Pub. L. 112-74, div. I, tit. VII (as amended)

7076.(a)The Secretary of State shall implement the necessary steps, including hiring a sufficient number of consular officers to include limited non-career appointment officers, in the People’s Republic of China, Brazil, and India to reduce the wait time to interview visa applicants who have submitted applications.(b)The Secretary of State shall conduct a risk and benefit analysis regarding the extension of the expiration period for B-1 or B-2 visas for visa applicants before requiring a consular officer interview and, unless such analysis finds that risks outweigh benefits, develop a plan to extend such expiration period in a manner consistent with maintaining security controls.(c)The Secretary of State may develop and conduct a pilot program for the processing of B-1 and B-2 visas using secure remote videoconferencing technology as a method for conducting visa interviews of applicants: Provided, That any such pilot should be developed in consultation with other Federal agencies that use such secure communications to help ensure security of the videoconferencing transmission and encryption: Provided further, That no pilot program should be conducted if the Secretary determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations that such program poses an undue security risk and that it cannot be conducted in a manner consistent with maintaining security controls.