[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1851 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1851

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a 
fully automated electronic system for travel authorization for the Guam 
    and Northern Mariana Islands visa waiver program, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 3, 2017

 Ms. Bordallo introduced the following bill; which was referred 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a 
fully automated electronic system for travel authorization for the Guam 
    and Northern Mariana Islands 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 ``Modernizing Travel to the Marianas 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION FOR GUAM AND 
              NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM.

    Section 212(l) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1182(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Electronic system for travel authorization.--
                    ``(A) System.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, 
                in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall 
                develop and implement a fully automated electronic 
                system for travel authorization (referred to in this 
                paragraph as the `System') to collect such biographical 
                and other information as the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security determines necessary to determine, in advance 
                of travel, the eligibility of, and whether there exists 
                a law enforcement or security risk in permitting, the 
                alien to travel to Guam or the Commonwealth of the 
                Northern Mariana Islands, which is similar to the 
                electronic system for travel authorization described in 
                section 217(h)(3).
                    ``(B) Eligibility determination under the system.--
                Beginning on the date on which the System developed 
                under subparagraph (A) is fully operational, each alien 
                traveling under the program under this subsection 
                shall, before applying for admission to Guam or the 
                Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
                electronically provide to the System biographical 
                information and such other information as the Secretary 
                of Homeland Security shall determine necessary to 
                determine the eligibility of, and whether there exists 
                a law enforcement or security risk in permitting, the 
                alien to travel to Guam or the Commonwealth of the 
                Northern Mariana Islands. Upon review of such 
                biographical information, the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security shall determine whether the alien is eligible 
                to travel to Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
                Mariana Islands under the program.
                    ``(C) Fees.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Notwithstanding section 
                        286(g), not later than 1 year after the date of 
                        enactment of the Modernizing Travel to the 
                        Marianas Act of 2017, the Secretary of Homeland 
                        Security shall establish a fee for the use of 
                        the System and begin assessment and collection 
                        of that fee. The initial fee shall be the sum 
                        of--
                                    ``(I) an amount that will ensure 
                                that the ports of entry in Guam and the 
                                Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
                                Islands are equipped with appropriate 
                                resources and staff, as determined by 
                                the Secretary; and
                                    ``(II) an amount that will at least 
                                ensure recovery of the full costs of 
                                providing the administering the System, 
                                as determined by the Secretary.
                            ``(ii) Disposition of amounts collected.--
                        Notwithstanding section 286(c), amounts 
                        collected under clause (i)(I) shall be made 
                        available to the Secretary of Homeland Security 
                        for the costs associated with operating the 
                        ports of entry in Guam and the Commonwealth of 
                        the Northern Mariana Islands, and amounts 
                        collected under clause (i)(II) shall be made 
                        available to the Secretary of Homeland Security 
                        for the costs associated with administering the 
                        System. Such amounts shall remain available 
                        until expended.''.
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