S.Amdt. 1969

SA 1969. Mr. NELSON of Florida submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1639, to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

SEC.___. DEPLOYMENT OF TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE VISA PROCESSING [NELSON].

Section 222 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1202) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(i) Visa Application Interviews.--

“(1) Videoconferencing.--For purposes of subsection (h), the term ‘in person interview' includes an interview conducted by videoconference or similar technology after the date on which the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, certifies to the appropriate committees of Congress that security measures and audit mechanisms have been implemented to ensure that biometrics collected for a visa applicant during an interview using videoconference or similar technology are those of the visa applicant.

“(2) Mobile visa interviews.--The Secretary of State is authorized to carry out a pilot program to conduct visa interviews using mobile teams of consular officials after the date on which the Secretary of State, in consultation with Secretary of Homeland Security, certifies to the appropriate committees of Congress that such a pilot program may be carried out without jeopardizing the integrity of the visa interview process or the safety and security of consular officers.

“(3) Appropriate committees of congress.--In this subsection the term ‘appropriate committees of Congress' means--

“(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and

“(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Homeland Security, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.”.