# 115-hr-4944: Reuniting Families Act

115-hr-4944, Reuniting Families Act, is a 115th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] (D-CA); status Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4944
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 115-hr-4944
- Congress: 115
- Title: Reuniting Families Act
- Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced: 2018-02-06
- Sponsor: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 62
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Reuniting Families Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to recapture unused employment-based and family-sponsored visas from FY1992-FY2016; reclassify spouses, permanent partners, minor children, and stepchildren of permanent residents as immediate relatives; repeal the per-country immigration limits; repeal specified bars to reentry and allow waivers of inadmissibility to promote family unity; exempt children of naturalized Filipino veterans from immigration limitations; and allow relatives of a deceased alien to maintain visa eligibility. The bill defines "permanent partner" to purposes of applying the INA to LGBT families and individuals.

## Cosponsors (62)

- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] (D-NY), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-16] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-31] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-14] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1] (D-HI), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9] (D-TX), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] (D-OR), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7] (D-AZ), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clark, Katherine M. [D-MA-5] (D-MA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] (D-TX), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pallone, Frank [D-NJ-6] (D-NJ), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] (D-NY), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- LUIS GUTIERREZ (D-IL), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [D-GU-At Large] (D-GU), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D-MD), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (D-IL), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (D-VA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9] (D-NY), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (D-NJ), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- JOHN LEWIS (D-GA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- JOSE SERRANO (D-NY), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5] (D-MN), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] (D-IL), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33] (D-TX), 2018-02-06T00:00:00.000Z
- JOSEPH CROWLEY (D-NY), 2018-02-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7] (D-AL), 2018-02-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16] (D-TX), 2018-02-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] (D-CA), 2018-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] (D-CA), 2018-04-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25] (D-FL), 2018-05-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] (D-MD), 2018-05-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] (D-NY), 2018-05-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2018-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2018-06-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perlmutter, Ed [D-CO-7] (D-CO), 2018-07-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., III [D-MA-4] (D-MA), 2018-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2018-07-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pelosi, Nancy [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2018-08-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] (D-CO), 2018-09-20T00:00:00.000Z
- RICHARD NOLAN (D-MN), 2018-10-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI), 2018-11-06T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 115-hr-6135: Keep Families Together Act
- 115-hr-4240: Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017
- 115-hr-3440: Dream Act of 2017
- 115-hr-6239: DISCLOSE Act of 2018
- 115-hr-1235: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act
- 115-hr-502: Land and Water Conservation Fund Reauthorization and Fairness Act

## Sources
- [115-hr-4944 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4944)

## Related
- [115-hr-6135: Keep Families Together Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6135)
- [115-hr-4240: Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4240)
- [115-hr-3440: Dream Act of 2017](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-3440)
- [115-hr-6239: DISCLOSE Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6239)
- [115-hr-1235: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-1235)
- [115-hr-502: Land and Water Conservation Fund Reauthorization and Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-502)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4944 (as of 2025-11-18).