan migrants and ,venezuelans seeking asylum or other humanitarian protection-- 7,a7 receive due process and meaningful access to legal protections2 and 7,b7 receive proper documents in order to prevent fraud and facilitate freedom of movement and access to basic social services2 7#c7 by supporting the creation or expansion of a corps of trained migration and asylum officers from those countries who are capable of-- 7,a7 providing migration services2 and 7,b7 evaluating and deciding individual asylum claims consistent with international law and obligations2 and 7#d7 by developing the capacity to conduct best interest determinations for ,venezuelan migrants to ensure that their needs are properly met4 7b7 ,strategy ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 shall submit a strategy describing plans for assisting the development of the international asylum processing capabilities described in subsection 7a7 to-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 7#b7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,senate2 7#c7 the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate2 7#d7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives2 7#e7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,house of ,representatives2 and 7#f7 the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 7c7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary of ,state #aj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjai to carry out the activities set forth in subsection 7b71 in accordance with this section4 7#b7 ,notification requirement 7,a7 ,in general ,except as provided under subparagraph 7,b71 amounts appropriated or otherwise made available pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 may not be obligated until #ae days after the date on which the ,president provides notice to the committees listed in subsection 7b7 of the intent to obligate such funds4 7,b7 ,waiver 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state may waive the requirement under subparagraph 7,a7 if the ,secretary of ,state determines that such waiver is in the national interest of the ,united ,states4 7ii7 ,notification requirement ,if a waiver is invoked under clause 7i71 the ,president shall notify the committees listed in subsection 7b7 of the intention to obligate funds under this section as early as practicable1 but not later than #c days after taking the action to which such notification requirement was applicable in the context of the circumstances necessitating such waiver4