[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 145 (Thursday, October 8, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR A TRANSITION PERIOD FOR THE GUAM-CNMI VISA WAIVER PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 2009

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, today I introduced legislation to amend 
the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA), Public Law 110-
229, for the purpose of providing for a transition period for the 
implementation of the new Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. Section 702 of 
the CNRA extends the immigration laws of the United States to the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). It also provides 
for a visa waiver program for travel to Guam and the CNMI consistent 
with the new arrangements for control of immigration in the CNMI and 
that would be based on and succeed the highly successful Guam-only visa 
waiver program, which was authorized by the Omnibus Territories Act of 
1986.
  The Department of Homeland Security will commence control of six 
ports of entry in the CNMI on November 28, 2009, in accordance with the 
CNRA. The bill I have introduced today would make a technical 
correction to the CNRA, by delaying for one year the start of the 
authorized joint Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. Its effect would be to 
allow for federal control of immigration to commence in the CNMI on 
November 28, 2009, but also for the existing CNMI visitor entry program 
under CNMI law to continue but be controlled and administered by U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the Department of Homeland 
Security. The current approved countries under the Guam-only visa 
waiver program and the CNMI visitor entry program would be maintained, 
respectively for each territory, for an additional year. Such a 
continuation of the visitor entry rules for both of these territories 
would afford the Department of Homeland Security additional time to 
devise rules and allocate the resources necessary in both the CNMI and 
Guam for the successful operation and administration of the new Guam-
CNMI Visa Waiver Program consistent with Congressional intent. The 
additional time will also provide for an orderly transition to occur in 
both territories.
  Most importantly, this bill would allow the Department of Homeland 
Security to focus its resources initially on the standing-up and 
control of six ports of entry in the CNMI and also protect the economic 
interests of the CNMI with the continuation of its visitor entry 
program. The CNMI economy is heavily reliant on tourism and its visitor 
sector is accustomed to operating under the territory's visitor entry 
program.
  The bill also authorizes a study to be conducted by the Secretary of 
the Interior, analyzing the economic situation and forecast for the 
CNMI. This report will be provided to the committees with jurisdiction, 
the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources, within 30 days of enactment. This report 
will help the Committees exercise oversight of the implementation of 
the CNRA and the transition by the Department of Homeland Security to 
the new joint, Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues as this bill moves 
forward in the legislative process.

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