Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 113 Part 2.djvu/948

 113 STAT. 1501A-430 PUBLIC LAW 106-113—APPENDIX G by the Secretary of State to perform consular services pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe.". SEC. 236. ISSUANCE OF PASSPORTS FOR CHILDREN UNDER AGE 14. (a) IN GENERAL. — (1) REGULATIONS. — Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall issue regulations providing that before a child under the age of 14 years is issued a passport the requirements under paragraph (2) shall apply under penalty of perjury. (2) REQUIREMENTS.— (A) Both parents, or the child's legal guardian, must execute the application and provide documentary evidence demonstrating that they are the parents or guardian; or (B) the person executing the application must provide documentary evidence that such person— (i) has sole custody of the child; (ii) has the consent of the other parent to the issuance of the passport; or (iii) is in loco parentis and has the consent of both parents, of a parent with sole custody over the child, or of the child's legal guardian, to the issuance of the passport. (b) EXCEPTIONS. — The regulations required by subsection (a) may provide for exceptions in exigent circumstances, such as those involving the health or welfare of the child, or when the Secretary determines that issuance of a passport is warranted by special family circumstances. SEC. 237. PROCESSING OF VISA APPLICATIONS. (a) POLICY. —It shall be the policy of the Department of State to process immigrant visa applications of immediate relatives of United States citizens and nonimmigrant K-1 visa applications of fiances of United States citizens 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 sponsor of such applicant is a relative other than an immediate relative, it should be the policy of the Department of State 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) REPORTS. —Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and not later than 1 year thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the extent to which the Department of State is meeting the policy standards under subsection (a). Each report shall be based on a survey of the 22 consular posts which account for approximately 72 percent of immigrant visas issued and, in addition, the consular posts in Guatemala City, Nicosia, Caracas, Naples, and Jakarta. Each report should include data on the average time for processing each category of visa application under subsection (a), a list of the embassies and consular posts which do not meet the policy standards under subsection (a), the amount of funds collected worldwide for processing of visa applications during the most recent fiscal year, the estimated costs of processing such visa applications (based on the Department of State's most recent fee study), the steps being taken by the Department of State to achieve such policy standards, and results achieved by

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