A bill for the relief of Valent Kolami.

Bill Number

S. 2942

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-09-30: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Last Updated

2025-12-08T18:18:12Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This legislation, S. 2942, is a private bill aimed at providing immigration relief specifically to an individual named Valent Kolami by granting him eligibility for lawful permanent resident status (commonly known as a "green card") in the United States, overriding certain standard immigration rules.

Key Provisions

• Eligibility for Permanent Residency: Valent Kolami can apply for an immigrant visa (a document allowing entry for permanent residence) or adjust his status to a lawful permanent resident, even if he does not meet the usual family, employment, or other numerical limits set by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the main U.S. immigration law.
• Lawful Entry Treatment: If Kolami enters the U.S. before a specified filing deadline, he will be treated as having entered and stayed legally from the start, making him eligible to adjust status under INA Section 245 without penalties for prior unlawful presence.
• Application Deadline and Fees: Applications must be filed with required fees within 2 years of the bill's enactment.
• Budgetary Compliance: The bill references the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO), a rule requiring new laws to not increase the federal deficit, by directing use of a specific budgetary statement from the Senate Budget Committee.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• This bill creates a narrow exception to INA Sections 201(a) and (b), which limit the number of immigrant visas available each year based on categories like family ties or skills. It applies only to Kolami, bypassing these caps and standard eligibility requirements.
• It also modifies how prior entry and stay are evaluated under INA Section 245, treating Kolami's presence as lawful retroactively if he meets the deadline— a departure from typical rules that penalize unlawful entry or overstays.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would process Kolami's application outside normal quotas, potentially setting a minor administrative precedent for handling private relief bills, though the impact is limited to one case.
• On Citizens or Individuals: Primarily benefits Kolami by allowing him to live and work permanently in the U.S. without deportation risks related to his entry status. It has no broad effect on other immigrants or U.S. citizens.
• On International Relations: Negligible, as this is an individual case with no implications for foreign policy or bilateral agreements.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Primary Beneficiary: Valent Kolami, who gains a pathway to permanent residency.
• Government Entities: USCIS (handles applications) and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (initial referral point).
• Indirect Parties: Potentially Kolami's family members, if they seek derivative benefits, and congressional budget overseers ensuring PAYGO compliance.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Private bills like this are uncommon in modern U.S. law (fewer than 100 enacted since 1952) and highlight Congress's authority to grant individualized immigration relief, but they do not set binding precedents for others.
• Constitutional: Reinforces Congress's broad (plenary) power under the Constitution to regulate immigration, as delegated from the federal government's control over naturalization (Article I, Section 8). No challenges to due process or equal protection are apparent, as it targets a specific person.
• Political: As a bill introduced by a single senator (Richard Blumenthal) and referred to committee, it reflects targeted advocacy, possibly for humanitarian reasons, but its passage would require bipartisan support in a divided Congress, underscoring the rarity and symbolic nature of such relief.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

Recent Actions

• 2025-09-30: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
• 2025-09-30: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• For the relief of Valent Kolami. — issued 2025-09-30 — PDF (2 pages)