H.R. 2923House117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2021

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 2:30 AM UTC

The bill changes U.S. immigration law to create a new non‑immigrant category for foreign crew members who come to the United States only to board a ship and carry out ship‑to‑ship liquid cargo transfers (lightering). It lets these workers stay in the U.S. for up to 180 days while they perform the transfers, and it adds rules for granting them temporary landing permits. The changes affect foreign nationals working on vessels engaged in foreign trade and the immigration officials who process their entry.

Key Provisions

Adds a new sub‑category to the definition of a non‑immigrant in transit, covering aliens who transit the U.S. to board a vessel for ship‑to‑ship liquid cargo transfer and allowing a stay of up to 180 days.
Allows immigration officers to issue conditional permits for up to 180 days to these crew members, provided they intend to leave the U.S. after completing the transfer work.
Updates the language in the existing permit provision (Section 252(a)) to incorporate the new 180‑day allowance and the requirement that the crew member will perform the cargo transfer during that time.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee

November 9, 2021

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 30, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

April 30, 2021

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee

November 9, 2021

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in HouseIssued April 30, 2021

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2923

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 30, 2021

Ms. Garcia of Texas (for herself, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Cloud, and Mr. Palazzo) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to include aliens passing in transit through the United States to board a vessel on which the alien will perform ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfer operations within a class of nonimmigrant aliens, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Energy Security and Lightering Independence Act of 2021.

Definition of nonimmigrant in transit

Subparagraph (C) of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)) is amended to read as follows:

(C)

(i)

an alien in immediate and continuous transit through the United States not to exceed 29 days;

(ii)

an alien who qualifies as a person entitled to pass in transit to and from the United Nations Headquarters District and foreign countries, under the provisions of paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of section 11 of the Headquarters Agreement with the United Nations (61 Stat. 758); or

(iii)

an alien passing in transit through the United States to board a vessel on which the alien will perform ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfer operations to or from another vessel engaged in foreign trade for a period not to exceed 180 days.

Conditional permits to land temporarily

Section 252(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1282(a)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1), by striking or at the end;

(2)

in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(3)

180 days, if the immigration officer is satisfied that the crewman intends to depart, within the period for which the crewman is permitted to land, on either the same vessel or on a vessel other than the vessel on which the crewman arrived and that the crewman will perform ship-to-ship liquid cargo transfer operations to or from any other vessel engaged in foreign trade during such period.