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port that includes an assessment of 
the threat to the national security of 
the United States of the designation 
of each country designated as a pro-
gram country, including the compli-
ance of the government of each such 
country with the requirements under 
subparagraphs (D) and (F) of para-
graph (2), as well as each such gov-
ernment’s capacity to comply with 
such requirements.’’. 
(b) DATE OF SUBMISSION OF FIRST REPORT.—The 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit the first re-
port described in subclause (V) of section 217(c)(5)(A)(i) 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
(c)(5)(A)(i)), as added by subsection (a), not later than 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. HIGH RISK PROGRAM COUNTRIES. 
Section 217(c) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(c)), as amended by this Act, is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(12) DESIGNATION OF HIGH RISK PROGRAM 
COUNTRIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of 
Homeland Security, in consultation with the Di-
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rector of National Intelligence and the Sec-
retary of State, shall evaluate program coun-
tries on an annual basis based on the criteria 
described in subparagraph (B) and shall iden-
tify any program country, the admission of na-
tionals from which under the visa waiver pro-
gram under this section, the Secretary deter-
mines presents a high risk to the national secu-
rity of the United States. 
‘‘(B) CRITERIA.—In evaluating program 
countries under subparagraph (A), the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, in consultation 
with the Director of National Intelligence and 
the Secretary of State, shall consider the fol-
lowing criteria: 
‘‘(i) The number of nationals of the 
country determined to be ineligible to trav-
el to the United States under the program 
during the previous year. 
‘‘(ii) The number of nationals of the 
country who were identified in United 
States Government databases related to 
the identities of known or suspected terror-
ists during the previous year. 
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‘‘(iii) The estimated number of na-
tionals of the country who have traveled to 
Iraq or Syria at any time on or after 
March 1, 2011, to engage in terrorism. 
‘‘(iv) The capacity of the country to 
combat passport fraud. 
‘‘(v) The level of cooperation of the 
country with the counter-terrorism efforts 
of the United States. 
‘‘(vi) The adequacy of the border and 
immigration control of the country. 
‘‘(vii) Any other criteria the Secretary 
of Homeland Security determines to be ap-
propriate. 
‘‘(C) SUSPENSION OF DESIGNATION.—The 
Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation 
with the Secretary of State, may suspend the 
designation of a program country based on a 
determination that the country presents a high 
risk to the national security of the United 
States under subparagraph (A) until such time 
as the Secretary determines that the country no 
longer presents such a risk. 
‘‘(D) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of the enactment of this para-
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graph, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, in consultation with the Di-
rector of National Intelligence and the Sec-
retary of State, shall submit to the Committee 
on Homeland Security, the Committee on For-
eign Affairs, the Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence, and the Committee on the Judi-
ciary of the House of Representatives, and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and 
the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate 
a report, which includes an evaluation and 
threat assessment of each country determined 
to present a high risk to the national security 
of the United States under subparagraph (A).’’. 
SEC. 7. ENHANCEMENTS TO THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR 
TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 217(h)(3) of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (C)(i), by inserting after 
‘‘any such determination’’ the following: ‘‘or shorten 
the period of eligibility under any such determina-
tion’’; 
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(2) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(D) FRAUD DETECTION.—The Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall research opportuni-
ties to incorporate into the System technology 
that will detect and prevent fraud and deception 
in the System. 
‘‘(E) ADDITIONAL
AND
PREVIOUS
COUN-
TRIES
OF
CITIZENSHIP.—The Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall collect from an appli-
cant for admission pursuant to this section in-
formation on any additional or previous coun-
tries of citizenship of that applicant. The Sec-
retary shall take any information so collected 
into account when making determinations as to 
the eligibility of the alien for admission pursu-
ant to this section. 
‘‘(F) REPORT
ON
CERTAIN
LIMITATIONS 
ON TRAVEL.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this subparagraph and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, shall submit to the Committee on Home-
land Security, the Committee on the Judiciary, 
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
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House of Representatives, and the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
a report on the number of individuals who were 
denied eligibility to travel under the program, 
or whose eligibility for such travel was revoked 
during the previous year, and the number of 
such individuals determined, in accordance with 
subsection (a)(6), to represent a threat to the 
national security of the United States, and shall 
include the country or countries of citizenship 
of each such individual.’’. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall 
submit to the Committee on Homeland Security, the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 
the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on steps to 
strengthen the electronic system for travel authorization 
authorized under section 217(h)(3) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(h)(3))) in order to 
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better secure the international borders of the United 
States and prevent terrorists and instruments of terrorism 
from entering the United States. 
SEC. 8. PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE TO NON-PROGRAM 
COUNTRIES. 
The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation 
with the Secretary of State, shall provide assistance in a 
risk-based manner to countries that do not participate in 
the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187) to assist 
those countries in— 
(1) submitting to Interpol information about 
the theft or loss of passports of citizens or nationals 
of such a country; and 
(2) issuing, and validating at the ports of entry 
of such a country, electronic passports that are 
fraud-resistant, contain relevant biographic and bio-
metric information (as determined by the Secretary 
of Homeland Security), and otherwise satisfy inter-
nationally accepted standards for electronic pass-
ports. 
SEC. 9. CLERICAL AMENDMENTS. 
(a) SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY.—Section 
217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1187), as amended by this Act, is further amended by 
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striking ‘‘Attorney General’’ each place such term appears 
(except in subsection (c)(11)(B)) and inserting ‘‘Secretary 
of Homeland Security’’. 
(b) ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZA-
TION.—Section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1187), as amended this Act, is further 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘electronic travel authorization 
system’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘elec-
tronic system for travel authorization’’; 
(2) in the heading in subsection (a)(11), by 
striking ‘‘ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION SYS-
TEM’’ and inserting ‘‘ELECTRONIC
SYSTEM
FOR 
TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION’’; and 
(3) in the heading in subsection (h)(3), by 
striking ‘‘ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION SYS-
TEM’’ and inserting ‘‘ELECTRONIC
SYSTEM
FOR 
TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION’’. 
SEC. 10. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that the International 
Civil Aviation Organization, the specialized agency of the 
United Nations responsible for establishing international 
standards, specifications, and best practices related to the 
administration and governance of border controls and in-
spection formalities, should establish standards for the in-
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troduction of electronic passports (referred to in this sec-
tion as ‘‘e-passports’’), and obligate member countries to 
utilize such e-passports as soon as possible. Such e-pass-
ports should be a combined paper and electronic passport 
that contains biographic and biometric information that 
can be used to authenticate the identity of travelers 
through an embedded chip. 
Passed the House of Representatives December 8, 
2015. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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