Southwest Tourism Expansion Act

To establish a pilot program waiving the Form I–94 document issuance requirement for certain Mexican nationals. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Southwest Tourism Expansion Act 2. Temporary waiver of Form I–94 border crossing cards and extension for certain Mexican nationals (a) In general The Secretary of Homeland Security shall waive the requirement to issue a Arrival-Departure Record Card (commonly known as Form I–94 (1) is eligible for admission to the United States as a nonimmigrant; (2) is exempt from— (A) the visa and passport requirement pursuant to section 212.1(c)(1)(i) of title 8, Code of Federal Regulations; or (B) the Form I–94 requirement under section 235.1(h) of such title; and (3) is admitted at a port of entry in the State of Arizona that is on the international border between the United States and Mexico for the purpose of visiting the State of Arizona for a period not to exceed 30 days. (b) Sunset This section shall remain in effect during the 5-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. 3. Report Not later than 270 days before the end of the 5-year period referred to in section 2(b), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives (1) the difference between the number of Mexican nationals who entered the United States at a port of entry in the State of Arizona during the first 4 years of the 5-year period referred to in section 2(b) and the number of such entries during such 4-year period; (2) the estimated economic impact on Arizona generated by the additional Mexican nationals visiting the State; (3) the difference between the number of Mexican nationals who overstayed their visa after entering the United States through a port of entry in the State of Arizona during the first 4 years of the 5-year period referred to in section 2(b) and the number of such overstays during such 4-year period; and (4) the improvements to border security and the cost savings realized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as a result of the waiver under section 2(a), which reduced the number of personnel needed to process Form I–94 documents and using a portion of such savings to enhance law enforcement functions.

Summary: Southwest Tourism Expansion Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive the requirement to issue arrival-departure cards to certain Mexican nationals. Specifically, the waiver shall apply to a Mexican national who is (1) eligible for nonimmigrant admission into the United States, (2) exempt from visa and passport requirements or certain existing (and generally more limited) arrival-departure card requirements, and (3) admitted at a port of entry in Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border for visiting Arizona for up to 30 days. The waiver program shall be in effect for five years. Before the program expires, DHS shall report to Congress on issues including (1) the estimated economic impact of the program, and (2) the number of Mexican nationals who overstayed their visa in Arizona during the first four years in which the program was in effect.