Bill · H.R. 7899· House(119-HR-7899)
Respect for Essential Workers Act
- Introduced
- 3/12/2026
- Last activity
- 3/12/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Respect for Essential Workers Act" aims to stop the removal of certain temporary protected status recipients from the United States. These individuals must be "covered aliens" who work or train in essential industries or areas with labor shortages. The bill also allows these individuals to apply for permanent residence status starting 90 days after the law is enacted.
Yes· 3 of 18
Would immigrants be better off under this?+10
Directly prevents removal and creates a path to permanent residency for TPS recipients in essential roles.
Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens?+8
Provides a direct path for covered essential workers to adjust to lawful permanent resident status.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+7
Provides legal stability and a path to residency for low-wage essential workers.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Prevention of Removal: Covered aliens cannot be removed from the U.S. just because their temporary protected status was ended (Section 2(a)).
-
Path to Permanent Residency: Covered aliens are permitted to adjust their status to become lawful permanent residents (Section 2(b)).
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Protection for Diverse Workers: The bill covers a wide range of essential roles, including health care, emergency response, sanitation, food services, agriculture, construction, and family care (Section 2(c)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for individuals are explicitly listed in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Immigrants+10Good For Low Income Households+7Good For Farmers+6Good For Business Owners+5Good For People With Disabilities+5Good For Retirees+5Good For Seniors+5Good For Children+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Pathway To Citizenship+8Improves Poverty Reduction+4Improves Childcare Affordability+3Reduces Homelessness+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+3Improves Rural Development+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+3Improves Economic Growth+2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+4
- 3/12/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House