S 5308

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

August 6, 2026

Mr. Coons (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Cassidy) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To designate Afghanistan under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit nationals of Afghanistan to be eligible for temporary protected status under such section, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Afghanistan TPS Act of 2026”.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION FOR PURPOSES OF GRANTING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS.

(a) Designation.—For purposes of section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a), Afghanistan shall be treated as if it has been designated under subsection (b)(1) of that section.

(b) Period of Designation.—The initial period of the designation referred to in subsection (a) shall be for the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on July 1, 2029.

(c) Receipt, Processing, and Adjudication.—

(1) In general.—The Secretary of Homeland Security shall—

(A) receive and process applications for temporary protected status, and applications for employment authorization in connection with such status, submitted by nationals of Afghanistan; and

(B) not later than 90 days after the date on which such application is received, complete the adjudication of such application.

(2) Extension.—The Secretary of Homeland Security may extend, by not more than 150 days, the timeline for adjudication under paragraph (1)(B) with respect to an applicant, if the Secretary certifies to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate that, based on derogatory information specific to the applicant and in the interest of national security, additional time is necessary to evaluate the application.

(d) Aliens Eligible.—As a result of the designation made under subsection (a), an alien who is a national of Afghanistan is deemed to satisfy the requirements under paragraph (1) of section 244(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(c)), subject to paragraph (3) of such section, if the alien—

(1) has been continuously physically present in the United States since the date of enactment of this Act;

(2) is admissible as an immigrant, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2)(A) of such section, and is not ineligible for temporary protected status under paragraph

(2)(B) of such section; and

(3) registers for temporary protected status consistent with established procedures, including—

(A) submission of biometric and biographic data; and

(B) completion of applicable criminal and national security background checks.

(e) Consent To Travel Abroad.—

(1) In general.—The Secretary of Homeland Security shall give prior consent to travel abroad, in accordance with section 244(f)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a(f)(3)), to an alien who is granted temporary protected status pursuant to the designation made under subsection (a) if the alien establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Homeland Security that emergency and extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the alien require the alien to depart for a brief, temporary trip abroad.

(2) Treatment upon return.—An alien returning to the United States in accordance with an authorization described in paragraph (1) shall be treated as any other returning alien provided temporary protected status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a).

(f) Waiver.—The Secretary of Homeland Security shall permit aliens to apply for a waiver of any fees associated with filing an application for temporary protected status under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) by a person who is only eligible for such a status by reason of subsection (a). <all>