1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Disaster Recovery Workforce Act”.
Disaster Recovery Workforce Act
A BILL
To temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional worker permits for workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery, and for other purposes.
2. Construction worker permits
Section 6(d)(3) of the Joint Resolution entitled “Joint Resolution to approve the “Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America”, and for other purposes” (48 U.S.C. 1806(d)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(E) Typhoon recovery
“(i) Permits for construction workers—Notwithstanding any numerical cap set forth in subparagraph (B) for each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, and 2022, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall increase by 3,000, for each such fiscal year, the total number of permits available under this subsection for Construction and Extraction Occupations (as defined by the Department of Labor as Standard Occupational Classification Group 47–0000).
“(ii) Permit requirements—The Secretary may only issue a permit made available under clause (i) to a prospective employer if the permit is for an alien who—
“(I) is a national of a country designated eligible to participate in the program under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b)) during calendar year 2018; and
“(II) is performing service or labor pursuant to a contract or subcontract for construction, repairs, renovations, or facility services directly connected to, or associated with recovery from a presidentially declared major disaster or emergency (as those terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), or for preparation for a future disaster or emergency.
“(iii) Exception for construction workers—Subparagraph (D)(v) shall not apply to a permit made available under clause (i) for any fiscal year described in such clause.”