§297 Reports and Implementation Plans

Summary

Within 120 days after the law takes effect, the Secretary must send reports to the House and Senate Appropriations and Judiciary Committees about how to split money (including unspent funds, appropriations, and fees) and how to split staff between the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Bureau of Border Security. The Secretary must also send an implementation plan within 120 days and then every 6 months until the end of fiscal year 2005. The plan must explain how the two bureaus will be separated, including organization and field setup, chain of command, how they will work together, fraud detection and investigations, how removals and relief will be handled, recommended law changes, a transition team, and ways to phase in costs for separate administrative support systems. The Comptroller General must send status reports starting 18 months after the official transfer of functions and then every 6 months until the change is fully finished. These reports must say whether transfers are complete, note any problems, and point out possible future issues. Four years after the transfer, the Comptroller General must study and report on whether the split improved operations, management, finances, and recordkeeping, explain why, and offer recommendations. By one year after November 25, 2002, the Comptroller General must also report on whether the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services can fund its work from fees without appropriated funds.