Border Improvement and Immigration Act of 1997

Summary: Border Improvement and Immigration Act of 1997 - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 with respect to the automated entry-exit control system to exempt from required recordkeeping:  (1) land border crossings; and (2) permanent resident and certain other aliens. 
Requires the Attorney General to report on the feasibility of implementing an automated entry-exit control system that would include land border arrivals and departures. 
Provides for increased numbers of full-time Immigration and Naturalization and Customs inspectors at U.S. land borders, with at least half of such inspectors to be assigned to the northern border.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Border Improvement and Immigration 
Act of 1997''.

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

    (a) In General.--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 (2), not later than 
        2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        Attorney General shall develop an automated entry and exit 
        control system 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) Exception.--The system under paragraph (1) shall not 
        collect a record of arrival or departure--
                    ``(A) at a land border of the United States for any 
                alien;
                    ``(B) for any alien lawfully admitted to the United 
                States for permanent residence; or
                    ``(C) 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.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect as if included in the enactment of the Illegal Immigration 
Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (division C of Public 
Law 104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-546).

SEC. 3. REPORT.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than two years 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 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 1998, 1999, and 2000 shall 
increase by not less than 300 the number of full-time 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. Not less than one-half of the inspectors added under the 
preceding sentence in each fiscal year shall be assigned to the 
northern border of the United States.
    (b) Increased Number of Customs Inspectors at the Land Borders.--
The Secretary of the Treasury in each of fiscal years 1998, 1999, and 
2000 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. Not less 
than one-half of the inspectors added under the preceding sentence in 
each fiscal year shall be assigned to the northern border of the United 
States.