{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr158-114/featured_visa-waiver-program-improvement-and-terrorist-travel-prevention-act-of-2015-1485895753.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr158-114/featured_large_visa-waiver-program-improvement-and-terrorist-travel-prevention-act-of-2015-1485895753.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr158-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-01-06","title_override":"Considering \"Terrorism Risk\" When Screening People Entering the U.S. Without a Visa","summary_override":"

This bill aims to tighten up security processes in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), while requiring additional reporting from the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) on program data. The VWP allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa.

If a country does not agree to share security threat information about its citizens and nationals with the U.S., the DHS Secretary would have the authority to suspend that country from the VWP, without warning.

The automated system used to determine the eligibility of people who want to travel into the U.S. — the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) — would be expanded to also consider \"terrorism risk\" as a factor. DHS could consequently assess \"terrorism risk\" when deciding whether a non-citizen is eligible to travel to the U.S.

DHS would also have to deliver a report to Congress on:

The number of people, identified by their countries of citizenship or nationality, denied eligibility to travel, or whose eligibility was revoked under the ESTA because they posed a security threat;
Steps that can be taken to strengthen the ESTA;
Compliance by foreign governments with information sharing agreements on passport theft or loss and whether a country’s citizens or nationals traveling to the U.S. pose a security threat.

","official_title":"To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide enhanced security measures for the visa waiver program, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act regarding the visa waiver program to require that an alien, when applying for program admission, possess a valid unexpired passport that:\n\n is machine-readable, tamper-resistant, incorporates document authentication identifiers, and otherwise satisfies the internationally accepted standard for machine readability; and beginning on April 1, 2016, is an electronic passport that is fraud-resistant, contains relevant biographic and biometric information, and satisfies internationally accepted standards for electronic passports. A program country must certify that:\n\n it issues passports that satisfy the internationally accepted standard for machine readability, and as of April 1, 2016, passports that satisfy internationally accepted standards for electronic passports; and by October 1, 2016, except for travel between countries within the Schengen Zone (26...","summarized":true,"cost":1000000,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that this bill would cost about $1 million in 2016 and less than $500,000 per year annually thereafter.","impact":"People living in the U.S., citizens or nationals of countries in the Visa Waiver Program and their governments, U.S. diplomatic relations with those countries, Congress, and the Dept. of Homeland Security.","argument_for":"The Dept. of Homeland Security needs to reform the Visa Waiver Program screening process to ensure it is not exploited by those who want to commit acts of terrorism. DHS needs to be able to suspend countries that don't cooperate in security measures.","argument_against":"The Visa Waiver Program helps the economy by allowing travelers from select countries to come to the U.S. for business and tourism. DHS shouldn’t be able to unilaterally suspend a given country from the program without Congress’ approval.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr158-114","bill_id":"hr158-114","formal_id":"H.R. 158","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2015-12-09T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2015-12-08T22:18:57.000Z","debated_on":"2015-12-07T00:00:00.000Z","congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/158","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr158rds/html/BILLS-114hr158rds.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr158-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/158/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-01-06","related_bill_ids":["hr2029-114","s2362-114"],"progress":"Passed House","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":427,"committees":[{"name":"Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSHM11","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on Homeland Security","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSHM","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on the Judiciary","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSJU","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Immigration and Citizenship","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSJU01","subcommittee":true}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr158-114","details":"/api/bills/hr158-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr158-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr158-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr158-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":93,"slug":"hr158-114-visa-waiver-program-improvement-and-terrorist-travel-prevention-act-of-2015","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr158-114","official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":4001,"yea_vote_count":2748,"nay_vote_count":1244,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["immigration"],"issue_ids":["immigration","counterterrorism"],"sponsor_id":313}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"immigration","name":"Immigration","slug":"immigration","description":"Whether you want to refer to the U.S. as a cultural melting pot or a cultural mosaic, immigrants make up a substantial portion of the country. Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to immigration!","page_title":"Immigration Bills on Countable - Vote on Legislation, Stay informed, Hold Government Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/immigration/black_immigration-1429042063.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/immigration/grey_immigration-1429042063.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/immigration/white_immigration-1429042063.