JOLT Act of 2012
Latest action · Jun 6, 2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 15, 2012
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2012 or the JOLT Act of 2012 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the Secretary of State (Secretary) to establish a pilot fee-based premium processing service to expedite visa interview appointments. Authorizes the Secretary to collect and set fee amounts.
Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to admit into the United States a qualifying Canadian citizen over 50 years old and spouse for a period not to exceed 240 days if the person maintains a Canadian residence and owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of such stay.
Directs the Secretary to make publicly available each month data for the previous two years regarding visa appointment availability for each visa processing post to allow applicants to identify periods of low demand.
Revises the visa waiver program to: (1) authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate any country as a program country, (2) adjust visa refusal rate criteria, including addition of a 3% maximum overstay rate, and (3) revise probationary and termination provisions.
Amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to include in the Global Entry Trusted Traveler Network individuals who meet security requirements and are employed and sponsored by an international organization which maintains a strong working relationship with the United States. Prohibits enrollment in the Network of a person who is a citizen of a state sponsor of terror as defined in the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010.
Directs the Secretary to require U.S. diplomatic and consular missions to: (1) conduct nonimmigrant visa application interviews expeditiously, consistent with national security requirements and in recognition of resource allocation considerations; (2) set a goal of interviewing 80% of all nonimmigrant visa applicants, worldwide, within three weeks of application receipt; and (3) explore expanding visa processing capacity in China and Brazil with the goal of maintaining interview wait times under 15 work days, recognizing that the first priority of U.S. missions abroad is U.S. citizen protection.
Cosponsors 31
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 15, 2012 to Dec 31, 2012; 2 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-IL | Mike Quigley | Original | May 15, 2012 |
| R-OH | Steve Chabot | Original | May 15, 2012 |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | May 16, 2012 | |
| D-NV | Shelley Berkley | May 16, 2012 | |
| R-NY | Michael G. Grimm | May 18, 2012 | |
| D-HI | Colleen Hanabusa | May 30, 2012 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | May 30, 2012 | |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | May 30, 2012 | |
| D-MI | Gary C. Peters | Jun 5, 2012 | |
| R-NV | Mark E. Amodei | Jun 6, 2012 | |
| D-NY | Gregory W. Meeks | Jun 19, 2012 | |
| R-NY | Richard L. Hanna | Jun 27, 2012 | |
| R-FL | David Rivera | Jul 10, 2012 | |
| R-OK | Tom Cole | Jul 10, 2012 | |
| D-CA | Adam B. Schiff | Jul 12, 2012 | |
| D-CT | Christopher Murphy | Jul 12, 2012 | |
| R-IL | Aaron Schock | Jul 17, 2012 | |
| D-RI | David N. Cicilline | Jul 17, 2012 | |
| R-IL | Adam Kinzinger | Jul 19, 2012 | |
| R-IL | John Shimkus | Jul 19, 2012 | |
| R-MO | Blaine Luetkemeyer | Jul 24, 2012 | |
| R-VA | E. Scott Rigell | Jul 25, 2012 | |
| R-CA | Mary Bono | Jul 25, 2012 | |
| D-CA | Sam Farr | Aug 1, 2012 | |
| D-OH | Marcy Kaptur | Sep 13, 2012 | |
| R-AR | Tim Griffin | Sep 13, 2012 | |
| D-KY | Ben Chandler | Sep 21, 2012 | |
| D-WA | Adam Smith | Nov 14, 2012 | |
| D-MA | Richard E. Neal | Nov 29, 2012 | |
| D-VT | Peter Welch | Dec 11, 2012 | |
| D-FL | Frederica S. Wilson | Dec 31, 2012 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Judiciary Committee | Referred May 15, 2012 |
| House | Homeland Security Committee | Referred May 15, 2012 |
| Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred Jun 6, 2012 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 6, 2012Referred to the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.
- May 15, 2012Introduced in House
- May 15, 2012Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H2714.
Printed hearings 1
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 112-114 | ELEVEN YEARS AFTER 9/11 CAN TSA EVOLVE TO MEET THE NEXT TERRORIST THREAT?70 pages | Homeland Security Committee | Sep 11, 2012 |
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47848 | Nonimmigrant Overstays: Overview and Policy Issues | Report | Nov 21, 2023 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2233 | JOLT Act | Related bill | Mar 27, 2012 |
| S 3199 | JOLT Act of 2012 | Identical bill | May 17, 2012 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to stimulate international tourism to the United States, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- JOLT Act of 2012
- Jobs Originated through Launching Travel Act of 2012
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Administrative remedies
- Asia
- Border security and unlawful immigration
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- Congressional oversight
- Department of Homeland Security
- Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
- Government information and archives
- Immigration
- Immigration status and procedures
- International organizations and cooperation
- Judicial review and appeals
- Latin America
- Terrorism
- Travel and tourism
- User charges and fees
- Visas and passports
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 15, 2012Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
