[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5850 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5850

To provide for the inclusion of Israel in the visa waiver program, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 18, 2012

   Mr. Sherman (for himself, Mr. Poe of Texas, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. 
Towns, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Engel, Mr. Rothman of New Jersey, Mr. Pascrell, 
Ms. Berkley, Mr. Schock, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Holt, Mr. Grimm, and Mr. Dold) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the inclusion of Israel in the visa waiver program, 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 ``Visa Waiver for Israel Act of 
2012''.

SEC. 2. ISRAEL DESIGNATED AS A PROGRAM COUNTRY FOR VISA WAIVER PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date described in subsection (c), 
Israel shall be deemed a program country for purposes of section 217 of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187).
    (b) Exemption From Application of Certain Requirements.--In the 
case of Israel, section 217(c)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(c)(2)(A)) does not apply.
    (c) Effective Date; Compliance Requirements.--The date described in 
this subsection is the date that the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, determines that Israel has 
complied with the following:
            (1) The government of Israel has entered into an agreement 
        with the Government of the United States to report, or make 
        available through Interpol or other means as designated by the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security, to the United States Government 
        information about the theft or loss of passports within a 
        strict time limit and in a manner specified in the agreement.
            (2) The government of Israel has entered into an agreement 
        with the Government of the United States to share information 
        regarding whether citizens and nationals of Israel traveling to 
        the United States represent a threat to the security or welfare 
        of the United States.
            (3) The government of Israel cooperates with the Government 
        of the United States on counterterrorism initiatives, 
        information sharing, and preventing terrorist travel, and the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State 
        determine that such cooperation will continue.
            (4) The government of Israel issues all new and reissued 
        passports with biometric identifiers as described in section 
        303 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act 
        of 2002 (8 U.S.C. 1732).
            (5) The government of Israel has made every reasonable 
        effort, without jeopardizing the security of the State of 
        Israel, to ensure that reciprocal privileges are extended to 
        all United States citizens.
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