Security Verification for Refugees Act

Summary: Security Verification for Refugees Act This bill requires that, in addition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) screening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shall take all actions necessary to ensure that each covered alien receives a background investigation before U.S. refugee admission. A &quot;covered alien&quot; is any alien applying for U.S. refugee admission who:   is a national or resident of Iraq, Syria, or a country designated as a high-risk country; has no nationality and whose last habitual residence was in Iraq, Syria, or a country designated as a high-risk country; or  has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011.  A covered alien:   may not be admitted as a refugee until the FBI certifies to DHS and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) that he or she has received a background investigation sufficient to determine whether the alien is a U.S. security threat; and  may only be admitted to the United States after DHS, with the unanimous concurrence of the FBI and the DNI, certifies to Congress that he or she is not such a threat.  The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct annual risk-based reviews of all certifications. DHS shall report monthly to Congress on the total number of admission applications for which a certification was made and the number of covered aliens for whom such a certification was not made for the preceding month. The report shall include for each covered alien for whom a certification was not made the concurrence or nonconcurrence of each person whose concurrence was required by the certification.  The Department of State shall submit annually to Congress:    a list of each country, a national or resident of which submitted an application for U.S. refugee admission;   an evaluation of the threat posed by aliens who are nationals or residents of each listed country; and   a description of any presence of terrorism, human rights violations, human trafficking, drug trafficking, religious persecution, or other violations of international law, any presence of al Qaeda, Islamic State, or other terrorist groups, or any presence of transnational criminal organizations. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Security Verification for Refugees 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REVIEW OF REFUGEES TO IDENTIFY SECURITY THREATS TO THE UNITED 
              STATES.

    (a) Background Investigation.--In addition to the screening 
conducted by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation shall take all actions necessary to 
ensure that each covered alien receives a thorough background 
investigation prior to admission as a refugee. A covered alien may not 
be admitted as a refugee until the Director of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation certifies to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the 
Director of National Intelligence that each covered alien has received 
a background investigation that is sufficient to determine whether the 
covered alien is a threat to the security of the United States.
    (b) Certification by Unanimous Concurrence.--A covered alien may 
only be admitted to the United States after the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, with the unanimous concurrence of the Director of the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation and the Director of National Intelligence, 
certifies to the appropriate Congressional Committees that the covered 
alien is not a threat to the security of the United States.
    (c) Inspector General Review of Certifications.--The Inspector 
General of the Department of Homeland Security shall conduct a risk-
based review of all certifications made under subsection (b) each year 
and shall provide an annual report detailing the findings to the 
appropriate Congressional Committees.
    (d) Monthly Report.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
submit to the appropriate Congressional Committees a monthly report on 
the total number of applications for admission with regard to which a 
certification under subsection (b) was made and the number of covered 
aliens with regard to whom such a certification was not made for the 
month preceding the date of the report. The report shall include, for 
each covered alien with regard to whom a certification was not made, 
the concurrence or nonconcurrence of each person whose concurrence was 
required by subsection (b).
    (e) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Covered alien.--The term ``covered alien'' means any 
        alien applying for admission to the United States as a refugee 
        who--
                    (A) is a national or resident of Iraq, Syria, or a 
                country designated as a high-risk country by the 
                Secretary of State under section 3;
                    (B) has no nationality and whose last habitual 
                residence was in Iraq, Syria, or a country designated 
                as a high-risk country by the Secretary of State under 
                section 3; or
                    (C) has been present in Iraq or Syria at any time 
                on or after March 1, 2011.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committee.--The term 
        ``appropriate Congressional Committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
                    (B) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
                Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (E) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (F) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (G) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (H) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
                of the House of Representatives;
                    (I) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (J) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (K) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (L) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON RISK LEVELS OF COUNTRIES.

    Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation, and the Director of National Intelligence, shall 
submit to the appropriate Congressional Committees (as such term is 
defined in section 2(e)) a report, which shall be submitted in 
unclassified form to the maximum extent practicable, but may include a 
classified annex, and which includes the following:
            (1) A list of each country, a national or resident of which 
        submitted an application for admission to the United States as 
        a refugee under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality 
        Act (8 U.S.C. 1157) during the year preceding the report.
            (2) For each country listed under paragraph (1), an 
        evaluation of the threat to the security of the United States 
        posed by aliens who are nationals or residents of each such 
        country, and a designation of each such country as high-risk, 
        medium-risk, or low-risk.
            (3) For each country listed under paragraph (1), the number 
        of applications for admission as a refugee to the United States 
        during the year preceding the report.
            (4) For each country listed under paragraph (1), the number 
        of aliens who were admitted to the United States as refugees 
        during the year preceding the report.
            (5) Beginning with the second report submitted under this 
        section, in the case of a country for which the designation 
        under paragraph (2) changed from the designation of that 
        country in the preceding year's report, an explanation of the 
        reason for the change.
            (6) To the extent practicable, and without jeopardizing 
        intelligence sources or methods, a description of the 
        following:
                    (A) Any presence of terrorism, hostile actions 
                against the United States or its allies, gross 
                violations of human rights, human trafficking, drug 
                trafficking, religious persecution, or other violations 
                of international law.
                    (B) Any presence of al Qaeda, al Qaeda affiliates, 
                Islamic State, or other terrorist groups.
                    (C) Any presence of transnational criminal 
                organizations.