,,ii #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #efdd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #bj 7legislative day1 ,december #af71 #bjbd,mr4 ,young 7for himself and ,mr4 ,manchin7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to establish a new visa category for high-skilled aliens seeking employment in slow-growing and shrinking counties in the ,united ,states4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,heartland ,visa ,act of #bjbd4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,high-skilled immigrants are an invaluable source of innovation and entrepreneurship for the ,united ,states economy4 ,since #bjjj1 immigrants have accounted for #be percent of recent startups1 #bc percent of ,united ,states patents1 and #ch percent of ,american ,nobel prizes in medicine1 chemistry1 and physics4 7#b7 ,industries that are critical to the ,united ,states economic and national security depend on the contributions of foreign-born workers4 ,nineteen percent of our ,nation's domestic defense industrial base's workforce is foreign-born1 including #di percent of such workers with a master's degree in science1 technology1 engineering1 or math 7,,stem7 and #ef percent of such workers with a ,,stem ,ph,d4 7#c7 ,large portions of the ,united ,states have not benefitted from this foreign-born talent since more than #b_/c of all foreign-born ,united ,states residents with a bachelor's degree or higher reside in the largest #ajj counties in the ,united ,states4 7#d7 ,hundreds of counties across the country are suffering from the effects of population decline and shortages of scientific and technical talent4 7#e7 ,local population decline erodes municipal tax bases1 saps communities of resources for infrastructure and education funding1 and erodes economic dynamism and innovation4 7#f7 ,a new place-based ,heartland ,visa ,program for skilled talent would-- 7,a7 unlock existing latent capacity for growth1 innovation1 and entrepreneurship that seeds new clusters of opportunity in participating counties2 7,b7 help to build more resilient supply chains in strategically important sectors2 and 7,c7 allow the ,united ,states to leap ahead of ,united ,states competitors in the global race for technical talent4 #c4 ,heartland ,visa 7a7 ,in general ,chapter ,i of title ,,ii of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaea et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #baj;,a4 ,heartland ,visa ,program 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,applicant ,the term applicant means an alien seeking a ,heartland ,visa under this section4 7#b7 ,clearing rate ,the term clearing rate means the lowest successful wage bid in the salary survey for a specific quarter4 7#c7 ,eligible county ,the term eligible county means a county1 an independent city1 a parish 7in ,louisiana71 or a borough 7in ,alaska7 that has been designated by the ,secretary1 in accordance with the process described in subsection 7b71 as a jurisdiction that is eligible to participate in the ,heartland ,visa ,program4 7#d7 ,heartland visa ,the term ,heartland ,visa means a visa issued to an alien pursuant to this section4 7#e7 ,,hv-#a visa ,the term ,,hv-#a ,visa means a ,heartland ,visa issued to an applicant4 7#f7 ,,hv-#b visa ,the term ,,hv-#b ,visa means a ,heartland ,visa issued to the spouse or child of an applicant4 7#g7 ,national vetting center ,the term ,national ,vetting ,center means the ,national ,vetting ,center established pursuant to ,national ,security ,presidential ,memorandum #i1 issued on ,february #f1 #bjah4 7#h7 ,participating county ,the term participating county means an eligible county that has elected to participate in the ,heartland ,visa ,program4 7#i7 ,remote worker ,the term remote worker means an employee whose routinely works for an employer at a location that is not owned or leased by his or her employer4 7#aj7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 working through the ,director of ,u4,s4 ,citizenship and ,immigration ,services4 7#aa7 ,wage bid ,the term wage bid means an annualized salary reported pursuant to subsection 7c77#b7 that has been adjusted in accordance with subsection 7c77#c74 7b7 ,designation and participation of eligible counties 7#a7 ,initial designation 7,a7 ,required criteria ,during the #a-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the ,heartland ,visa ,act of #bjbd1 a county may not be designated as an eligible county unless-- 7i7 the number of individuals residing in the county who are at least #be years of age and younger than #ee years of age did not increase by more than #j4e percent between the #bjaj decennial census and the #bjbj decennial census2 and 7ii7 the median home value in the county1 as measured by the #bjaf-bjbj ,american ,community ,survey of the ,bureau of the ,census1 is not higher than the national median home value4 7,b7 ,supplemental criteria ,in addition to the requirements described