Safety, Dept. of

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included 'U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' under who it affects, but there is no mention of this entity in the official source material.

One America Act

This act requires people who have lived in Tennessee for more than 30 days and are not legally present in the U.S. to register with the Department of Safety, go through an interview, and follow specific rules if they want a one-year visa or permanent resident status.

What This Bill Does

• Requires people who have lived in Tennessee for more than 30 days but are not legally in the United States to register with the Department of Safety.
• Makes these people go through an interview with the Department of Safety within 30 days after registering.
• Gives the Department of Safety up to 30 days to decide if a person is eligible for a one-year visa and tells them about this decision.
• If someone gets a notice that they are eligible, they must leave the U.S. for at least 90 days before coming back with their one-year visa.
• After using the one-year visa without breaking any laws, people can apply to become permanent residents of Tennessee.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who have lived in Tennessee for more than 30 days and are not legally present in the U.S.
• The Department of Safety

Terms To Know

One-year visa

A special permit that allows someone to come back into the United States after leaving for at least 90 days.

Permanent resident card

Also known as a green card, it lets someone live and work in the U.S. permanently.

Limits and Unknowns

• The act will not take effect until after the federal government sets rules for how to follow this law.
• It is unclear exactly when these federal rules will be set.
• The bill does not specify what happens if someone breaks the rules or fails to leave the U.S. as required.

Official Summary Text

This bill requires
every person who has resided in this state for a period of more than 30

days and who is not lawfully present in the United States
to r
egister with the department of safet
y

("department")
and
s
ubmit to an interview with the department.

The department must decide within 30 days of such interview whether each such person is eligible to receive a one-year visa for re-entry into the United States and to this state and
must
promptly notify each such person of the decision.

Upon receipt of a notice of eligibility from the department,
this bill requires
an eligible person
to
depart from the United States within 90

days and remain outside the United States for a period of at least 30 days. Thereafter, the person may use the one-year visa to re-enter the United States and this state lawfully. If the eligible person completes the one-year period and does not commit
a criminal offense within such period,
then
the person
is
eligible to apply for a permanent resident card, pursuan
t to the
federal
Immigration and Nationality Act
.
A person who receives a notice from the department that such person is not eligible for a one-year visa under this
bill
must leave the United States within 30 days of the receipt of such notice.

This bill
takes effect on the
30
th
day following the occurrence of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services establishing rules and regulations providing for the implementation of this
bill
.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1925
By Bulso

SENATE BILL 2037
By Gardenhire
SB2037
012130
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 8 and Title 39, relative to the "One America
Act."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "One America Act."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 20, is amended by
adding the following new section:
(a) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, every person who has resided in
this state for a period of more than thirty (30) days and who is not lawfully present in the
United States must:
(1) Register with the department of safety; and
(2) Submit to an interview with the department of safety.
(b) The department of safety must decide within thirty (30) days of such
interview whether each such person is eligible to receive a one-year visa for re-entry into
the United States and to this state and shall promptly notify each such person of the
decision.
(c) Upon receipt of a notice of eligibility from the department of safety, an eligible
person must depart from the United States within ninety (90) days and remain outside
the United States for a period of at least thirty (30) days. Thereafter, the person may
use the one-year visa to re-enter the United States and this state lawfully. If the eligible
person completes the one-year period and does not commit a criminal offense within
such period, the person shall be eligible to apply for a permanent resident card, pursuant
to the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.

- 2 - 012130

(d) A person who receives a notice from the department of safety that such
person is not eligible for a one-year visa under this section must leave the United States
within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such notice.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect on the thirtieth day following the occurrence of the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services establishing rules and regulations providing
for the implementation of this act, the public welfare requiring it. The commissioner of safety
shall notify in writing the Tennessee code commission of the establishment of such occurrence
and what date is the thirtieth day following such occurrence.