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"counterterrorism","name":"Counterterrorism","slug":"counterterrorism","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Counterterrorism . Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Counterterrorism Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/counterterrorism/black_counterterrorism-1454596599.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/counterterrorism/grey_counterterrorism-1454596599.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/counterterrorism/white_counterterrorism-1454596599.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"resistor","vote_count":632,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/YmqRM39B/following","followers":"/api/users/YmqRM39B/followers"},"about_me":"Veteran USN & USAR, 2A, Limit Gov't","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"resistor","issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":1355,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":16,"following_count":15,"position_count":187,"id":"YmqRM39B","partner_id":null},{"name":"Loraki","vote_count":1215,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/large_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/small_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/tiny_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/100000827158540/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/following","followers":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/followers"},"about_me":"I'm a member of the Church of Christ (non-institutional). God gave us a pattern to follow for the Church and for how we should live. He DIDN'T say that following it is OPTIONAL! Nor did He say we could make changes to His pattern! I believe that there will be an eternal home of the soul - Heaven or Hell - and that Christ will judge us on the last day. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God!\n\nI am NOT\n• a Catholic\n• a Protestant\n• a Baptist\n• a Methodist\n• a Mormon\n• an Episcopalian\n• a Pentacostal\nor member of any other denomination.\n\n• I AM A CHRISTIAN, PERIOD!\n• I AM A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, PERIOD! \n• I ACKNOWLEDGE NO HEAD OF THE CHURCH EXCEPT CHRIST JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, PERIOD! \n• I FOLLOW NO MANMADE CREED, BUT THE BIBLE ONLY, WHICH IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, PERIOD!\n\nI'm a 4th. generation Texan & the mother of 2 sons. I'm retired. I love the mountains and I like Oberhasli dairy goats, organic gardening, science fiction, astronomy, camping, and hunting. I'm very fond of my OESheepdog and my Norwegian Forest cat, too.\n\n• I'm a Constitutional Conservative and a patriot. \n•. I support the Tea Party. \n• I'm for limited government and free market capitalism. \n• I'm also for school choice and school prayer. \n• I'm against abortion and same-sex \"marriage\". \n• I'm TOTALLY AGAINST the implementation of Shariah law at any level in the United States! \n• I'm for SECURE BORDERS and reduced immigration, especially of Muslims! \n• I believe ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Those who enter our country illegally should not be given special privileges at the taxpayers' expense! \n• I believe that Congress should balance the budget and Uncle Sam should live within his means - without raising taxes! \n• I also believe in \"peace through strength\" - keep our military strong and keep out the transgenders! Freedom of religion applies to the military as well as civilians! I'm AGAINST allowing foreigners to join our military! That includes Obama's Dreamers! \n• I want to see a ban on GMOs! \n• I want to see the federal government OUT OF education! \n• Audit the Fed! \n• Abolish the IRS! \n• Just say \"NO\" to political correctness and race-baiting!\n\nThis is not a complete description of what I stand for. If you have specific questions about me, it can't hurt to ask! I might even answer! :-D #MakeDCListen\n\nTHIS IS MY COUNTRY!\n\nI AM TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH MUSLIM JIHADISTS AND ILLEGAL ALIENS IN MY COUNTRY, WHO ARE BRINGING DRUGS, DISEASE, AND CRIME, WHILE BEING CODDLED BY MY GOVERNMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS! IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR US TO HAVE TO SUFFER THIS INVASION BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T RESPECT OUR LAWS, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR FLAG, OUR LANGUAGE (That's ENGLISH!), OR OUR CULTURE! AND I'M TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH HAVING TO \"PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH\"! WE NEED A MORATORIUM ON MUSLIM IMMIGRATION AND WE NEED TO KICK OUT ALL OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO BY DEFINITION ARE CRIMINALS! WE NEED TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T WANT AMERICA TURNED INTO A THIRD WORLD CESSPOOL!\n\nI AM NOT ANTI-IMMIGRANT. I AM FOR THE RULE OF LAW. I DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR YOUR SKIN IS OR WHAT YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE IS. BUT IF YOU COME TO MY COUNTRY TO LIVE, I EXPECT YOU TO LEARN AND SPEAK ENGLISH AND TO OBEY OUR LAWS! NONE OF THAT SHARIAH STUFF! WE HAVE FREEDOM OF RELIGION HERE IN AMERICA, AND ISLAM IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THAT FREEDOM! SPARE ME YOUR TAQIYYA AND HUDNA! YOU WANT TO BELIEVE MUHAMMAD IS A PROPHET OF GOD? THAT IS YOUR RIGHT, BUT IT IS OUR RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR BELIEFS. IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO KILL US FOR DISAGREEING! 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LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"lafigarus","youtube_id":"LauraroseofTexas","google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"loraki","issue_count":120,"is_following":null,"influence_score":47120,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":535,"following_count":3688,"position_count":920,"id":"8mrgkD9d","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"e4579c23-8222-49d1-b158-cc4621726a42","argument_for":"We owe NO ONE access to our country. If our government is unable to adequately screen visitors, as it has proven repeatedly, then the least it should do is close our borders to non-citizens until it gets its act together.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":1,"upvotes_for_count":1,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/e4579c23-8222-49d1-b158-cc4621726a42"},"body":"We owe NO ONE access to our country. 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Considering "Terrorism Risk" When Screening People Entering the U.S. Without a Visa