in subparagraph 7,a71 a county may not be designated as an eligible county during the #a-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the ,heartland ,visa ,act of #bjbd unless-- 7i7 the total number of individuals residing in the county did not increase by more than #j4e percent between the #bjaj decennial census and the #bjbj decennial census2 or 7ii7 7,i7 the total population residing in the county peaked at the time of or before the #aihj decennial census2 and 7,,ii7 the total number of individuals residing in the county did not increase by more than #e percent between the #bjaj decennial census and the #bjbj decennial census4 7#b7 ,subsequent designation of eligible counties ,after the initial #a-year period referred to in paragraph 7#a71 any county that did not meet the initial criteria for designation as an eligible county under such paragraph may be so designated if such county meets the criteria described in paragraph 7#a71 as measured by comparing the data from the most recent #e-year ,american ,community ,survey published by the ,bureau of the ,census with the data from the ,american ,community ,survey that was published #aj years before the publication of the most recent ,american ,community ,survey4 7#c7 ,participation in heartland visa program 7,a7 ,application ,an eligible county desiring to participate in the ,heartland ,visa ,program1 after the relevant county decision-making body authorizes such participation1 shall submit an application to the ,secretary that contains such information as the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,labor1 may reasonably require4 7,b7 ,limit on total population of participating counties ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,labor1 shall determine the number of participating counties4 ,in making such determination1 the ,secretary shall-- 7i7 limit the combined population of all participating counties to not more than #be1jjj1jjj2 7ii7 ensure that all #d ,census ,bureau regions are represented2 and 7iii7 include both rural and urban counties4 7,c7 ,selection criteria ,in determining which eligible counties will be designated as participating counties1 the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,labor1 shall give priority to counties-- 7i7 with a larger labor market1 based on population and the number of individuals employed within the county2 7ii7 that are adjacent to other eligible counties that are also applying to participate in the ,program2 7iii7 in which low-cost housing is available2 7iv7 in which #a or more institutions of higher education are located2 and 7v7 that demonstrate the capacity to successfully absorb high-skilled immigrants1 including a shortage in skilled labor1 local organizations dedicated to helping skilled immigrants1 and public-private partnerships4 7,d7 ,allocation of visas 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 after consultation with the ,secretary of ,labor1 shall allocate ,heartland ,visas1 on a quarterly basis1 among participating counties through the wage-based points system described in subsection 7c74 7ii7 ,priority ,heartland ,visas shall be issued to qualifying applicants in each participating county in descending order of the wage bids until the earlier of the date on which-- 7,i7 all available visas for the applicable quarter have been issued2 or 7,,ii7 there are no more qualified applicants4 7#d7 ,terminating participation ,a county that has participated in the ,heartland ,visa ,program shall terminate such participation if-- 7,a7 the relevant county decision-making body rescinds its prior authorization referred to in paragraph 7#c77;,a7 during an annual opt out period established by the ,secretary2 7,b7 the cumulative population growth of the county since the date on which the county began participating in the ,heartland ,visa ,program exceeds #ae percent2 or 7,c7 the median home value in the county exceeds the national median home value by at least #bj percent1 as measured by the most recently published #e-year ,american ,community ,survey4 7c7 ,wage bids 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall allocate ,heartland ,visas1 on a quarterly basis1 among participating counties through the wage-based points system described in this subsection4 ,heartland ,visas shall be issued to qualifying applicants in each participating county in descending order of the wage bids until all available visas have been issued or there are no more qualified applicants remaining4 7#b7 ,quarterly salary surveys ,the ,secretary shall hold quarterly salary surveys through which eligible applicants may submit-- 7,a7 7i7 the name of a prospective employer that has given the applicant an offer of employment and proof of such offer that identifies the annualized salary being offered2 or 7ii7 if the applicant intends to remain in his or her current job and relocate to another participating county1 the name of the applicant's current employer