U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has introduced a bill in the U.S. House intended to protect essential workers with temporary protected status from removal and to facilitate their ability to adjust their status, the U.S. Congress reports.
Identified as H.R.7899, the bill was submitted on March 12, 2026, during the regular session of the 119th Congress. Our summary below is based on the actual bill text and is intended to clarify its contents.
Broadly, the legislation would bar the removal of covered aliens who are essential workers under temporary protected status if their TPS ends, and permit them to apply for permanent residency 90 days after the law takes effect. Those covered are individuals staying in the United States with TPS and working in essential fields, including but not limited to health care, emergency services, sanitation, food service, and construction, or practicing health professions in medically underserved areas. The measure highlights the critical role these workers play in supporting the country’s economy and public health.
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (Democrat-FL-20th District) is the sole sponsor of the bill.
During the current session, Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick has introduced 12 other bills.
Bills in Congress may be introduced in either the House or Senate, except for those concerning revenue, which must originate in the House. Once introduced, legislation is referred to committees, where it undergoes review, hearings, potential amendments, and debate before it proceeds to a chamber vote. Both the House and Senate must pass identical versions for the measure to go to the president, who can then sign it into law or veto it. Congress conducts business in two-year terms, with each term sequentially numbered and split into two annual sessions. The legislative process and official records are published by Congress.gov.
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick represents Florida after winning a special election as a Democrat to the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress to replace the late Alcee Lamar Hastings. She holds a B.A. from Howard University (2001), attended University of Maryland Global Campus (2005-2007), and earned her J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law in 2010.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| H.R.7899 | 03/12/2026 | Respect for Essential Workers Act |
| H.R.7820 | 03/05/2026 | To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the rules for investments in qualified opportunity funds, and for other purposes. |
| H.R.6564 | 12/10/2025 | Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2025 |
| H.R.5676 | 10/03/2025 | Stop Stealing Our Jobs Act |
| H.R.5110 | 09/03/2025 | Federal Disaster Housing Stability Act of 2025 |
| H.R.4586 | 07/22/2025 | AIDA |
| H.R.3752 | 06/05/2025 | Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith Glioblastoma Parity Act of 2025 |
| H.R.3489 | 05/19/2025 | Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act |
| H.R.2927 | 04/17/2025 | All-Americans Tax Relief Act of 2025 |
| H.R.2826 | 04/10/2025 | CAST Act |
| H.R.2494 | 03/31/2025 | To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to annually submit to the Congress a report that analyzes State and local strategies, activities, and plans that promote affordable housing, and for other purposes. |
| H.R.1597 | 02/26/2025 | Compassion for Vulnerable and Struggling Workers Act |
| H.R.1114 | 02/07/2025 | L’Ouverture Economic Development Plan for Haiti Act of 2025 |
Details for this article were sourced from the U.S. Congress. Find the original data here.
