[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4577 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4577

 To establish a working group to determine ways to develop a domestic 
 canine breeding network to produce high quality explosives detection 
                    canines, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 6, 2017

    Mr. Rogers of Alabama (for himself, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Katko, Mr. 
    Barletta, Mr. Higgins of Louisiana, Mr. Donovan, and Mr. Bacon) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a working group to determine ways to develop a domestic 
 canine breeding network to produce high quality explosives detection 
                    canines, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Domestic Explosives Detection Canine 
Capacity Building Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Behavioral standards.--The term ``behavioral 
        standards'' means standards for the evaluation of explosives 
        detection working canines for certain factors, including canine 
        temperament, work drive, suitability for training, 
        environmental factors used in evaluations, and canine 
        familiarity with natural or man-made surfaces or working 
        conditions relevant to the canine's expected work area.
            (2) Medical standards.--The term ``medical standards'' 
        means standards for the evaluation of explosives detection 
        working canines for certain factors, including canine health, 
        management of heredity health conditions, breeding practices, 
        genetics, pedigree, and long-term health tracking.
            (3) Technical standards.--The term ``technical standards'' 
        means standards for the evaluation of explosives detection 
        working canines for certain factors, including canine search 
        techniques, handler-canine communication, detection testing 
        conditions and logistics, and learned explosive odor libraries.

SEC. 3. DOMESTIC CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting 
through the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration, shall establish a working group to determine ways to 
develop a decentralized domestic canine breeding network to produce 
high quality explosives detection canines and modernize canine training 
standards.
    (b) Working Group Composition.--The working group established under 
subsection (a) shall be comprised of representatives from the 
following:
            (1) The Transportation Security Administration.
            (2) The Science and Technology Directorate of the 
        Department of Homeland Security.
            (3) National domestic canine associations with expertise in 
        breeding and pedigree.
            (4) Universities with expertise related to explosives 
        detection canines and canine breeding.
            (5) Domestic canine breeders and vendors.
    (c) Preliminary Standards and Recommendations.--Not later than 180 
days after the establishment of the working group under subsection (a), 
such working group shall submit to the Administrator of the 
Transportation Security Administration preliminary behavioral 
standards, medical standards, and technical standards for the domestic 
canine breeding network and canine training described in such 
subsection, including recommendations on how the Transportation 
Security Administration can engage stakeholders to further the 
development of such network and training.
    (d) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after submission of 
recommendations to the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration under subsection (c), the Administrator shall submit to 
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
strategy for expanding the domestic canine breeding network described 
in subsection (a), based on such recommendations.

SEC. 4. ACQUIRING BASELINE CAPACITY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the submission of 
recommendations to the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration under section 3, the Administrator shall issue baseline 
behavioral standards for explosives detection canines.
    (b) Standards.--The baseline behavioral standards issued pursuant 
to subsection (a), and the preliminary medical standards and technical 
standards issued pursuant to section 3, shall be incorporated into all 
statements of work for the Transportation Security Administration 
explosive detection canine contracts and reflect the detection 
capabilities required to effectively mitigate terrorist threats. Such 
standards may be revised by the Administrator of the Transportation 
Security Administration, as necessary.

SEC. 5. NONAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.

    The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply 
to the working group established under this Act.
                                 <all>