[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1250 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1250

 To amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility 
Act of 1996 to clarify and improve the requirements for the development 
   of an automated entry-exit control system, to enhance land border 
            control and enforcement, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 24, 1999

 Mr. LaFalce (for himself, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Metcalf, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. 
 Houghton, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Pickett, Mr. English, Ms. Lee, Mr. Pastor, 
 Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Davis of Florida, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Holden, and Mrs. 
 Mink of Hawaii) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
  the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Ways and Means, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility 
Act of 1996 to clarify and improve the requirements for the development 
   of an automated entry-exit control system, to enhance land border 
            control and enforcement, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Border Improvement and Immigration 
Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REFORM AND IMMIGRANT 
              RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 1996.

    Section 110(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant 
Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1221 note) is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(a) System.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (3), not later than 
        October 15, 1998, the Attorney General shall develop an 
        automated entry and exit control system at air ports-of-entry 
        that will--
                    ``(A) collect a record of departure for every alien 
                departing the United States and match the record of 
                departure with the record of the alien's arrival in the 
                United States; and
                    ``(B) enable the Attorney General to identify, 
                through on-line searching procedures, lawfully admitted 
                nonimmigrants who remain in the United States beyond 
                the period authorized by the Attorney General.
            ``(2) Implementation.--The Attorney General shall fully 
        implement the system developed under paragraph (1) at all air 
        ports-of-entry into the United States not later than October 1, 
        2001. The Attorney General may not implement the system at any 
        land border or seaport.
            ``(3) Exception.--The system under paragraphs (1) and (2) 
        shall not collect a record of arrival or departure for any 
        alien for whom the documentary requirements in section 
        212(a)(7)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act have been 
        waived by the Attorney General and the Secretary of State under 
        section 212(d)(4)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.''.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON AUTOMATED ENTRY-EXIT CONTROL SYSTEM.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit a report to the 
Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives on the feasibility of developing and implementing an 
automated entry-exit control system that would collect a record of 
departure for every alien departing the United States and match the 
record of departure with the record of the alien's arrival in the 
United States, including departures and arrivals at the land borders 
and seaports of the United States.
    (b) Contents of Report.--Such report shall--
            (1) assess the costs and feasibility of various means of 
        operating such an automated entry-exit control system, 
        including exploring--
                    (A) how, if the automated entry-exit control system 
                were limited to certain aliens arriving at airports, 
                departure records of those aliens could be collected 
                when they depart through a land border or seaport; and
                    (B) the feasibility of the Attorney General, in 
                consultation with the Secretary of State, negotiating 
                reciprocal agreements with the governments of 
                contiguous countries to collect such information on 
                behalf of the United States and share it in an 
                acceptable automated format;
            (2) consider the various means of developing such a system, 
        including the use of pilot projects if appropriate, and assess 
        which means would be most appropriate in which geographical 
        regions;
            (3) evaluate how such a system could be implemented without 
        increasing border traffic congestion and border crossing delays 
        and, if any such system would increase border crossing delays, 
        evaluate to what extent such congestion or delays would 
        increase; and
            (4) estimate the length of time that would be required for 
        any such system to be developed and implemented.

SEC. 4. INCREASED RESOURCES FOR BORDER CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT.

    (a) Increased Number of INS Inspectors at the Land Borders.--The 
Attorney General in each of fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002 shall 
increase by not less than 300 the number of full-time immigration 
inspectors assigned to active duty at the land borders of the United 
States by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, above the number 
of such positions for which funds were made available for the preceding 
fiscal year. The inspectors added under the preceding sentence in each 
fiscal year shall be assigned equally to the northern and southern 
borders of the United States.
    (b) Increased Number of Customs Inspectors at the Land Borders.--
The Secretary of the Treasury in each of fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 
2002 shall increase by not less than 150 the number of full-time 
inspectors assigned to active duty at the land borders of the United 
States by the Customs Service, above the number of such positions for 
which funds were made available for the preceding fiscal year. The 
inspectors added under the preceding sentence in each fiscal year shall 
be assigned equally to the northern and southern borders of the United 
States.
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