6 U.S.C. § 297 — Reports and implementation plans

(a) Division of funds Within 120 days after this chapter's effective date, the Secretary must send a report to the House and Senate Appropriations and Judiciary Committees. The report must explain how funds — including unspent money, appropriations, and fees — will be split and moved between the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Bureau of Border Security. (b) Division of personnel Within that same 120-day window, the Secretary must send those same committees a report on how staff will be divided between the two bureaus. (c) Implementation plan (1) In general: Within 120 days, and then every six months until the end of fiscal year 2005, the Secretary must send those committees a plan for carrying out this chapter. (2) Contents: The plan should explain how the two bureaus will be separated, covering: (A) how each bureau will be organized, including its field offices; (B) the chain of command; (C) how the two bureaus will work with each other; (D) how they will detect and investigate fraud; (E) how they will handle removal proceedings, including fast-track removals and requests for relief from removal; (F) recommended changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act to match the new structure; (G) setting up a transition team; and (H) how to phase in the cost of giving each bureau its own separate administrative support systems, instead of sharing the old INS systems. (d) Comptroller General studies and reports (1) Status reports on transition: Starting 18 months after the transfer of functions under section 251 takes effect, and every six months after that until the whole part is fully carried out, the Comptroller General must report to the Appropriations and Judiciary Committees. Each report must say: (A) whether the transfers required by parts D and E have happened, and if not, why not; (B) if they have happened, what problems have come up because of them; and (C) what problems might come up from transfers still to happen. (2) Report on management: Four years after the section 251 transfer takes effect, the Comptroller General must study and report to those same committees on whether moving functions from the INS to the two new bureaus improved: (A) operations; management, including accountability and communication; financial administration; and recordkeeping, including information management and technology — for each function moved; (B) the reasons behind those findings; and (C) any recommendations for further improving the two bureaus. (3) Report on fees: Within one year of November 25, 2002, the Comptroller General must report to the Judiciary Committees on whether the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services can likely raise enough money from fees to do its job if it doesn't get appropriated funds.