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H.R. 5253: Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act

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H.R. 5253: Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act

114th Congress · introduced 2016-05-16 · Immigration · Latest: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 114-850, Part I.

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Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2016-05-16 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Hurd, Will [R-TX-23] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 114-850, Part I. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act

Plain summary

Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of State to assign, in a risk-based manner, State Department employees to at least 50 visa-issuing diplomatic and consular posts based upon the following criteria: the number of nationals of a country in which such posts are located who were identified in U.S. terrorist databases, such a country's counterterrorism cooperation with the United States, the adequacy of border and immigration control of such country, terrorist organization activity in such country, and the number of negative security advisory opinions regarding nationals of such country. Such employees shall, in addition to other duties, screen admissions applications against federal criminal, national security, and terrorism databases. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall: establish within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement a visa security advisory opinion unit to respond to State Department requests for visa security reviews; and provide, in a risk-based manner, for remote pre-adjudicated visa security assistance at at least 50 posts that are not assigned such employees. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall, within one year after enactment of this bill: screen electronic passports at U.S. entry airports by reading each passport's embedded chip, and utilize facial recognition or other biometric technology to screen travelers at such airports. Electronic passport screening shall apply to U.S. citizens, nationals of a visa waiver program country, and nationals of any other foreign country that issues electronic passports. Facial recognition or other biometric technology screening shall apply to nationals of a visa waiver program country. The CBP shall, in a risk-based manner, continuously screen individuals issued any visa and individuals who are visa waiver program nationals against criminal, national security, and terrorism databases. The annual visa overstay report is revised. DHS shall: (1) ensure that certain foreign student information is available at each U.S. port of entry to CBP officers who conduct primary inspections of aliens seeking U.S. admission; (2) review the social media accounts of visa applicants who are citizens of, or who reside in, high-risk countries; and (3) review open source information of visa applicants.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House amended, Part I), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House amended, Part I)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Hurd, Will [R-TX-23] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael T. McCaul (R-TX)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-hr5253 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114