11/04/2005: Budget Reconciliation Bill: What Is It and How Does It Work?
As everyone knows by now, the immigration packet of the Senate S.1932 was a part of the Budget Reconciliation Bill. The Senate passed the Reconciliation Bill yesterday but the Reconciliation Bill on the part of the House just passed the Budget Committee in the House yesterday and is scheduled to be presented to the House floor next week. At this time, the two reconciliation bills have many differences and they will have to go through the conference committee process for resolution of the differences. One of the areas of difference is the immigration bill which the House bill did not cover. The House bill covers in Section 5101 charge of fees on L-1 visa application and no provisions on H-1B or immigration visa recapture or other povisions which the Senate passed yesterday. For the House bill, please click http://www.house.gov/budget/reconhow110105.htm. Accordingly, there is some risk that the immigration bill may face a crisis in the conference process. That is why the business, academic community, high tech community, and immigrant community should continue their efforts to educate and pursuade the members of the House of Representatives in their jurisdictions so that the House consents to the Senate immigration bill.
People may want to know how the reconciliation bill works in order to participate in the process. Please click http://www.house.gov/budget/reconlegtext110105.pdf to learn about the reconciliation bill.