# 119-hr-2672: Religious Workforce Protection Act

119-hr-2672, Religious Workforce Protection Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15] (R-OH); status introduced (as of 2026-08-05).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2672
- As of: 2026-08-05
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-2672
- Congress: 119
- Title: Religious Workforce Protection Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-04-07
- Sponsor: Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15] (R-OH)
- Cosponsors: 37
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-05

## Summary

**This bill would provide targeted backlog relief for religious workers by allowing extensions of R nonimmigrant status past the current 5‑year cap and by changing related eligibility rules to speed green card processing.** It also narrows a foreign‑residence penalty that can block some returning applicants.

## Cosponsors (37)

- Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1] (D-MA), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27] (R-FL), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8] (R-MN), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19] (D-CA), 2025-04-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1] (R-KS), 2025-04-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21] (D-CA), 2025-07-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2025-07-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10] (D-VA), 2025-08-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3] (D-MI), 2025-08-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3] (D-MA), 2025-08-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2025-08-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, David [D-GA-13] (D-GA), 2025-08-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] (D-MS), 2025-08-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1] (R-ID), 2025-08-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2] (D-GA), 2025-08-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] (D-TX), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52] (D-CA), 2025-09-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-8] (D-NJ), 2025-09-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX), 2025-09-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] (R-NY), 2025-10-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] (D-WA), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Loudermilk, Barry [R-GA-11] (R-GA), 2025-10-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Simpson, Michael K. [R-ID-2] (R-ID), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mrvan, Frank J. [D-IN-1] (D-IN), 2025-12-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] (D-MN), 2025-12-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] (D-NY), 2025-12-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47] (D-CA), 2025-12-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1] (R-MN), 2025-12-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1] (R-WI), 2025-12-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3] (R-CO), 2026-01-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2] (R-UT), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12] (D-NC), 2026-01-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3] (R-TN), 2026-01-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA), 2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15] (R-TX), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Longer stays and job flexibility for religious workers: benefit, high. This bill would let some religious workers extend R status past the five-year limit. You would need a pending religious‑worker immigrant petition and be waiting only because of visa number caps. DHS could keep your R status until your green card or immigrant visa is decided. If you left the U.S. fo…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act
- 119-hr-1993: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-2672 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2672)

## Related
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4382)
- [119-hr-1993: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1993)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2672 (as of 2026-08-05).