A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain aliens who work for the Department of Veterans Affairs from the requirement that they work only in areas designated as having a shortage of health-care professionals.

Referred to Subcommittee on Immigration.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 26, 1997

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended by the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, to exempt certain aliens working for the Department of Veterans Affairs from the requirement that they practice medicine in areas designated as having a shortage of health-care professionals.

Read the summary on Congress.gov

PlainBill analysis is coming later. This page presents official source data. We have not yet published a PlainBill explanation for this bill.

People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Conrad, Kent [D-ND] · D–ND

Committees

Judiciary Committee

1 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Sen. Bumpers, Dale [D-AR]

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

May 15, 1998
Referred to Subcommittee on Immigration.
Jun 26, 1997
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
Jun 26, 1997
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Jun 26, 1997 Formatted Text PDF

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

AI Conversation Starters

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.970 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.970, 105th Congress: A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain aliens who work for the Department of Veterans Affairs from the requirement that they work only in areas designated as having a shortage of health-care professionals.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/970

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1997-06-26.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s970/BILLS-105s970is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-08-10T11:54:01Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.970 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.970 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.970, 105th Congress: A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain aliens who work for the Department of Veterans Affairs from the requirement that they work only in areas designated as having a shortage of health-care professionals.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/970

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1997-06-26.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s970/BILLS-105s970is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-08-10T11:54:01Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.970 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.970 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.970, 105th Congress: A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain aliens who work for the Department of Veterans Affairs from the requirement that they work only in areas designated as having a shortage of health-care professionals.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/970

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1997-06-26.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s970/BILLS-105s970is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-08-10T11:54:01Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.970 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.970 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.970, 105th Congress: A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt certain aliens who work for the Department of Veterans Affairs from the requirement that they work only in areas designated as having a shortage of health-care professionals.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/970

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1997-06-26.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s970/BILLS-105s970is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-08-10T11:54:01Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.970 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.