§297 Reports and Implementation Plans

Summary

Require the Secretary to send three reports to the House and Senate Appropriations and Judiciary Committees. Within 120 days after this chapter takes effect, the Secretary must report how money (including unspent funds, appropriations, and fees) and staff would be split between the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Bureau of Border Security. By the same 120‑day deadline, the Secretary must also send an implementation plan and then update that plan every 6 months until the end of fiscal year 2005. The plan must cover eight main topics, such as how each bureau will be organized and led, how they will work together, fraud detection, how removal cases will be handled, suggested changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act, a transition team, and how to separate administrative support and its costs. Require the Comptroller General to review the transfers and report to the same Congressional committees. Not later than 18 months after the transfer under section 251 takes effect, and every 6 months after that until full implementation, the Comptroller General must say whether the transfers are done, explain any delays, and identify problems that have happened or might happen. Not later than 4 years after that transfer, the Comptroller General must submit a study saying whether the transfers improved operations, management (including accountability and communication), financial administration, and recordkeeping (including information technology), give reasons for those findings, and offer recommendations. Also, not later than 1 year after November 25, 2002, the Comptroller General must report on whether the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services can likely fund its work from fees without appropriated money.