{"format":1,"id":"117-s-3157","congress":117,"number":"S. 3157","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act","title_source":"Short Titles as Enacted","official_title":"A bill to require the Secretary of Labor to conduct a study of the factors affecting employment opportunities for immigrants and refugees with professional credentials obtained in foreign countries.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"A bill to require the Secretary of Labor to conduct a study of the factors affecting employment opportunities for immigrants and refugees with professional credentials obtained in foreign countries."},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed House","title":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act."},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 117-210","introduced":"2021-11-03","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2022-09-19","vote":{"id":"117-2022-h439","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass","title":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act","result":"Passed","yea":363,"nay":52,"present":0,"not_voting":17,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll439.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2022-06-23","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S3148-3149)"}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2022-10-17"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 117-210.","date":"2022-10-17"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2022-10-17","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This act requires the Department of Labor to submit to Congress a study on the factors affecting employment opportunities for certain individuals with professional credentials obtained in a non-U.S. country, specifically individuals who are lawfully present noncitizens or naturalized U.S. citizens. The study shall include policy recommendations for better enabling such individuals to obtain skill-appropriate employment in the United States."}],"words":67},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Labor to study the factors affecting U.S. employment opportunities for lawfully present noncitizens and foreign-born naturalized citizens who hold professional credentials obtained outside the United States, and to report the results to Congress.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text/enr#H9EB5AD1B193D47439B192D349D3C7321:~:text=3.%20Study%20on%20factors%20affecting%20employment%20opportunities"}]},"core_areas":["Study of employment barriers for immigrants and refugees with foreign professional credentials"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Labor, in coordination with seven other named officials, to conduct a study of the factors affecting U.S. employment opportunities for applicable immigrants and refugees who have professional credentials obtained in another country.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text/enr#H9EB5AD1B193D47439B192D349D3C7321:~:text=3.%20Study%20on%20factors%20affecting%20employment%20opportunities"}},{"text":"Defines applicable immigrants and refugees as noncitizens lawfully present and authorized to work in the United States, and naturalized citizens born outside the United States and its outlying possessions, and includes individuals described in section 602(b)(2) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text/enr#H100EA297D5DB450990F3A63933AC7D4C"}},{"text":"Directs the Secretary of Labor to seek to work with relevant nonprofit organizations and State agencies to use their existing data and resources for the study.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text/enr#H9EB5AD1B193D47439B192D349D3C7321:~:text=3.%20Study%20on%20factors%20affecting%20employment%20opportunities"}},{"text":"Limits the use of information provided to the Secretary of Labor for the study to the study's purposes and to the extent necessary for its efficient operation, and bars disclosure to any other person or entity except as the subsection provides.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text/enr#H9EB5AD1B193D47439B192D349D3C7321:~:text=3.%20Study%20on%20factors%20affecting%20employment%20opportunities"}},{"text":"Requires the study to include an analysis of employment history for those admitted in the 5 years before enactment, an assessment of barriers to using foreign occupational experience, an analysis of public and private resources, and policy recommendations.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text/enr#H9EB5AD1B193D47439B192D349D3C7321:~:text=3.%20Study%20on%20factors%20affecting%20employment%20opportunities"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Labor, not later than 18 months after enactment, to submit a report on the study results to Congress and make it publicly available on the Department of Labor website.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text/enr#H9EB5AD1B193D47439B192D349D3C7321:~:text=3.%20Study%20on%20factors%20affecting%20employment%20opportunities"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3157/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-s-3157.png","v":"a9fb6953d640","alt":"Votes on Record. S. 3157, 117th Congress: Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act. House: 363 Yea, 52 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Became law, 17 Oct 2022."}}