TIMELY PROCESSING.

SEC. 106. [8 U.S.C. 1153 note] TIMELY PROCESSING. (a) Fee Study. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall complete a study of fees charged in the administration of the program described in sections 203(b)(5) and 216A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5) and 1186b). (b) Adjustment of Fees To Achieve Efficient Processing.—Notwithstanding section 286(m) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(m)), and except as provided under subsection (c), the Director, not later than 60 days after the completion of the study under subsection (a), shall set fees for services provided under sections 203(b)(5) and 216A of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5) and 1186b) at a level sufficient to ensure the full recovery only of the costs of providing such services, including the cost of attaining the goal of completing adjudications, on average, not later than— (1) 180 days after receiving a proposal for the establishment of a regional center described in section 203(b)(5)(E) of such Act; (2) 180 days after receiving an application for approval of an investment in a new commercial enterprise described in section 203(b)(5)(F) of such Act; (3) 90 days after receiving an application for approval of an investment in a new commercial enterprise described in section 203(b)(5)(F) of such Act that is located in a targeted employment area (as defined in section 203(b)(5)(D) of such Act); (4) 240 days after receiving a petition from an alien desiring to be classified under section 203(b)(5)(E) of such Act; (5) 120 days after receiving a petition from an alien desiring to be classified under section 203(b)(5)(E) of such Act with respect to an investment in a targeted employment area (as defined in section 203(b)(5)(D) of such Act); and (6) 240 days after receiving a petition from an alien for removal of conditions described in section 216A(c) of such Act. (c) Additional Fees.—Fees in excess of the fee levels described in subsection (b) may be charged only— (1) in an amount that is equal to the amount paid by all other classes of fee-paying applicants for immigration-related benefits, to contribute to the coverage or reduction of the costs of processing or adjudicating classes of immigration benefit applications that Congress, or the Secretary of Homeland Security in the case of asylum applications, has authorized to be processed or adjudicated at no cost or at a reduced cost to the applicant; and (2) in an amount that is not greater than 1 percent of the fee for filing a petition under section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5)), to make improvements to the information technology systems used by the Secretary of Homeland Security to process, adjudicate, and archive applications and petitions under such section, including the conversion to electronic format of documents filed by petitioners and applicants for benefits under such section. (d) Exemption From Paperwork Reduction Act. During the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the requirements under chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code, shall not apply to any collection of information required under this division, any amendment made by this division, or any rule promulgated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement this division or the amendments made by this division, to the extent that the Secretary determines that compliance with such requirements would impede the expeditious implementation of this division or the amendments made by this division. (e) Rule of Construction Regarding Adjudication Delays.—Nothing in this division may be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend the adjudication of any application or petition under section 203(b)(5) or 216A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(b)(5) and 1186b) pending the completion of a national security or law enforcement investigation relating to such application or petition. (f) Rule of Construction Regarding Modification of Fees.—Nothing in this section may be construed to require any modification of fees before the completion of— (1) the fee study described in subsection (a); or (2) regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Homeland Security, in accordance with subchapter II of chapter 5 and chapter 7 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the “Administrative Procedure Act”), to carry out subsections (b) and (c).