,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #eehg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ah  
7legislative day1 ,december #af71       
#bjbd,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,merkley1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 and ,mr4       
,markey7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a ,,bill
  ,to establish in the ,department of   
,homeland ,security the ,task ,force on 
the ,reunification of ,families1 and for
 other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,family       
,reunification ,task ,force ,act4  #b4  
,task force on the reunification of     
families  7a7 ,in general ,not later    
than #cj days after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,homeland ,security1 in coordination 
with the ,secretary of ,state1 the      
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services1 and the ,attorney ,general1  
shall establish in the ,department of   
,homeland ,security a task force on the 

reunification of families1 to be known  
as the ,task ,force on the              
,reunification of ,families 7in this    
section referred to as the ,task        
,force74  7b7 ,activities ,the ,task    
,force shall carry out the following3   
7#a7 ,identify all covered children4    
7#b7 ,provide recommendations to the    
,secretary of ,homeland ,security       
concerning the following3 7,a7 ,the     
legal authorities necessary to reunite  
such covered children with their parents
 or legal guardians4  7,b7 ,the exercise
 of parole under section                
#bab7;d77#e77;,a7 of the ,immigration   
and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4     
#aahb7;d77#e77;,a77 to reunite such     
covered children with their parents or  
legal guardians4  7,c7 ,the issuance of 
visas or other immigration benefits to  
reunite such covered children with their
 parents or legal guardians4  7,d7 ,the 
provision of additional services and    
support to such covered children and    
their parents or legal guardians1       

including trauma and mental health      
services4  7,e7 ,reunification of any   
additional family members of such       
covered children1 such as siblings4  7c7
 ,consultation ,in developing the       
recommendations under subsection        
7b77#b71 the ,task ,force shall consult 
with the following3 7#a7 ,relevant      
stakeholders1 including domestic and    
international non-governmental          
organizations4  7#b7 ,representatives of
 covered children4  7d7 ,reports ,not   
later than #fj days after the           
establishment of the ,task ,force1 and  
every #fj days thereafter1 the ,task    
,force shall report to the appropriate  
congressional committees on the         
activities of the ,task ,force during   
the immediately preceding #fj-;day      
period1 including relating to any       
recommendations under subsection 7b77#b7
 that require congressional action4  7e7
 ,sunset ,this ,act shall terminate on  
the earliest of-- 7#a7 the date that is 
#abj days after the date on which all   

covered children have been reunited with
 their parents or legal guardians2 or   
7#b7 ,january #bj1 #bjci4  7f7          
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee  
on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental
 ,affairs1 the ,committee on the        
,judiciary1 the ,committee on ,health1  
,education1 ,labor and ,pensions1 and   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of
 the ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee  
on ,homeland ,security1 the ,committee  
on the ,judiciary1 the ,committee on    
,energy and ,commerce1 and the          
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives4  7#b7       
,covered children ,the term covered     
children means all persons who1 between 
,january #bj1 #bjag1 and ,january #bj1  
#bjba1 were-- 7,a7 under the age of #ah2
 and  7,b7 separated from their parents 
or legal guardians at the ,united       
,states-,mexico border in connection    

with the implementation of the          
,zero-,tolerance ,policy4  7#c7         
,zero-,tolerance ,policy ,the term      
,zero-,tolerance ,policy means-- 7,a7   
the policy specified in the memorandum  
issued by the ,attorney ,general on     
,april #f1 #bjah1 entitled              
,zero-,tolerance for ,offenses ,under #h
 ,u4,s4,c4  #acbe7;a72 or  7,b7 any     
other related policy1 program1 practice1
 or initiative4