Rep. Hurd introduces bills to strengthen visa screening procedures, identify suspected terrorists

In the wake of the deadly bombing in Manchester, United Kingdom, which killed 22 people, U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) introduced two separate bills that aim to prevent would-be terrorists from traveling in and out of Western countries undetected.

The first bill, the Strong Visa Integrity Secures America Act, aims to enhance visa screening procedures at U.S. Embassy posts overseas by requiring the U.S. State Department to assign, in a risk-based manner, employees to at least 50 visa-issuing diplomatic and consular posts based on criteria such as the country’s counterterrorism cooperation with the United States and the adequacy of border and immigration controls, among other criterion.

The second bill, the Enhancing Overseas Traveler Vetting Act, authorizes the U.S. to develop and share open-source software that assists allies in vetting travelers to identify known or suspected terrorists.

Hurd had previously introduced both bills during the 114th Congress, neither of which received consideration by the House.

“Since 2013, there have been 37 ISIS-linked plots to attack the U.S., and another 78 in Europe,” said Hurd. “The Manchester attack was a horrific reminder that security gaps are being exploited by extremists, putting the U.S. and our allies in constant danger. As terrorist threats against Americans remain high, we must respond by eliminating visa loopholes, strengthening screening measures, and deploying trained personnel to properly vet visa applicants overseas.”