I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7263 

To authorize amounts collected in certain visa fees to be made available 

to reduce visa wait times, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 6, 2024 

Ms. TITUS (for herself, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mrs. 

GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the 

Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Appropriations, 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 authorize amounts collected in certain visa fees to be 

made available to reduce visa wait times, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Visa Improvement, 

5 Streamlined Investment, and Tourism Optimization Re6 form Act’’ or the ‘‘VISITOR Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO USE COLLECTED FEES TO REDUCE 

2 VISA WAIT TIMES. 

3 (a) AMENDMENT TO THE PASSPORT ACT.—Section 

4 1(b) of the Passport Act of June 4, 1920 (22 U.S.C. 

5 214(b)), is amended— 

6 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘such costs’’ 

7 and inserting ‘‘the costs of providing consular serv8 ices’’; 

9 (2) by striking paragraph (2); and 

10 (3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para11 graph (2). 

12 (b) AUTHORITY TO USE COLLECTED FEES FOR THE

13 PURPOSES OF REDUCING VISA WAIT TIMES.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

15 provision of law, the following passport and immi16 grant visa surcharges collected in any fiscal year are 

17 authorized to be made available for the costs of pro18 viding general consular services, including the con19 sular protection of United States citizens and their 

20 interests overseas: 

21 (A) Surcharges collected pursuant to the 

22 fourth paragraph under the heading ‘‘Diplo23 matic and Consular Programs’’ in the Depart24 ment of State and Related Agency Appropria25 tions Act, 2005 (title IV of division B of Public 

26 Law 108–447; 8 U.S.C. 1714). 


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•HR 7263 IH

1 (B) Fees deposited into the Fraud Preven2 tion and Detection Account and made available 

3 for the purposes described in section 

4 286(v)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nation5 ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(v)(2)(A)). 

6 (2) AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER UNOBLIGATED

7 FEE BALANCES.— 

8 (A) TRANSFER OF EXISTING FEE COLLEC9 TION.—The unobligated balances of each 

10 amount available from fees listed in section 

11 7081(h) of the Department of State, Foreign 

12 Operations, and Related Programs Appropria13 tions Act, 2017 (division J of Public Law 115– 

14 31) are authorized to be transferred to the Con15 sular and Border Security Programs account 

16 and between accounts of the Department of 

17 State under the heading ‘‘Administration of 

18 Foreign Affairs’’ for the purposes described in 

19 paragraph (1) of this subsection. 

20 (B) TRANSFER OF OTHER AMOUNTS MADE

21 AVAILABLE FOR ADMINISTRATION OF FOREIGN

22 AFFAIRS.—The unobligated balances of any 

23 amounts made available to the Department of 

24 State under the heading ‘‘Administration of 

25 Foreign Affairs’’ by any Act are authorized to 


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1 be transferred to the Consular and Border Se2 curity Programs Account if the Secretary of 

3 State determines and reports to the Committees 

4 on Appropriations of the House of Representa5 tives and the Senate that to do so is necessary 

6 to sustain consular operations, following con7 sultation with such Committees. 

8 (3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 6 of 

9 the Department of State Authorities Act of 2006 (8 

10 U.S.C. 1714 note) is amended by inserting ‘‘and the 

11 provision of other general consular services’’ after 

12 ‘‘in support of enhanced border security’’ each place 

13 it appears. 

14 (c) GOAL OF REDUCED VISA WAIT TIME.—The Sec15 retary of State is authorized to take such steps as may 

16 be necessary for the goal of ensuring that 80 percent of 

17 nonimmigrant visa applicants are interviewed within 3 

18 weeks of receipt and application, recognizing that resource 

19 and security considerations and the need to ensure provi20 sion of consular services to United States citizens may dic21 tate specific exceptions to this goal. 

Æ 


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