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 pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 3, 2017 
Ms. BORDALLO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 jurisdic-
tion 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. 
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 ‘‘Modernizing Travel 
to the Marianas Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZA-
TION FOR GUAM AND NORTHERN MARIANA 
ISLANDS VISA WAIVER PROGRAM. 
Section 212(l) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(l)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(7) ELECTRONIC
SYSTEM
FOR
TRAVEL
AU-
THORIZATION.— 
‘‘(A) SYSTEM.—The Secretary of Home-
land Security, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of State, shall develop and implement a 
fully automated electronic system for travel au-
thorization (referred to in this paragraph as the 
‘System’) to collect such biographical and other 
information as the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity determines necessary to determine, in ad-
vance of travel, the eligibility of, and whether 
there exists a law enforcement or security risk 
in permitting, the alien to travel to Guam or 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands, which is similar to the electronic system 
for travel authorization described in section 
217(h)(3). 
‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION UNDER 
THE SYSTEM.—Beginning on the date on which 
the System developed under subparagraph (A) 
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is fully operational, each alien traveling under 
the program under this subsection shall, before 
applying for admission to Guam or the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
electronically provide to the System biographi-
cal information and such other information as 
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall deter-
mine necessary to determine the eligibility of, 
and whether there exists a law enforcement or 
security risk in permitting, the alien to travel to 
Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands. Upon review of such bio-
graphical information, the Secretary of Home-
land Security shall determine whether the alien 
is eligible to travel to Guam or the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under 
the program. 
‘‘(C) FEES.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
section 286(g), not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of the Modernizing 
Travel to the Marianas Act of 2017, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall es-
tablish a fee for the use of the System and 
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begin assessment and collection of that fee. 
The initial fee shall be the sum of— 
‘‘(I) an amount that will ensure 
that the ports of entry in Guam and 
the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands are equipped with 
appropriate resources and staff, as de-
termined by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(II) an amount that will at least 
ensure recovery of the full costs of 
providing the administering the Sys-
tem, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(ii) DISPOSITION OF AMOUNTS COL-
LECTED.—Notwithstanding section 286(c), 
amounts collected under clause (i)(I) shall 
be made available to the Secretary of 
Homeland Security for the costs associated 
with operating the ports of entry in Guam 
and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, and amounts collected 
under clause (i)(II) shall be made available 
to the Secretary of Homeland Security for 
the costs associated with administering the 
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System. Such amounts shall remain avail-
able until expended.’’. 
Æ 
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