Page images
PDF
EPUB

SEC. 233. PROCESSING OF VISA APPLICATIONS.

8 USC 1201 note.

(a) IN GENERAL.-It shall be the policy of the Department Deadline. to process each visa application from an alien classified as an immediate relative or as a K-1 nonimmigrant within 30 days of the receipt of all necessary documents from the applicant and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. In the case of an immigrant visa application where the petitioner is a relative other than an immediate relative, it should be the policy of the Department to process such an application within 60 days of the receipt of all necessary documents from the applicant and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

(b) DEFINITIONS.-In this section:

(1) IMMEDIATE RELATIVE.-The term "immediate relative" has the meaning given the term in section 201(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(2)(A)(i)).

(2) K-1 NONIMMIGRANT.-The term "K-1 nonimmigrant" means a nonimmigrant alien described in section 101(a)(15)(K)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(K)(i)).

SEC. 234. MACHINE READABLE VISAS.

Section 140(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (8 U.S.Č. 1351 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:

"(3) For the fiscal year 2003, any amount that exceeds $460,000,000 may be made available only if a notification is submitted to Congress in accordance with the procedures applicable to reprograraming notifications under section 34 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956.".

Subtitle D-Migration and Refugees

SEC. 241. PROHIBITION ON FUNDING THE INVOLUNTARY RETURN OF
REFUGEES.

Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a et seq.), as amended by section 204 of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following new section: "SEC. 58. PROHIBITION ON FUNDING THE INVOLUNTARY RETURN OF 22 USC 2730. REFUGEES.

"(a) PROHIBITION.—

"(1) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in paragraph (2), none of the funds made available to the Department of State, or the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund established in section 2(c) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601(c)), may be available to effect the involuntary return by the United States of any person to a country in which the person has a wellfounded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

"(2) EXCEPTION.-The prohibition in paragraph (1) does not apply to the return of any person on grounds recognized as precluding protection as a refugee under the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of July 28, 1951, and the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees of January 31, 1967, subject to the reservations contained in

the United States Senate resolution of advice and consent to ratification of the Protocol.

"(b) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION REQUIRED IN ALL CASES.None of the funds made available to the Department of State, or the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund established in section 2(c) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601(c)), may be available to effect the involuntary return by the United States of any person to any country unless the Secretary first notifies the appropriate congressional committees, except that, in the case of an emergency involving a threat to human life, the Secretary shall notify the appropriate congressional committees as soon as practicable.

"(c) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.-Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting activities of the Department of State that relate to removal proceedings under the Immigration and Nationality Act or extradition.

"(d) DEFINITIONS.-In this section:

"(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.-The term 'appropriate congressional committees' means the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives.

"(2) TO EFFECT THE INVOLUNTARY RETURN.-The term "to effect the involuntary return" means to require, by means of physical force or circumstances amounting to a threat thereof, a person to return to a country against the person's will, regardless of whether the person is physically present in the United States and regardless of whether the United States acts directly or through an agent.".

SEC. 242. UNITED STATES MEMBERSHIP IN THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION.

Section 2(a) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (22 U.S.C. 2601(a)) is amended to read as follows:

"(a)(1) The President is authorized to continue membership for the United States in the International Organization for Migration in accordance with the constitution of such organization approved in Venice, Italy, on October 19, 1953, as amended in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 24, 1998, upon entry into force of such amendments.

"(2) For the purpose of assisting in the movement of refugees and migrants, there are authorized to be appropriated to the President such amounts as may be necessary from time to time for payment by the United States of its contributions to the International Organization for Migration and all necessary salaries and expenses incidental to United States participation in such organization.".

SEC. 243. REPORT ON OVERSEAS REFUGEE PROCESSING.

(a) REPORT ON OVERSEAS REFUGE PROCESSING.-Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on overseas processing of refugees for admission to the United States.

(b) CONTENTS.-The report shall include the following detailed information:

(1) United States procedures for the identification of refugees who are particularly vulnerable or whose individual circumstances otherwise suggest an urgent need for resettlement,

including the extent to which the Department now insists on referral by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a prerequisite to consideration of such refugees for resettlement in the United States, together with a plan for the expanded use of alternatives to such referral, including the use of field-based nongovernmental organizations to identify refugees in urgent need of resettlement.

(2) The extent to which the Department makes use in overseas refugee processing of the designation of groups of refugees who are of special concern to the United States, together with the reasons for any decline in such use over the last 10 years and a plan for making more generous use of such categories in the future.

(3) The extent to which the United States currently provides opportunities for resettlement in the United States of individuals who are close family members of citizens or lawful residents of the United States, together with the reasons for any decline in the extent of such provision over the last 10 years and a plan for expansion of such opportunities in the future.

