[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 102 (Wednesday, July 21, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8561-S8565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COLEMAN:
  S. 2715. A bill to improve access to graduate schools in the United 
States for international students and scholars; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.
  Mr. COLEMAN. Madam President, September 11, 2001, was a day that 
changed America forever. It taught us that oceans cannot protect us 
from those who are fanatically devoted to harming us. The world has 
changed after September 11. The American experience, realities, changed 
after September 11. We live with greater uncertainty. We live with 
greater fear and concern about attack. We have, even those in this 
Chamber, gone through the process of thinking the unthinkable, thinking 
about attacks on our soil, on our towns, on our country.
  The good news is that in the last 2\1/2\ years since September 11, 
America has not experienced another experience like that. It appears as 
if the measures we have taken have had some effect. The PATRIOT Act was 
passed with overwhelming support. It is now the subject of some debate, 
but let's not debate the importance of doing those things that protect 
this country from attack. The PATRIOT Act has clearly been part of 
that.
  The efforts of our President in rooting out the Taliban and getting 
rid of Saddam have all had an impact on making this country safer. But 
there are no guarantees. Clearly, even today--we have the September 11 
Commission report coming out tomorrow; we have the Senate Intelligence 
Committee report coming out, reviewing what we did, should have done, 
and what we could do better.
  The bottom line is we want to make sure this never happens again. The 
effort to improve our safety and security is important. This is not a 
game. This is not to raise the fear for political purposes; this is the 
reality of the world in which we live.
  But I do believe there is at least one area where our policy 
regarding security and measures we are taking to improve security 
should be examined and changed. That is why today I am introducing the 
International Student and Scholar Access Act.
  Again, we all know there is absolutely no such thing as an absolute 
guarantee of absolute security in a free society, so what we do is 
measure the level of threat against the loss of certain other values 
and then we try to strike a balance. In the area of student visas, I 
believe we have pushed security concerns beyond the logical point and

[[Page S8562]]

need to make adjustments to our policy.
  This is what I am talking about. America has been home to foreign 
students in great numbers for many years. If you go to the University 
of Minnesota, you see students from all over the world. The same is 
true in our private schools in Minnesota. The University of St. Thomas 
has a great international student program. Those are good programs.
  What those programs do is provide young people from around the world 
an opportunity to study in America, to understand the American 
experience, to understand American values, to understand the American 
way of life. That is a good thing.
  Unfortunately, I believe one of the terrorist hijackers on September 
11 was an individual who had a student visa. He did not attend school. 
No one followed up. As a result of that, what happened is we looked at 
that student visa policy and said: We have to make changes.
  I understand that. I understand we have to tighten up standards. I 
understand we have to be more careful about those who claim to be 
students who come into our country.
  But I believe the result of what has been well intentioned--what is 
important, the security of our country; nothing is more important than 
the role of Government to make sure we are secure--in regard to student 
visas has been to push the ball a little too far. I think what we are 
seeing now is there are scores of young people who would like to be 
part of the American experience, who would like to study in our 
schools, who would like to understand American culture and American 
values, young people who, 20 or 30 years from now, when they are the 
Presidents and Vice Presidents and Ambassadors and Ministers of their 
country, would have a relationship, saying: I went to the University of 
Minnesota. I went to the University of Maine. I went to the University 
of Saint Thomas. I went to Bowdoin College. I understand what you are 
about and would like to be a partner with you.
  I think we are at a point now where, in reaction to 9/11, what we are 
doing with student visas is to have kind of turned it around. Now that 
it is a national security issue, I think we are missing the opportunity 
for a lot of young people to become part of and understand and share in 
the American experience.
  So now we have visa processes that are structured in a way that 
produces results that I don't think we want. They require that consular 
officers in our Embassies spend far too much time on people who do not 
threaten this country and excluding too many of them. That does not 
leave them enough time to deal with those folks who are a genuine 
threat.
  It is the equivalent of a police roadblock. We are stopping so many 
innocent people that it calls into question if this is a good use of 
Government resources and power.

  Again, it is in the interest of the United States of America to bring 
in the best and brightest foreign students to study in America. These 
are people who will lead their nations one day. The experience they 
gain with our democratic system and our values gives them a better 
understanding of what America is and who Americans are.
  I had an opportunity the other day to spend time with a young woman 
from Iraq, a Kurd from Kirkuk. She was there to kind of shadow us and 
understand a little bit about American--this system of government. I 
thought--she had 1 day--just think if we had 4 years of her being here, 
or 5 years, and she came to understand this country and its history and 
its people and its culture and its ways and its values, and she carried 
that in her heart back to her country, with the opportunities we would 
have along the way to strengthen those relationships.
  We hear so much today about anger at Americans, about hate directed 
toward Americans. But this is in a world that, at times, I think may 
hate us because they don't know us. They don't know us. They know what 
they see on Al-Jazeera or they know what they hear from some political 
leader who may disagree with the kind of government and the democracy 
and the values we have.
  International education represents an opportunity to break down those 
barriers. I think some who hate this Nation do so out of ignorance. 
Foreign students who return to their nations many times become 
ambassadors of good will and understanding.
  And don't discount the personal relationships. In our lives, we may 
see friends who we met back in college, people we have not seen in 20 
years. When we run into those friends, there is a bond. Our young 
educated people become our leaders, not just in Government but in 
business, in industry, in education. The same is true throughout the 
world. The world is not such a big place. It is not such a big place 
when you have these human connections.
  So these young people go back to their countries, young people who 
studied here, who learned of our ways, and they become ambassadors of 
good will and understanding, and they speak with credibility about the 
freedoms that spur American success.
  Foreign students also help our economy. Higher education is a major 
service sector export, bringing in $12 billion to the U.S. economy 
every year. Competitors, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and 
Australia are gaining market share while the United States is losing. 
Total international applications to U.S. graduate schools for the fall 
of 2004 declined 32 percent from the fall of 2003. Fifty-four percent 
of English as a second language programs have reported declines in 
applications.
  When you think about the economy, it is not just a tourist economy. 
People are coming here to spend money. I had an opportunity to be 
involved in a series of meetings with some of my colleagues, chaired by 
Senator Baucus, the ranking member of the Finance Committee, and 
bringing in leaders of American industry, the CEOs of some of the 
largest corporations in America, to talk about what we have to do to 
ensure American competitiveness in this global economy. One of the 
issues these CEOs mentioned was the difficulty in having foreign 
students come to our country and the impact it has on their 
opportunities for success and innovation, and the impact that has on 
the American economy.

  It is not just a long-term national security issue; it is an economic 
development and opportunity issue. We are shortchanging ourselves by 
losing access to talent.
  The legislation I introduce today is an effort to reverse the decline 
in foreign access to U.S. education. My legislation seeks to promote 
foreign study in America by urging strategic thinking and by making 
commonsense changes to the way we process visa applications.
  This legislation would help to clarify the often overlapping roles 
between lead agencies that work on international education--the 
Departments of State, Commerce, Homeland Security, and Education.
  It proposes improvements related to SEVIS fees for tracking foreign 
students, by prorating fees for short-term students and allowing them 
to make payments in their local currencies. There is a process of 
payments that are made. If you are here for a short term, you pay as 
much as for a long term. It is another barrier, another impediment to 
providing an opportunity for foreign students to be here.
  It would set goals for more timeliness and certainty in the visa 
process. It would press the State Department for commonsense 
improvements to give more discretion on personal appearance 
requirements and on the duration of security clearances. It would 
improve the interoperability between databases of the FBI and the State 
Department.
  Perhaps the most critical part of my bill deals with the criteria for 
student visas. Currently, consular officers have to prove that a 
student visa applicant has essential ties which will ensure his or her 
return to his or her own country after study is complete. This 
requirement poses an unrealistic burden on students who are typically 
not yet sufficiently well established in their societies to be able to 
demonstrate a likelihood of return. In reality, international students 
are often encouraged to stay in the U.S. after they have completed 
their studies, by changing their status to that of H-1B, for example.
  An observation on this, and let me go just a little bit more about 
the legislation, because what it does is it calls for

[[Page S8563]]

a more realistic standard for student visas. That is what we really 
need.
  My legislation replaces the criteria of expected return with two 
other criteria. Students would have to demonstrate that they intend to 
come to the U.S. to complete a legitimate course of study, and that 
they have the financial means for doing so.
  Let me explain why that makes so much more sense. The reality is, if 
we have a bright and enterprising student from Africa, from Uganda, or 
from Argentina, from Latin America somewhere, the issue we need to be 
concerned about is whether they are really coming here to study. The 
concern over 9/11 is, you had folks who came here who were using that 
to gain entry into this country. Are they coming here to study? Is it a 
legitimate course of study? Do they have the means to do so? Are they 
coming here for the purpose they intended?
  Afterwards, if we have a highly trained and highly qualified college 
graduate from Uganda and they do whatever has to be done legally in 
terms of dealing with immigration, what is the issue? Why would you not 
want to have them here a little longer if they are going to contribute 
to the economic growth, to the increase in brainpower, to all the 
things that need to be done to make sure America stays competitive in 
this new global economy?
  America is never going to compete with low-scale wages. We are past 
that. There is no way we can compete with China. Mexico can't compete 
with China today. America's economic success is tied to innovation and 
brainpower. That is our future. What we do to encourage that, certainly 
among folks here but also students from other countries who become part 
of that pool, who help us become more creative and entrepreneurial, is 
important.
  I have to say--and I wouldn't be surprised if the Senator from Maine 
has not had the same experience--this issue consumes a lot of my time 
and that of my case workers back in Minnesota. Time and again they are 
asked by Minnesota colleges and universities to make a plea to the 
State Department to help process a foreign student's visa. These are 
students who want to come to the United States, who have the 
intellectual assets that all can gain from, who have scholarships or 
other resources to take care of themselves while in America. But 
because they don't have spouses or homes in their native lands, they 
are rejected for their student visas. What sense does that make? How 
does that further the interests of those in the United States? How does 
it further the interests of our colleges and universities that benefit 
from quality students, benefit from the diversity brought by students 
from Africa or from Asia, benefit from having a broader kind of dialog 
and exchange about what this world is all about?
  I had a particular case of a talented young man from Uganda named 
Humphrey. Humphrey had a full ride to St. Thomas University in St. 
Paul, MN, which--I note with great pride--my son entered. He had his 
orientation just the other day. I have a personal interest in St. 
Thomas, but that is not the reason I advocated for Humphrey. Humphrey 
was a research assistant with Professor Martin O'Reilly at Uganda 
Martyrs University. Dr. O'Reilly stated:

       With service for 22 years in African countries, this is the 
     most impressive student and human being I have ever known. He 
     is one in a million.

  Humphrey is a psychology student. His goal is to return to Africa and 
offer counseling services on a continent where the psychological scars 
are so deep. We just heard my friend and colleague from Illinois 
talking about the brutality, the genocide in Sudan. We know of what 
happened in Rwanda. We know the scars that need to be healed. Humphrey 
wants to go back and offer services where psychological scars are deep. 
Yet his visa application was rejected more than once because he could 
not prove to a consular officer that he intended to return to Uganda. I 
called that consular officer at one time, not to pressure as a Senator 
but just to ask them to take a look at the application. Don't let it 
just kind of get processed run of the mill because we have a process 
now that makes it difficult for students to come here. Take a look at 
it and then make a judgment, if the judgment is pretty clear.

  I am happy to say that Humphrey's visa application was finally 
accepted and he began study in January. I fear that there are too many 
people like him who will not be educated in America. We will lose not 
only their wisdom but also the chance to show them what makes America 
so great. I believe in the tougher measures we implemented after 
September 11, but I think we have to be smarter with how we use these 
tools. I think we can strike a better balance between security and the 
value of bringing the world here to be educated. And that is in 
America's long-term interest.
  I urge my colleagues to consider this important issue and to support 
this legislation. It is in many ways a national security issue, 
national security not just in having a process in place that weeds out 
those who shouldn't be here but long-term national security, making 
sure that America has those relationships and those contacts with the 
future leaders of countries around this world and gives them the 
opportunity to be educated here. Right now they are being educated in 
other places, in England and France and Germany. We are missing an 
opportunity. There is no reason. We can do better than that.
  Let us look at this issue. It is still my first term, and I haven't 
finished yet. I haven't finished the second year. I know it takes a 
while to get things done. But I think the clock is ticking on this 
issue. Each and every day we are missing an opportunity. Each and every 
day as we see the numbers of international student applications 
decline, as we see less and less of the opportunities to establish 
those relationships because of the policies we have in place, it cries 
out for change.
  My legislation offers that change. I hope this body considers it, and 
I hope we make the change. As a result, I know we will build a stronger 
America. We will build a better America. That is the reason I think we 
are all here.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2715

       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 ``International Student and 
     Scholar Access Act of 2004''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The United States has a strategic need to improve its 
     student visa screening process to protect against terrorists 
     who would abuse the system to harm the United States.
       (2) At the same time, openness to international students 
     and exchange visitors serves longstanding and important 
     United States foreign policy, educational, and economic 
     interests, and the erosion of such exchanges is contrary to 
     United States national security interests.
       (3) Educating successive generations of future world 
     leaders in the United States has long been an important 
     underpinning of United States international influence and 
     leadership.
       (4) Open scientific exchange, which enables the United 
     States to benefit from the knowledge of the world's top 
     scientists, has long been an important underpinning of United 
     States scientific leadership.
       (5) The United States has seen a dramatic increase in 
     requests for Visa Mantis checks designed to protect against 
     illegal transfers of sensitive technology, from 1,000 in 
     fiscal year 2000 to 20,000 in fiscal year 2003.
       (6) Delays in issuing Visa Mantis security clearances have 
     discouraged some international scholars from coming to the 
     United States.
       (7) International students and their families studying in 
     the United States contribute close to $12,000,000,000 to the 
     United States economy each year, making higher education a 
     major service sector export.
       (8) Delays in obtaining student visas have discouraged many 
     international students from studying in the United States.
       (9) Total international applications to graduate schools in 
     the United States for fall 2004 declined 32 percent from fall 
     2003.
       (10) The number of international students enrolled in the 
     United States, which in raw numbers consistently increased 
     over time and grew by 6 percent during both the 2000-2001 and 
     2001-2002 school years, leveled off dramatically during the 
     2002-2003 school year to an increase of only .6 percent.
       (11) Concerns related to the anticipated international 
     student monitoring system known as ``SEVIS'' have contributed 
     to the decline in the number of foreign applicants to 
     educational institutions in the United States.
       (12) The United States requires a visa system for exchange 
     programs that maximizes United States national security.

[[Page S8564]]

       (13) The United States requires a comprehensive strategy 
     for recruiting international students as well as enhancing 
     the access of international students to higher education in 
     the United States.

 TITLE I--NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR ENHANCING INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACCESS 
                          TO THE UNITED STATES

     SEC. 101. STRATEGIC PLAN.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the President, in consultation with United States higher 
     education institutions, organizations that participate in 
     international exchange programs, and other appropriate 
     groups, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
     the Senate and the Committee on International Relations of 
     the House of Representatives a strategic plan for enhancing 
     international student access to the United States for study 
     and exchange activities that includes:
       (1) A marketing plan to makes use of Internet and other 
     media resources to promote and facilitate study in the United 
     States by international students.
       (2) A clear division of responsibility that eliminates 
     duplication and promotes inter-agency cooperation with regard 
     to the roles of the Departments of State, Commerce, 
     Education, and Homeland Security in promoting and 
     facilitating access to the United States for international 
     student and exchange visitors.
       (3) A mechanism for institutionalized coordination of the 
     efforts of Departments of State, Commerce, Education, and 
     Homeland Security in facilitating access to the United States 
     for international student and exchange visitors.
       (4) An effective mandate and strategic plan for use of the 
     overseas educational advising centers of the Department of 
     State to promote study in the United States and to prescreen 
     visa applicants.
       (5) Well-defined lines of authority and responsibility for 
     international students in the Department of Commerce.
       (6) A clear mandate related to international student access 
     for the Department of Education.
       (7) Streamlined procedures within the Department of 
     Homeland Security related to international student and 
     exchange visitors.

