Sec. 605. Mandatory access to detention facilities for Members of Congress
328 words·~1 min read·
/bill/117/s/4529/is/section-605A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary concerned shall allow a Member of Congress to tour any facility in which 1 or more detained individuals are housed, including unaccompanied noncitizen children, at a time between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on a date requested by the Member of Congress if, not later than 24 hours before the date requested in the case of a Department of Homeland Security facility, or not later than 2 business days before the date requested in the case of a Department of Health and Human Services facility, the Secretary concerned receives written notice from the Member of Congress that includes— the name of the facility; and the date on which the Member of Congress intends to tour the facility.
Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary concerned shall allow 1 or more members of the press to accompany a Member of Congress on a tour of a facility under this section. The Secretary concerned shall not be required to allow a member of the press to enter a facility under paragraph
(1)with a still or video camera. As a condition of entering a facility under paragraph (1), a member of the press shall agree not to release any personally identifying information of a staff member of the facility or a child housed at the facility without the express authorization of such staff member or child. The Secretary concerned may limit a tour under subsection
(a)to— in the case of a facility that houses not more than 50 unaccompanied noncitizen children— not more than 5 Members of Congress; and accompanying members of the press under subsection (b); and in the case of a facility that houses more than 50 detained individuals, including unaccompanied noncitizen children— not more than 10 Members of Congress; and accompanying members of the press under subsection (b). In this section, the term Secretary concerned means, as applicable— the Secretary of Homeland Security; or the Secretary of Health and Human Services.