text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``TPS Reform Act of 2016''.
  
  SEC. 2. TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS.
  
      (a) Power To Designate a Foreign State.--Section 244(b) of the 
  Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(b)) is amended--
              (1) by striking paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) and inserting 
          the following:
              ``(1) Initial designation.--For purposes of this section, a 
          foreign state shall be designated upon the enactment of an Act 
          that satisfies the following requirements:
                      ``(A) The Act shall contain a finding--
                              ``(i) that there is an ongoing armed 
                          conflict within the state and, due to such 
                          conflict, requiring the return of aliens who 
                          are nationals of that state (or to the part of 
                          the state) would pose a serious threat to their 
                          personal safety;
                              ``(ii) that--
                                      ``(I) there has been an earthquake, 
                                  flood, drought, epidemic, or other 
                                  immediately life-threatening 
                                  environmental disaster in the state 
                                  resulting in a substantial, but 
                                  temporary, disruption of living 
                                  conditions in the area affected;
                                      ``(II) the foreign state is unable, 
                                  temporarily, to handle adequately the 
                                  return to the state of aliens who are 
                                  nationals of the state; and
                                      ``(III) the foreign state 
                                  officially has requested designation 
                                  under this subparagraph; or
                              ``(iii) that there exist extraordinary and 
                          temporary conditions in the foreign state that 
                          prevent aliens who are nationals of the state 
                          from returning to the state in safety and that 
                          permitting the aliens to remain temporarily in 
                          the United States is not contrary to the 
                          national interest of the United States.
                      ``(B) The Act shall include--
                              ``(i) an estimate of the number of 
                          nationals of the foreign state who are (or 
                          within the effective period of the designation 
                          are likely to become) eligible for temporary 
                          protected status under this section;
                              ``(ii) such nationals' immigration status 
                          in the United States; and
                              ``(iii) a time period for the effectiveness 
                          of the designation that is not greater than 18 
                          months.
              ``(2) Termination.--
                      ``(A) Timely termination.--If an initial 
                  designation of a foreign state is not extended under 
                  paragraph (3), the initial designation shall terminate 
                  at the end of the time period described in paragraph 
                  (1)(B)(iii).
                      ``(B) Early termination.--For purposes of this 
                  section, the designation of a foreign state shall be 
                  terminated upon the enactment of an Act that contains a 
                  finding that the foreign state (or part of such foreign 
                  state) no longer meets the conditions for designation 
                  under paragraph (1)(A).
              ``(3) Extension.--For purposes of this section, the time 
          period for the effectiveness of the designation of a foreign 
          state shall be extended upon the enactment of an Act that 
          includes--
                      ``(A) a finding that the conditions for designation 
                  under paragraph (1)(A) continue to be met; and
                      ``(B) a time period for the effectiveness of the 
                  extension that is not greater than 12 months.''; and
              (2) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking ``of the Attorney 
          General'' and inserting ``made in any Act''.
      (b) Aliens Lacking Lawful Immigration Status.--Section 244(c)(2)(B) 
  of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)(2)(B)) is 
  amended--
              (1) in clause (i), by striking ``, or'' at the end and 
          inserting a semicolon;
              (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and 
          inserting ``; or''; and
              (3) by adding at the end the following:
                              ``(iii) the alien lacks a lawful 
                          immigration status.''.
      (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 244 of the Immigration and 
  Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a et seq.) is amended--
              (1) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ``If the Attorney 
          General terminates the designation of a foreign state (or part 
          of such foreign state) under subsection (b)(3)(B)'' and 
          inserting ``If the designation of a foreign state (or part of 
          such foreign state) is terminated under section 244(b)(2)''; 
          and
              (2) in subsection (i)(1)--
                      (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking the comma at 
                  the end and adding ``; and'';
                      (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``, and'' at 
                  the end and inserting a period; and
                      (C) by striking subparagraph (C).
      (d) Technical Corrections.--Section 244 of the Immigration and 
  Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), as amended by subsections (a) and (b) 
  of this Act, is further amended by striking ``Attorney General'' each 
  place it appears and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland Security''.
target: TPS Reform Act of 2016 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to revise the criteria for designation of a foreign state as eligible to have its citizens be given temporary protected status (TPS) in the United States.  Such revisions include the following: (1) such a foreign state shall be designated by an Act of Congress rather than by the Department of Justice; (2) such Act must find that an environmental disaster in such a foreign state is immediately life-threatening; (3) such Act may provide for early termination of a foreign state's designation; (4) such Act shall include an estimate of the number of a foreign state's nationals who are TPS eligible, their U.S. immigration status, and a time period for the effectiveness of the designation of not more than 18 months; and (5) an alien lacking lawful immigration status shall be ineligible for TPS.
feat_title: TPS Reform Act of 2016