No PLA Employees Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9249
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Immigration
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-10: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-30T21:46:20Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict immigration benefits for certain aliens based on their employment history with designated entities. Its stated goal is to limit approval of immigrant petitions for individuals previously employed by companies on the Department of Defense’s 1260H list or related foreign institutions.
Key Provisions
- Adds new grounds of inadmissibility under Section 212(a)(2) of the INA for any alien currently or previously employed by an entity identified under Section 1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Chinese military companies) or Section 1286 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (foreign institutions engaged in problematic activity).
- Adds parallel grounds of deportability under Section 237(a)(2) of the INA for the same employment categories.
- Applies to both current and prior employment, without time limitations or exceptions specified in the bill.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill introduces two new subsections—(J) and (K) in Section 212(a)(2), and (G) and (H) in Section 237(a)(2)—that expand the existing categories of inadmissibility and deportability. These changes tie immigration consequences directly to employment with specific Department of Defense-listed entities, rather than relying solely on prior criminal, security, or other conduct-based grounds.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Increases screening requirements for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Homeland Security when processing immigrant petitions and removal proceedings.
- Citizens and residents: Limits the ability of U.S. employers to sponsor or retain workers who have worked for the listed entities.
- International relations: May affect visa processing and immigration pathways involving individuals connected to entities in China or other countries identified under the referenced NDAA provisions.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Aliens seeking immigrant status who have employment ties to the designated entities.
- U.S. employers filing immigrant petitions on behalf of such individuals.
- The Department of Defense, which maintains the 1260H and 1286 lists.
- Immigration enforcement and adjudication agencies.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The amendments broaden the scope of the Immigration and Nationality Act by linking employment history with foreign entities to permanent bars on admission and grounds for removal. This creates new administrative burdens for determining an individual’s prior employment and may intersect with existing national security and foreign policy authorities referenced in the NDAA sections.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-10: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-06-10: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-10: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- No PLA Employees Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-10 — PDF (3 pages)