John Conyers: “I support this very narrow and time limited change to the law which will allow guests of boat owners sailing on the…”

“I support this very narrow and time limited change to the law which will allow guests of boat owners sailing on the Great Lakes to be exempted from the INS I-68 permit. The I-68, called the Canadian border boat landing permit, allows boaters to travel to and from Canada without inspection for the entire summer boating season. This bill will not exempt boat owners from I-68 permit requirements. It will merely permit a nonfamily member guest from having to apply for the I-68, paying $16 and waiting 2 weeks for the permit just to take a possible one time recreational ride on a boat on the Great Lakes. Guests will still be required to have a U.S. passport. This bill is not a carte blanche opening of the Great Lake borders, it is tailored very narrowly. H.R. 2027 will sunset in December 1998 and requires the Attorney General to make a report to Congress on the impact of the revised regulation. Therefore, next year, INS will be able to ascertain whether this limited exemption has had any adverse impact on illegal immigration or narcotics smuggling. In the meantime, this small but important change will enhance tourism on both sides of the border.”