and proof of the annualized salary that he or she is being paid2 7,b7 the current age of the applicant2 7,c7 proof that the applicant has earned a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education within the participating county1 if applicable2 and 7,d7 evidence that the applicant meets the requirements under paragraph 7#c77;,c71 if applicable4 7#c7 ,adjustments to calculate wage bid ,the ,secretary shall calculate a wage bid for each applicant-- 7,a7 by multiplying the annualized salary reported pursuant to paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 for applicants who are younger than #be years of age1 by a factor that is not more than #b4e and is higher than the factor applicable to applicants described in clause 7ii72 7ii7 for applicants who are at least #be years of age and younger than #cj years of age1 by a factor that is lower than the factor applicable to applicants described in clause 7i7 and higher than the factor applicable to applicants described in clause 7iii72 7iii7 for applicants who are at least #cj years of age and younger than #ce years of age1 by a factor that is lower than the factor applicable to applicants described in clause 7ii7 and higher than the factor applicable to applicants described in clause 7iv72 7iv7 for applicants who are at least #ce years of age and younger than #dj years of age1 by a factor that is lower than the factor applicable to applicants described in clause 7iii7 and higher than the factor applicable to applicants described in clause 7v72 and 7v7 for applicants who are at least #dj years of age1 by a factor that is lower than the factor applicable to applicants described in clause 7iv7 and not less than #a4j2 7,b7 for applicants who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher from an institution of higher education 7as defined in section #aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja77 located within the participating county1 multiplying such annualized salary1 as adjusted pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 7if applicable71 by #a4a2 and 7,c7 for applicants who are transferring within a company or are remote workers and who have been employed continuously for at least #a year by such company during the most recent #c-year period1 by multiplying such annualized salary1 as adjusted pursuant to subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 7if applicable71 by #a4a4 7#d7 ,age weighting factors ,the ,secretary shall set the factors under clauses 7i7 through 7iv7 of paragraph 7#c77;,a7 to maximize the expected future lifetime earnings of ,heartland ,visa holders4 7#e7 ,alternative wage bid ,a self-employed applicant1 including freelancers providing remote professional services1 entrepreneurs starting a new business in the ,united ,states1 and entrepreneurs moving their business operations to the ,united ,states1 may submit a wage bid to the ,secretary consisting of the average annual personal net earnings received from his or her business during the most recent #c-year period4 7#f7 ,minimum salary ,any applicant with an annualized salary offer described in paragraph 7#b7 that is less than the ,united ,states median annual earnings for full-time1 year-round workers for the most recent fiscal year is ineligible to receive a ,heartland ,visa under this section4 7d7 ,terms and employment conditions 7#a7 ,fees 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall collect from each ,heartland ,visa applicant1 at the time of application-- 7i7 an application fee or a renewal fee1 as applicable2 7ii7 an additional fee to pay for the enhanced vetting required under subsection 7f77#b72 and 7iii7 for those seeking permanent residence in the ,united ,states pursuant to subsection 7i71 an adjustment of status fee in accordance with section #bde4 7,b7 ,amount 7i7 ,in general ,subject to clauses 7ii7 and 7iii71 the ,secretary shall set the amount for the fees required under subparagraph 7,a7 at an amount that is sufficient to cover1 but not exceed1 the costs of processing applications under this section4 7ii7 ,premium fee ,subject to clause 7iii71 the ,secretary shall collect a premium fee of #b1hje for aliens desiring expedited processing of their immigration application under this section4 ,such fee shall be returned if the relevant application is not processed by the date that is #ae days after the date on which such application is received by the ,secretary4 7iii7 ,biennial adjustment ,the ,secretary shall adjust the premium fee authorized under clause 7ii7 on a biennial basis by the percentage 7if any7 by which the ,consumer ,price ,index for ,all ,urban ,consumers for the month of ,june preceding the date on which such adjustment takes effect exceeds the ,consumer ,price ,index for ,all ,urban ,consumers for the same month of the second preceding calendar year4 ,the provisions of section #eec of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall not apply to an