# 119-s-398: NO BAN Act

119-s-398, NO BAN Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE); status introduced (as of 2026-08-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-398
- As of: 2026-08-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-398
- Congress: 119
- Title: NO BAN Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-04
- Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE)
- Cosponsors: 36
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-11

## Summary

**Would limit the President's power to bar entry based on national origin or religion.** The bill would expand nondcrimination protections to immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing, admission, and immigration benefits and impose strict limits on class-based entry suspensions. - Families and travelers: It would add religion as a protected characteristic and bar national-origin discrimination in visa decisions, entry, and benefit approvals. It creates a rebuttable presumption in favor of family-based and humanitarian waivers. - Executive branch and airlines: It would restrict use of section 212(f) by requiring a compelling government interest, narrow tailoring, the least restrictive means, and a specified duration. It also transfers authority to suspend entry for commercial airlines that fail document-fraud rules to the Department of Homeland Security. - Oversight and legal remedies: The State Department and DHS must consult with Congress and provide a briefing and written report within 48 hours or the restriction ends. Individuals and entities unlawfully harmed by a restriction could sue in federal court, including class actions.

## Cosponsors (36)

- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-02-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-06-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-10-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-10-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-10-16T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Ban discrimination in immigration decisions: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would bar using national origin, sex, or religion when officials decide immigrant or nonimmigrant visas, admission, or other immigration benefits. Officials could still follow narrow, listed statutory exceptions. This would give applicants and families added legal protections a…
- Airlines could face passenger bans: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would let the Secretary of Homeland Security suspend entry of some or all people carried by a commercial airline that fails to follow DHS rules to detect fraudulent passenger documents. Failures could include poor training for spotting fake travel papers. This aims to protect b…
- New limits and checks on travel bans: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would restrict when the President can suspend or limit entry of a class of aliens. Officials must base actions on specific, credible facts and a compelling interest, use the least restrictive means, set a time limit, and consider waivers (favoring family and humanitarian waiver…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025
- 119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

## Sources
- [119-s-398 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/398)

## Related
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2523)
- [119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1115)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-398 (as of 2026-08-11).