I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4116
To provide for the waiver of fees in the case of certain visas, to modify
the schedule for implementation of certain border crossing restrictions,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 23, 1998
Mr. KOLBE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
A BILL
To provide for the waiver of fees in the case of certain
visas, to modify the schedule for implementation of cer-
tain border crossing restrictions, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Visa Sim-
plification Act’’.
SEC. 2. BORDER CROSSING-RELATED VISAS.
(a) WAIVER OF FEES FOR CERTAIN VISAS.—
(1) 
REQUIREMENT.—Notwithstanding 
any
other provision of law, the Secretary of State shall
waive the fee for the processing of any application
for 
the 
issuance 
of 
a 
visa 
under 
section
101(a)(15)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act in the case of any alien under 15 years of age
where the application for the visa is made in Mexico
by a citizen of Mexico who has at least one parent
or guardian who has a visa under such section or is
applying for a visa under such section as well.
(2) PERIOD OF VALIDITY OF VISAS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), if the fee for a visa issued
under section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act has been waived under
paragraph (1) for a child under 15 years of
age, the visa shall be issued to expire on the
date on which the child attains the age of 18.
(B) EXCEPTION.—At the request of the
parent or guardian of any alien under 15 years
of age otherwise covered by subparagraph (A),
the Secretary of State may charge a fee for the
processing of an application of the issuance of
a visa under section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Im-
migration and Nationality Act provided that the
visa is issued to expire as of the same date as
is usually provided for visas issued under that
section.
(b) MODIFIED SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF
BORDER CROSSING RESTRICTIONS.—
(1) MODIFIED SCHEDULE.—Paragraph (2) of
section 104(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform
and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (division
C of Public Law 104–208; 110 Stat. 3009–555; 8
U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(2) CLAUSE B.—Clause (B) of such sentence
shall apply as follows:
‘‘(A) As of October 1, 2000, to not less
than 25 percent of the border crossing identi-
fication cards in circulation as of April 1, 1998.
‘‘(B) As of October 1, 2001, to not less
than 50 percent of such cards in circulation as
of April 1, 1998.
‘‘(C) As of October 1, 2002, to not less
than 75 percent of such cards in circulation as
of April 1, 1998.
‘‘(D) As of October 1, 2003, to all such
cards in circulation as of April 1, 1998.’’.
(2) EARLIER DEADLINES.—Such section 104(b)
is further amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing:
‘‘(3) EARLIER DEADLINES.—If the Secretary of
State and the Attorney General jointly determine
that sufficient capacity exists to replace border
crossing identification cards in advance of any of the
deadlines otherwise provided for under paragraph
(2), the Secretary and the Attorney General may by
regulation advance such deadlines.’’.
(c) PROCESSING IN MEXICAN BORDER CITIES.—The
Secretary of State shall continue, until at least October
1, 2003, or until all border crossing identification cards
in circulation have otherwise been required to be replaced
under section 104(b)(3) of the Illegal Immigration Reform
and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (as added by
subsection (b)(2)), to process applications for visas under
section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act at the following cities in Mexico located near the inter-
national border with the United States: Nogales, Nuevo
Laredo, Ciudad Acuna, Piedras Negras, Agua Prieta, and
Reynosa.
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