(4) The extent to which opportunities for resettlement in the United States are currently provided to "urban refugees" and others who do not currently reside in refugee camps, together with a plan for increasing such opportunities, particularly for refugees who are in urgent need of resettlement, who are members of refugee groups of special interest to the United States, or who are close family members of United States citizens or lawful residents.

(5) The Department's assessment of the feasibility and desirability of modifying the Department's current list of refugee priorities to create an additional category for refugees whose need for resettlement is based on a long period of residence in a refugee camp with no immediate prospect of safe and voluntary repatriation to their country of origin or last permanent residence.

(6) The extent to which the Department uses private voluntary agencies to assist in the identification of refugees for admission to the United States, including the Department's assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of private voluntary agencies, the reasons for any decline in the Department's use of voluntary agencies over the last 10 years, and a plan for the expanded use of such agencies.

(7) The extent to which the per capita reception and placement grant to voluntary agencies assisting in resettlement of refugees has increased over the last 10 years commensurate with the cost to such agencies of providing such services.

(8) An estimate of the cost of each change in current practice or procedure discussed in the report, together with an estimate of any increase in the annual refugee admissions ceiling that would be necessary to implement each change.

22 USC 2651a note. Deadlines.

Deadlines.

22 USC 2651a note.

Establishment.

TITLE III-ORGANIZATION AND PER-
SONNEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
STATE

Subtitle A-Organizational Matters

SEC. 301. COMPREHENSIVE WORKFORCE PLAN.

(a) WORKFORCE PLAN.-Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive workforce plan for the Department for the fiscal years 2003 through 2007. The plan shall consider personnel needs in both the Civil Service and the Foreign Service and expected domestic and overseas personnel allocations. The workforce plan should set forth

(1) the detailed mission of the Department;

(2) the definition of work to be done;

(3) a description of cyclical personnel needs based on expected retirements and attrition; and

(4) a statement of the time required to hire, train, and

deploy new personnel.

(b) DOMESTIC STAFFING MODEL.-Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall compile and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a domestic staffing model for the Department.

SEC. 302. "RIGHTSIZING” OVERSEAS POSTS.

(a) "RIGHTSIZING" AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

(1) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary shall establish a task force within the Department on the issue of "rightsizing" overseas posts.

(2) PRELIMINARY REPORT.-Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that outlines the status, plans, and activities of the task force. In addition to such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate, the report shall include the following:

(A) The objectives of the task force.

(B) Measures for achieving the objectives under subparagraph (A).

(C) Identification of the official of the Department with primary responsibility for the issue of "rightsizing".

(D) The plans of the Department for the reallocation of staff and resources based on changing needs at overseas posts and in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area.

(3) REPORT.-Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report reviewing the activities and progress of the task force established under paragraph (1).

(b) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.-The Secretary shall establish an interagency working group on the issue of "rightsizing" the overseas presence of the United States Government.

(2) PRELIMINARY REPORT.-Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall

submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report which outlines the status, plans, and activities of the interagency working group. In addition to such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate, the report shall include the following:

(A) The objectives of the working group.

(B) Measures for achieving the objectives under subparagraph (A).

(C) Identification of the official of each agency with primary responsibility for the issue of "rightsizing".

(3) REPORT.-Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report reviewing the activities and progress of the working group established under paragraph (1).

SEC. 303. QUALIFICATIONS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

Section 1 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a) is amended

(1) by striking subsections (f) and (g); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new subsection:

“(f) QUALIFICATIONS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

"(1) OFFICER HAVING PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT.-The officer of the Department of State with primary responsibility for assisting the Secretary with respect to matters relating to personnel in the Department of State, or that officer's principal deputy, shall have substantial professional qualifications in the field of human resource policy and management.

"(2) OFFICER HAVING PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR DIPLOMATIC SECURITY.-The officer of the Department of State with primary responsibility for assisting the Secretary with respect to diplomatic security, or that officer's principal deputy, shall have substantial professional qualifications in the fields of (A) management, and (B) Federal law enforcement, intelligence, or security.

"(3) OFFICER HAVING PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.-The officer of the Department of State with primary responsibility for assisting the Secretary with respect to international narcotics and law enforcement, or that officer's principal deputy, shall have substantial professional qualifications in the fields of (A) management, and (B) law enforcement or international narcotics policy.".

Subtitle B-Personnel Matters

SEC. 311. THOMAS JEFFERSON STAR FOR FOREIGN SERVICE. Section 36A of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708a) is amended

(1) in the section heading, by striking "FOREIGN SERVICE STAR" and inserting "THOMAS JEFFERSON STAR FOR FOREIGN SERVICE"; and

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »