I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1851 

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement 

a fully automated electronic system for travel authorization for the Guam 

and Northern Mariana Islands visa waiver program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 3, 2017 

Ms. BORDALLO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland 

Security, 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 direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop 

and implement a fully automated electronic system for 

travel authorization for the Guam and Northern Mariana 

Islands visa waiver program, 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 ‘‘Modernizing Travel 

5 to the Marianas Act of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZA2 TION FOR GUAM AND NORTHERN MARIANA 

3 ISLANDS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM. 

4 Section 212(l) of the Immigration and Nationality 

5 Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(l)) is amended by adding at the end 

6 the following: 

7 ‘‘(7) ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AU8 THORIZATION.— 

9 ‘‘(A) SYSTEM.—The Secretary of Home10 land Security, in consultation with the Sec11 retary of State, shall develop and implement a 

12 fully automated electronic system for travel au13 thorization (referred to in this paragraph as the 

14 ‘System’) to collect such biographical and other 

15 information as the Secretary of Homeland Se16 curity determines necessary to determine, in ad17 vance of travel, the eligibility of, and whether 

18 there exists a law enforcement or security risk 

19 in permitting, the alien to travel to Guam or 

20 the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is21 lands, which is similar to the electronic system 

22 for travel authorization described in section 

23 217(h)(3). 

24 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION UNDER

25 THE SYSTEM.—Beginning on the date on which 

26 the System developed under subparagraph (A) 


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1 is fully operational, each alien traveling under 

2 the program under this subsection shall, before 

3 applying for admission to Guam or the Com4 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 

5 electronically provide to the System biographi6 cal information and such other information as 

7 the Secretary of Homeland Security shall deter8 mine necessary to determine the eligibility of, 

9 and whether there exists a law enforcement or 

10 security risk in permitting, the alien to travel to 

11 Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern 

12 Mariana Islands. Upon review of such bio13 graphical information, the Secretary of Home14 land Security shall determine whether the alien 

15 is eligible to travel to Guam or the Common16 wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under 

17 the program. 

18 ‘‘(C) FEES.— 

19 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 

20 section 286(g), not later than 1 year after 

21 the date of enactment of the Modernizing 

22 Travel to the Marianas Act of 2017, the 

23 Secretary of Homeland Security shall es24 tablish a fee for the use of the System and 


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1 begin assessment and collection of that fee. 

2 The initial fee shall be the sum of— 

3 ‘‘(I) an amount that will ensure 

4 that the ports of entry in Guam and 

5 the Commonwealth of the Northern 

6 Mariana Islands are equipped with 

7 appropriate resources and staff, as de8 termined by the Secretary; and 

9 ‘‘(II) an amount that will at least 

10 ensure recovery of the full costs of 

11 providing the administering the Sys12 tem, as determined by the Secretary. 

13 ‘‘(ii) DISPOSITION OF AMOUNTS COL14 LECTED.—Notwithstanding section 286(c), 

15 amounts collected under clause (i)(I) shall 

16 be made available to the Secretary of 

17 Homeland Security for the costs associated 

18 with operating the ports of entry in Guam 

19 and the Commonwealth of the Northern 

20 Mariana Islands, and amounts collected 

21 under clause (i)(II) shall be made available 

22 to the Secretary of Homeland Security for 

23 the costs associated with administering the 


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1 System. Such amounts shall remain avail2 able until expended.’’. 

Æ 


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