adjustment authorized under this clause4 7,c7 ,heartland visa account ,amounts collected pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 shall be deposited into the ,heartland ,visa ,account established under section #bhf7w74 7#b7 ,term2 renewal 7,a7 ,term ,an applicant who is issued a ,heartland ,visa pursuant to this section-- 7i7 shall reside1 during the #c-year period such visa remains in effect1 except for an initial grace period of up to #c months1 as determined by the ,secretary1 in-- 7,i7 a participating county2 or 7,,ii7 a county that was a participating county at the time the applicant first established residency in such county2 7ii7 may be employed by any employer in the ,united ,states during such #c-year period2 7iii7 may not be within any of the classes of inadmissible aliens described in section #bab7;a7 and shall be removed from the ,united ,states if he or she is within any of the classes of deportable aliens described in section #bcg7;a72 and 7iv7 shall depart from the ,united ,states before the last day of such #c-year period unless-- 7,i7 the applicant renews such status pursuant to subparagraph 7,b72 or 7,,ii7 the applicant1 following the #bnd #c-year term1 applies to adjust his or her status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence pursuant subsection 7h74 7,b7 ,renewal ,an applicant may renew a ,heartland ,visa issued pursuant to this section for #a additional #c-year period under the same terms and conditions as the initial ,heartland ,visa was issued by submitting to the ,secretary proof that the applicant has complied with subparagraph 7,a77i7 and paragraph 7#c7 during the period in which such visa was in effect4 7#c7 ,earnings requirement ,each ,heartland ,visa holder shall earn an annualized salary equal to not less than the lesser of-- 7,a7 the amount he or she included in his or her response to the applicable quarterly salary survey under subsection 7c77#b72 or 7,b7 the lowest quarterly auction clearing rate during the most recent #ab-month period4 7#d7 ,spouses and dependents 7,a7 ,application ,each ,heartland ,visa holder may apply for an ,,hv-#b visa on behalf of his or her spouse and any of his or her unmarried dependent children4 7,b7 ,term ,an ,,hv-#b visa issued pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 shall remain valid while the ,heartland ,visa of the spouse or parent remains valid4 7,c7 ,employment authorization ,the ,secretary shall automatically authorize alien spouses and unmarried dependent children who are at least #af years of age to engage in employment in the ,united ,states if such aliens-- 7i7 were issued an ,,hv-#b visa pursuant to subparagraph 7,a72 and 7ii7 are accompanying or following to join the principal ,heartland ,visa holder while maintaining such status4 7,d7 ,exemption from numerical limitation ,,hv-#b visas issued to spouses and children pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 shall not be subject to the numerical limitation set forth in subsection 7g74 7#e7 ,no dual intent requirement 7,a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding subsection 7h71 an alien whose nonimmigrant visa was issued under the condition that such alien intends to depart the ,united ,states upon the expiration of such visa may apply for an ,,hv-#a visa under this section4 7,b7 ,exchange visitor program participants ,a nonimmigrant admitted to the ,united ,states under section #aja7;a77#ae77;,j77i7 whose employment has been funded1 in whole or in part1 directly or indirectly1 by any ,united ,states ,government agency 7other than the ,department of ,state's ,bureau of ,educational and ,cultural ,affairs7 is eligible to apply for an ,,hv-#a ,visa4 ,notwithstanding section #bab7;e71 if such a nonimmigrant is issued such a visa1 the alien shall be exempt from the #b-year home country residency requirement under such section4 7#f7 ,continued residence in a county that has terminated participation in the heartland visa program ,a ,heartland ,visa holder residing in a county that terminates its participation in the ,heartland ,visa program pursuant to subsection 7b77#c77;,b7 may-- 7,a7 continue to reside in such county until the end of the current #c-year term2 7,b7 renew the ,heartland ,visa for another #c-year term in accordance with paragraph 7#b77;,b72 and 7,c7 move to another participating county4 7e7 ,verification portal 7#a7 ,information to be submitted by heartland visa holders ,all ,heartland ,visa holders shall notify the ,secretary of any changes to his or her physical address or employment by submitting1 not later than #fj days after such documentation is created-- 7,a7 a digital copy of a signed sale1 lease1 or rental agreement for their new residence2 and 7,b7 to demonstrate that their earnings meet the minimum earnings requirement under subsection 7d77#c7-- 7i7 a digital copy of a signed employment agreement or digital copies of wage statements2 or 7ii7 for self-employed ,heartland ,visa holders1 a digital copy of all tax returns submitted to the ,internal ,revenue ,service documenting earnings while in such status4 7#b7 ,information to be submitted by employers ,all employers of ,heartland ,visa holders shall-- 7,a7 submit documentation that the employer is paying a salary to each ,heartland ,visa holder that meets the minimum earnings requirement under subsection 7d77#c72 and 7,b7 notify the ,secretary if any ,heartland ,visa holder has terminated his or her employment with the employer4 7#c7 ,investigations ,the ,secretary shall conduct random investigations to determine whether ,heartland ,visa holders are complying with the residency requirements under paragraph 7#b77;,a77i7 of subsection 7d71 except as provided under paragraph 7#d7 of such subsection4 7f7 ,vetting requirements 7#a7 ,in general ,all applicants for the ,heartland ,visa ,program1 including applicants submitting initial applications1 renewal applications1 and applications for permanent residence1 shall undergo a comprehensive background check conducted by the ,national ,vetting ,center to ensure they do not pose a security risk to the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,enhanced vetting requirement for certain applicants ,in addition to the general background check1 any applicant for a ,heartland ,visa who is a national of a country designated as a ,country of ,particular ,concern under section #djb of the ,international ,religious ,freedom ,act of #aiih 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #fddb7 shall be subject to enhanced vetting procedures1 which shall include-- 7,a7 additional security screenings and mandatory interviews2 7,b7 comprehensive background checks2 and 7,c7 a thorough review of the applicant's travel history and affiliations4 7#c7 ,coordination ,in carrying out the background checks and vetting procedures required under this subsection1 the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security shall coordinate with other relevant ,federal agencies1 including the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation and the ,department of ,state4 7#d7 ,discrimination prohibited ,no person or entity participating in the ,heartland ,visa ,program1 including counties1 employers1 and any other stakeholders1 may discriminate against any applicant or visa holder based on nationality1 race1 color1 religion1 sex1 national origin1 age1 disability1 or genetic information4 7g7 ,numerical limitations 7#a7 ,in general ,the number of ,,hv-#a visas available in each fiscal year shall be #ej1jjj4 7#b7 ,reallocation of unused visas ,the ,secretary of ,state1 in consultation with the ,secretary1 shall-- 7,a7 calculate the difference between the number of ,,hv-#a visas authorized under paragraph 7#a7 for a fiscal year and the number of such visas issued in such fiscal year2 and 7,b7 reallocate any unused ,,hv-#a visas for the following fiscal year4 7h7 ,adjustment of status 7#a7 ,application ,during the #ij-;day period immediately preceding the completion of a second #c-year ,heartland ,visa term1 a visa holder may apply for an adjustment of status to that of a person admitted for permanent residence4 ,all such applicants shall be granted an extension of their ,heartland ,visa status until-- 7,a7 the date on which such application is approved2 or 7,b7 if such application is denied1 the date that is #fj days after the date of such denial4 7#b7 ,approval criteria ,the ,secretary shall approve any application submitted pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 by a ,heartland ,visa holder who-- 7,a7 has fully complied with the requirements of the ,heartland ,visa ,program under this section2 and 7,b7 has met the earnings requirement under subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b7 of paragraph 7#c71 as verified through an inspection of the applicants tax records4 7#c7 ,earnings requirement 7,a7 ,standard criteria ,a ,heartland ,visa holder meets the earnings requirement under the standard criteria if his or her average earnings during the previous #e years was not less than the age-specific #geth income percentile amount during such period4 7,b7 ,higher earner criteria ,a ,heartland ,visa holder meets the earnings requirement under the higher earner criteria if his or her earnings during at least #b of the previous #e years was not less than the age-specific #ijth income percentile amount for such years4 7,c7 ,calculation of earnings thresholds 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 using the microdata from the most recent ,american ,community ,survey1 shall annually calculate1 for each single-year age1 the #geth and #ijth income percentile amounts for all ,united ,states residents4 7ii7 ,notification ,the ,secretary shall notify each newly approved ,heartland ,visa holder of the age-specific #geth and #ijth income percentile amounts applicable to such person for each of the following #f years4 