     SEC. 102. ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

       (a) In General.--The President, acting through the 
     Secretary State and in consultation with the Secretary of 
     Education, Secretary of Commerce, and Secretary of Homeland 
     Security shall submit an annual report on the implementation 
     of the national strategy developed in accordance with section 
     101 to Congress that would describe the following:
       (1) Measures undertaken to enhance international student 
     access to the United States and improve inter-agency 
     coordination with regard to international students and 
     exchange visitors as provided in section 101.
       (2) Measures taken to implement section 202.
       (3) The number of student and exchange visitors who apply 
     for visas from the United States, and the number whose visas 
     are approved.
       (4) The average processing time for student and 
     international visitor visas.
       (5) The number of student and international visitor visas 
     requiring inter-agency review.
       (6) The number of student and international visitor visas 
     approved after submission of the visa applications during 
     each of the following durations:
       (A) Less than 15 days.
       (B) 15-30 days.
       (C) 31-45 days.
       (D) 46-60 days.
       (E) 61-90 days.
       (F) More than 90 days.
       (b) Submission of Report.--Not later than May 30 of 2005, 
     and annually thereafter through 2008, the President shall 
     submit to Congress the report described in subsection (a).

     SEC. 103. REFORMING SEVIS FEE PROCESS.

       (a) Reduced Fee for Short-term Study.--Section 641(e)(4)(A) 
     of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant 
     Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1372(e)(4)(A)) is 
     amended in the second sentence, by inserting before the 
     period the following: ``or the admission of an alien under 
     section 101(a)(15)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
     (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F)) for a program that does not exceed 
     90 days''.
       (b) Improving Fee Collection.--Not later than 60 days after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security and the Secretary of State shall jointly submit to 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on the 
     Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on International 
     Relations and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the feasibility of collecting the 
     fee required by section 641(e) of the Illegal Immigration 
     Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 
     1372(e))--
       (1) in local currency at local financial institutions under 
     procedures established by the Secretary of State; and
       (2) by universities as part of a student's tuition and 
     fees.

     SEC. 104. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
     of State, Department of Education, Department of Homeland 
     Security, and Department of Commerce such sums as may be 
     necessary to carry out the activities described in section 
     101.

                  TITLE II--IMPROVING THE VISA PROCESS

     SEC. 201. SENSE OF CONGRESS; PURPOSE.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) improvements in visa processing would enhance the 
     national security of the United States by--
       (A) permitting closer scrutiny of visa applicants who might 
     pose risks; and
       (B) permitting the timely adjudication of visa applications 
     of those whose presence in the United States serves important 
     national interests; and
       (2) improvements must include--
       (A) an operational visa policy that articulates the 
     national interest of the United States in denying entry to 
     visitors who seek to harm the United States and in opening 
     entry to legitimate visitors, to guide consular officers in 
     achieving the appropriate balance;
       (B) a greater focus by the visa system on visitors who 
     require special screening, while minimizing delays for 
     legitimate visitors;
       (C) a timely, transparent, and predictable visa process, 
     through appropriate guidelines for inter-agency review of 
     visa applications; and
       (D) a provision of the necessary resources to fund a visa 
     processing system that meets the requirements of this title.
       (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this title to specify 
     the improvements described in subsection (a).

