,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bage  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bb1     
#bjbc,mrs4 ,gillibrand 7for herself and 
,mr4 ,merkley7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend section #bjh of the   
,immigration and ,nationality ,act to   
reduce the waiting period for employment
 authorization for asylum applicants1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,assisting ,seekers in ,pursuit of      
,integration and ,rapid ,employment ,act
 or the ,,aspire ,act4  #b4 ,employment 
authorization for aliens seeking asylum 
,paragraph 7#b7 of section #bjh7;d7 of  
the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act  
7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaeh7;d77 is amended to  
read as follows3  7#b7 ,employment      
authorization  7,a7 ,eligibility        
,subject to subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c71
 the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security  
shall authorize employment for an       

applicant for asylum whose application  
for asylum has not been determined      
frivolous4  7,b7 ,application ,an       
applicant for asylum who is not         
otherwise eligible for employment       
authorization shall not be granted such 
authorization prior to #cj days after   
the date of filing of the application   
for asylum4  7,c7 ,term ,employment     
authorization for an applicant for      
asylum shall be valid until the date on 
which an applicant is issued a final    
denial of the applicable application1   
including administrative and judicial   
review4  4  #c4 ,authorization of       
appropriations  7a7 ,u4,s4 ,citizenship 
and ,immigration ,services  7#a7 ,in    
general ,there is authorized to be      
appropriated to the ,director of ,u4,s4 
,citizenship and ,immigration ,services 
to increase the capacity of ,u4,s4      
,citizenship and ,immigration ,services 
to address the asylum backlog1 including
 by hiring additional asylum officers   
and providing basic asylum training and 

translation and interpretation services1
 #b1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbd1  
to remain available until expended4     
7#b7 ,use of funds ,not less than #ge   
percent of the amount authorized to be  
appropriated under paragraph 7#a7 shall 
be used to hire personnel4  7b7         
,department of ,homeland ,security      
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security
 for the ,shelter and ,services         
,program1 administered jointly by ,u4,s4
 ,customs and ,border ,protection and   
the ,federal ,emergency ,management     
,agency1 to provide ,state and local    
governments and nonprofit organizations 
with funding for the provision of       
shelter1 food1 transportation1 and other
 support services to migrants           
encountered by the ,secretary           
#aj1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbd1  
to remain available until expended4