Congress churns out thousands of bills, but what’s really in them, and how could they affect you? DBS BILL BRIEF breaks down two bills a day IN PLAIN ENGLISH.
IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Millions of people around the world know America’s Diversity Visa Program as the green-card lottery.
Now a Republican congressman wants to eliminate the program altogether.
H.R. 10896, introduced October 22 by Rep. Keith Self, Republican of Texas, would repeal the federal immigration-law provision establishing the diversity immigrant visa category.
No replacement lottery appears in the introduced proposal reviewed for this report.
WHAT’S IN THE BILL?
The Diversity Visa Program provides a pathway for eligible immigrants from countries with historically lower rates of immigration to the United States.
Applicants must meet eligibility requirements, and selection through the program does not itself guarantee a green card.
Self’s proposal takes a direct legislative approach: repeal Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, along with related statutory provisions.
If enacted, that change would eliminate the existing statutory diversity visa category.
Rather than adjust eligibility or change the selection formula, the proposal would remove the category itself.
HERE’S THE CATCH
The introduced bill does not establish a new replacement lottery or a detailed separate transition program.
And because the measure is not law, the mere introduction of H.R. 10896 does not immediately terminate the Diversity Visa Program.
Questions about applicants already selected, cases in processing, and any future implementation would depend on the final enacted language and the administration of applicable immigration laws.
The distinction is important. Proposing to eliminate an immigration pathway and actually eliminating it are two different things.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Supporters of ending the program argue that immigration selection should be based on different national priorities rather than the lottery structure.
Supporters of the diversity system view it as an established pathway for immigration from countries otherwise underrepresented in legal admissions.
That’s the policy disagreement Congress would have to resolve. But the practical result of this particular proposal is straightforward: the existing diversity immigrant visa category would disappear.
HAVEN’T WE HEARD THIS BEFORE?
Efforts to eliminate or restructure the diversity visa program have appeared in earlier immigration debates.
This bill should not be confused with an executive restriction on processing or a temporary administrative suspension. It proposes repeal of the underlying statutory category.
WHERE DOES IT STAND?
H.R. 10896 was introduced October 22, 2026, and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
At the latest source check used for this article, it had not passed the House.
Bottom line: This is a proposal to eliminate the diversity visa lottery, not simply adjust its rules. Whether Congress can act before the current session ends is another matter.
DBS BILL BRIEF SOURCES
- Official introduced bill text — H.R. 10896
- Congress.gov — Legislative history
- Official legislative-status record
Behind the Brief: We use modern research tools to help unpack Washington’s fine print, relying on official legislative records for the facts.