     SEC. 202. VISA PROCESSING GUIDANCE.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State--
       (1) shall issue appropriate guidance to consular officers 
     in order to--
       (A) give consulates appropriate discretion to grant waivers 
     of personal appearance in order to minimize delays for 
     legitimate travelers while permitting more thorough 
     interviews of visa applicants in appropriate cases;
       (B) give consulates appropriate discretion to allow 
     security clearances under the Visas Mantis system to be valid 
     for the duration of status or program, in order to avoid 
     repetitive reviews of those visitors who leave the United 
     States temporarily; and
       (C) establish a presumption of visa approval for frequent 
     visitors who have previously been granted visas for the same 
     purpose and who have no status violations; and
       (2) in consultation with the Director of the Office of 
     Science and Technology Policy and appropriate representatives 
     of the United States scientific community, shall issue 
     appropriate guidance to consular officers in order to refine 
     controls on the entry of visitors who propose to engage in 
     study or research in advanced science and technology in order 
     to ensure that only cases of concern, and not nonsensitive 
     cases, are subjected to special review.
       (b) Timeliness Standards.--Not later than 60 days after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the President shall institute 
     guidelines for inter-agency review of visa applications 
     requiring security clearances which establish the following 
     standards for timeliness in international student and visitor 
     visas:
       (1) Establish a 15-day standard for responses to the 
     Department of State by other agencies involved in the 
     clearance process.
       (2) Establish a 30-day standard for completing the entire 
     inter-agency review and advising the consulate of the result 
     of the review.
       (3) Provide for expedited processing of any visa 
     application with respect to which a review is not completed 
     within 30 days, and for advising the consulate of the delay 
     and the estimated processing time remaining.
       (4) Require the establishment of a process by which the 
     applicant, or the program to which the applicant seeks 
     access, can inquire about the application's status and the 
     estimated processing time remaining.
       (5) Establish a special review process to resolve any cases 
     whose resolution is still pending after 60 days.

     SEC. 203. INTEROPERABLE DATA SYSTEMS AT THE FBI.

       (a) Responsibilities of the FBI Director.--The Director of 
     the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall take the steps 
     necessary to ensure that--
       (1) the Federal Bureau of Investigation's databases and 
     systems used in the National Name Check Program are 
     interoperable with the requisite databases and systems at the 
     Department of State;
       (2) the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation are 
     automated and a common database is set up between the field 
     offices and headquarters of the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation; and
       (3) the Federal Bureau of Investigation has full 
     connectivity to the Consular Consolidated Database through 
     the Open Source Information System.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director of the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation shall report to the Committees on the Judiciary 
     of the Senate and the House of Representatives on progress in 
     implementing subsection (a).

     SEC. 204. SETTING REALISTIC STANDARDS FOR VISA EVALUATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F)(i)) 
     is amended--
       (1) by striking ``having a residence in a foreign country 
     which he has no intention of abandoning'' and inserting 
     ``having the intention, capability, and sufficient financial

[[Page S8565]]

     resources to complete a course of study in the United 
     States''; and
       (2) by striking ``and solely'' after ``temporarily''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 214(b) of 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(b)) is 
     amended by striking ``subparagraph (L) or'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraph (F), (J), (L), or''.

     SEC. 205. REPORT.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of State shall report to the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
     International Relations of the House of Representatives on--
       (1) the feasibility of expediting visa processing for 
     participants in official exchange programs, and for students, 
     scholars, and exchange visitors through prescreening of 
     applicants by sending countries, sending universities, State 
     Department overseas educational advising centers, or other 
     appropriate entities;
       (2) the feasibility of developing abilities to collect 
     biometric data without requiring a visit to the Embassy by 
     the visa applicant; and
       (3) the implementation of the guidance described in 
     subsections (a) and (b) of section 202, including the 
     training of consular officers, and the effect of this 
     guidance and training on visa processing volume and 
     timeliness.

     SEC. 206. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
     necessary to carry out to carry out this Act for the consular 
     affairs function of the Department of State, the visa 
     application review function of the Department of Homeland 
     Security, and for database improvements in the Federal Bureau 
     of Investigations as specified in section 203.

                          ____________________