7#d7 ,spouses and children ,an ,,hv-#a visa holder who applies for permanent residence pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 may concurrently apply for permanent residence on behalf of his or her spouse and any unmarried dependent children who were issued an ,,hv-#b visa concurrently with the principal ,heartland ,visa holder pursuant to subsection 7d77#d7 or1 with respect to spouses and children who followed to join such ,,hv-#a visa holder1 were later issued an ,,hv-#b visa4 ,such application shall be approved if the ,,hv-#b visa holder meets other applicable criteria under section #bde for adjustment to permanent resident status4 7#e7 ,exclusion from numerical limitations ,immigrant visas authorized under this subsection are not subject to any otherwise applicable numerical limitations1 including per country caps4 7i7 ,penalties ,applicants for ,heartland ,visas who violate any provision of this ,act shall be subject to the same penalties applicable to other visa applicants for similar violations1 including fines1 deportation1 and disqualification from future participation in the ,heartland ,visa ,program4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of contents of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja note7 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #baj the following3 ,sec4 #baj;,a4 ,heartland ,visa ,program4 4 #d4 ,rulemaking ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security shall promulgate regulations that-- 7#a7 establish the requirements and procedures the ,secretary determines necessary to carry out and implement the ,heartland ,visa ,program authorized under section #baj;,a of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act1 as added by section #c7;a7 of this ,act1 including-- 7,a7 the criteria and process for the initial and ongoing designation of eligible counties2 7,b7 the application process for counties seeking to participate in the program2 7,c7 the wage-based points system for allocating visas1 including the methodology for calculating wage bids and clearing rates2 7,d7 the verification and reporting requirements for ,heartland ,visa holders and their employers2 7,e7 the procedures for the renewal of ,heartland ,visas2 and 7,f7 the criteria required for adjusting the status of a ,heartland ,visa holder to lawful permanent resident2 7#b7 certify the relevant decision-making body in each eligible county that is authorized to elect to participate in the ,heartland ,visa ,program1 including-- 7,a7 the criteria for the certification of such bodies2 and 7,b7 the process for counties to establish or designate a decision-making body if such an entity does not currently exist2 7#c7 identify which counties lack such a decision-making body and whose participation in ,heartland ,visa ,program will be determined by the ,state legislature1 including-- 7,a7 the criteria for identifying such counties2 and 7,b7 the process for state legislatures to elect participation in the program on behalf of such counties2 7#d7 specify what constitutes sufficient proof of recent earnings for purposes of paragraph 7#b77;,a7 and 7#e7 of section #baj;,a7b7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act1 as added by section #c7;a7 of this ,act1 including-- 7,a7 the types of acceptable documentation1 which may include tax returns1 wage statements1 employment contracts2 7,b7 the process for state legislatures to elect participation in the program on behalf of these counties1 which shall include-- 7i7 a formal resolution or legislative act by the state legislature authorizing the county's participation in the ,heartland ,visa ,program2 7ii7 the designation of a ,state-level agency or office to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the ,heartland ,visa ,program within such county2 7iii7 the establishment of a local advisory committee comprising community leaders1 business representatives1 and other stakeholders to provide input and support for the ,heartland ,visa ,program2 and 7iv7 procedures for ongoing monitoring and reporting by the ,state legislature regarding the county's participation in1 and outcomes of1 the ,heartland ,visa ,program2 7#e7 ensure the fair and equitable treatment of all applicants and participants in the ,heartland ,visa ,program1 including-- 7,a7 procedures to prevent discrimination based on nationality1 race1 or other protected characteristics2 and 7,b7 mechanisms for addressing grievances and disputes related to the ,heartland ,visa ,program2 and 7#f7 require periodic reviews and evaluations of the ,heartland ,visa ,program1 including-- 7,a7 metrics for assessing the ,heartland ,visa ,program's impact on participating counties and visa holders2 7,b7 procedures for collecting and reporting data regarding the outcomes of the ,heartland ,visa ,program2 and 7,c7 mechanisms for making adjustments to the ,heartland ,visa ,program based on the findings of such reviews and evaluations4