ELECTRONIC PASSPORT REQUIREMENT.

SEC. 202. ELECTRONIC PASSPORT REQUIREMENT. (a) Requirement for Alien to Possess Electronic Passport.—Section 217(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(3)) is amended to read as follows: “(3) Passport requirements.—The alien, at the time of application for admission, is in possession of a valid unexpired passport that satisfies the following: “(A) Machine readable.—The passport is a machine-readable passport that is tamper-resistant, incorporates document authentication identifiers, and otherwise satisfies the internationally accepted standard for machine readability. “(B) Electronic.—Beginning on April 1, 2016, the passport is an electronic passport that is fraud-resistant, contains relevant biographic and biometric information (as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security), and otherwise satisfies internationally accepted standards for electronic passports.” . (b) Requirement for Program Country to Validate Passports.—Section 217(c)(2)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187(c)(2)(B)) is amended to read as follows: “(B) Passport program.— “(i) Issuance of passports.—The government of the country certifies that it issues to its citizens passports described in subparagraph (A) of subsection (a)(3), and on or after April 1, 2016, passports described in subparagraph (B) of subsection (a)(3). “(ii) Validation of passports.—Not later than October 1, 2016, the government of the country certifies that it has in place mechanisms to validate passports described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (a)(3) at each key port of entry into that country. This requirement shall not apply to travel between countries which fall within the Schengen Zone.” . (c) Conforming Amendment.—Section 303(c) of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 is repealed (8 U.S.C. 1732(c)).