Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act
Latest action · Aug 8, 2017 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-273, Part I.
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 24, 2017
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assign, in a risk-based manner, DHS employees to at least 50 visa-issuing diplomatic and consular posts based upon the following criteria:
- the number of nationals of a country in which such posts are located who were identified in U.S. terrorist databases,
- such a country's counterterrorism cooperation with the United States,
- the adequacy of border and immigration control of such country,
- terrorist organization activity in such country, and
- the number of negative security advisory opinions regarding nationals of such country.
Such employees shall, in addition to other duties, screen admissions applications against federal criminal, national security, and terrorism databases.
DHS shall:
- establish within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a visa security advisory opinion unit to respond to Department of State requests for visa security reviews; and
- provide, in a risk-based manner, for remote pre-adjudicated visa security assistance at at least 50 posts that are not assigned such employees.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall:
- screen electronic passports at U.S. entry airports by reading each passport's embedded chip, and
- utilize facial recognition or other biometric technology to screen travelers at such airports.
Electronic passport screening shall apply to U.S. citizens, nationals of a visa waiver program country, and nationals of any other foreign country that issues electronic passports.
Facial recognition or other biometric technology shall apply to nationals of a visa waiver program country.
CBP shall, in a risk-based manner, continuously screen individuals issued any visa and individuals who are visa waiver program nationals against criminal, national security, and terrorism databases.
The annual visa overstay report is revised.
DHS shall (1) ensure that certain foreign student information is available at each U.S. port of entry to CBP officers, (2) review the social media accounts of certain visa applicants who are citizens or residents of high-risk countries, and (3) review open-source information of visa applicants.
Cosponsors 3
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 24, 2017 to Oct 31, 2017; 2 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-NY | John Katko | Original | May 24, 2017 |
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Original | May 24, 2017 |
| R-NY | Elise M. Stefanik | Oct 31, 2017 |
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 24, 2017 |
| Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred Jun 26, 2017 | |
| House | Homeland Security Committee | Referred May 24, 2017Markup Jul 26, 2017Reported Aug 8, 2017 |
| Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee | Referred Jun 15, 2017 |
Actions 7
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Aug 8, 2017Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-273, Part I.
- Jul 26, 2017Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jul 26, 2017Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jun 26, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
- Jun 15, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.
- May 24, 2017Introduced in House
- May 24, 2017Referred 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.
Committee report
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 163, no. 90, May 24, 2017, page H4569.
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1757 | Building America's Trust Act | Related bill | Sep 5, 2017 |
| S 2192 | SECURE Act of 2017 | Related bill | Dec 6, 2017 |
| HR 4760 | Securing America's Future Act of 2018 | Related bill | Jun 21, 2018 |
| HR 5253 | Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act | Reintroduction of | Dec 8, 2016 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Immigration and Nationality Act to improve visa security, visa applicant vetting, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Immigration.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 24, 2017Introduced 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.
