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119-s-3310119th CongressWALLET

Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Hawley, Josh [R-MO]

Introduced

Summary

Mandatory in-person vetting and biometric verification for certain Afghanistan evacuees would be required before eligibility for unemployment or any federal means-tested public benefit is determined.

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  • Applies to people evacuated from Afghanistan and brought into U.S. government-coordinated transport between January 20, 2021 and January 20, 2022 who are not U.S. citizens or members of the U.S. Armed Forces; the group includes those evacuated under Operation Allies Welcome. They would have to provide personal and biometric information and undergo in-person vetting.
  • Claiming unemployment compensation or any federal means-tested public benefit would be conditioned on completion of DHS verification and in-person vetting. Individuals who do not provide required information or complete in-person vetting would be ineligible for those benefits.
  • The Department of Homeland Security would create and maintain a vetting database with names, birthdates, biometrics, criminal records, benefit applications or receipt, and vetting status. DHS must report to Congress at least quarterly until it certifies completion and the Comptroller General must audit and report on compliance within set timeframes.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Benefit blocks for Afghan evacuees

If enacted, the bill would define who counts as an "individual evacuated from Afghanistan" as a non‑citizen moved to the U.S. with the U.S. Government between January 20, 2021 and January 20, 2022 (including Operation Allies Welcome). The bill would bar any such person from getting unemployment compensation or any federal means‑tested public benefit until they give personal and biometric information and complete in‑person vetting. After the person provides the information and finishes in‑person vetting, they would be eligible again. This would apply only to people who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. service members.

GAO audits of DHS vetting

If enacted, the Comptroller General would audit and investigate DHS vetting once within two years after enactment and again one year after DHS certifies vetting is complete. The Comptroller General would report the results of each audit to Congress within 30 days after each audit is finished.

Vetting database and reporting rules

If enacted, the Secretary of Homeland Security would have to verify personal and biometric data and do in‑person vetting for each covered evacuee. DHS would build and keep a database that lists name, birthdate, biometrics, criminal records since U.S. entry, benefit applications or receipts, and vetting status for each person. DHS would report to Congress at least quarterly until vetting is finished and would certify completion within 30 days after finishing vetting. Each quarterly report would list every evacuee and give vetting status, benefit receipt, any arrests or criminal records, and estimated days remaining to finish vetting.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Hawley, Josh [R-MO]

MO • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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