PROCESSING OF CERTAIN VISAS.

SEC. 238. PROCESSING OF CERTAIN VISAS.(a) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a report on the operations of the specially-trained Violence Against Women Act Unit at the Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Vermont Service Center.(b) Elements.—The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following elements:(1) Detailed information about the funds expended to support the work of the Violence Against Women Act Unit at the Vermont Service Center.(2) A description of training for adjudicators, victim witness liaison officers, managers, and others working in the Violence Against Women Act Unit, including general training and training on confidentiality issues.(3) Measures taken to ensure the retention of specially-trained staff within the Violence Against Women Act Unit.(4) Measures taken to ensure the creation and retention of a core of supervisory staff within the Violence Against Women Act Unit and the Vermont Service Center with responsibility over resource allocation, policy, program development, 122 STAT. 5085 training and other substantive or operational issues affecting the Unit, who have historical knowledge and experience with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, Violence Against Women Act of 1994 confidentiality, and the specialized policies and procedures of the Department of Homeland Security and its predecessor agencies in such cases.(5) Measures taken to ensure routine consultation between the Violence Against Women Act Unit, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Headquarters, and the Office of Policy and Strategy during the development of any Department of Homeland Security regulations or policies that impact Violence Against Women Act of 1994 confidentiality-protected victims and their derivative family members.(6) Information on any circumstances in which victim-based immigration applications have been adjudicated by entities other than the Violence Against Women Act Unit at the Vermont Service Center, including reasons for such action and what steps, if any, were taken to ensure that such applications were handled by trained personnel and what steps were taken to comply with the confidentiality provisions of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.(7) Information on the time in which it takes to adjudicate victim-based immigration applications, including the issuance of visas, work authorization and deferred action in a timely manner consistent with the safe and competent processing of such applications, and steps taken to improve in this area.