[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1729 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1729

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Office of 
         Biometric Identity Management, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 13, 2019

   Mr. Higgins of Louisiana introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Office of 
         Biometric Identity Management, 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 ``Office of Biometric Identity 
Management Authorization Act of 2019'' or the ``OBIM Authorization Act 
of 2019''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF BIOMETRIC IDENTITY MANAGEMENT.

    (a) In General.--Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 711. OFFICE OF BIOMETRIC IDENTITY MANAGEMENT.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Office of Biometric Identity Management 
is established within the Management Directorate of the Department.
    ``(b) Director.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Office of Biometric Identity 
        Management shall be administered by the Director of the Office 
        of Biometric Identity Management (in this section referred to 
        as the `Director') who shall report to the Secretary, or to 
        another official of the Department, as the Secretary may 
        direct.
            ``(2) Qualifications and duties.--The Director shall--
                    ``(A) have significant professional management 
                experience, as well as experience in the field of 
                biometrics and identity management;
                    ``(B) lead the Department's biometric identity 
                services to support efforts and activities relating to 
                anti-terrorism, counter-terrorism, border security, 
                credentialing, national security, and public safety;
                    ``(C) enable operational missions across the 
                Department by receiving, matching, storing, sharing, 
                and analyzing biometric and associated biographic and 
                encounter data;
                    ``(D) deliver biometric identity information and 
                analysis capabilities to--
                            ``(i) the Department and its components;
                            ``(ii) appropriate Federal, State, local, 
                        and tribal agencies;
                            ``(iii) appropriate foreign governments; 
                        and
                            ``(iv) appropriate private sector entities;
                    ``(E) support the law enforcement, public safety, 
                national security, and homeland security missions of 
                other Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies, as 
                appropriate;
                    ``(F) manage the operation of the Department's 
                primary biometric repository and identification system;
                    ``(G) manage Biometric Support Centers to provide 
                biometric identification and verification analysis and 
                services to the Department, appropriate Federal, State, 
                local, and tribal agencies, appropriate foreign 
                governments, and appropriate private sector entities;
                    ``(H) oversee the implementation of Department-wide 
                standards for biometric conformity, and work to make 
                such standards Government-wide;
                    ``(I) in coordination with the Department's Office 
                of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, and in consultation 
                with relevant component offices and headquarters 
                offices, enter into data sharing agreements with 
                appropriate Federal, State, local, and foreign agencies 
                to support immigration, law enforcement, national 
                security, and public safety missions;
                    ``(J) maximize interoperability with other Federal, 
                State, local, and foreign biometric systems, as 
                appropriate;
                    ``(K) ensure the activities of the Office of 
                Biometric Identity Management are carried out in 
                compliance with the policies and procedures established 
                by the Privacy Officer appointed under section 222; and
                    ``(L) carry out other duties and powers prescribed 
                by law or delegated by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Deputy Director.--There shall be in the Office of Biometric 
Identity Management a Deputy Director, who shall assist the Director in 
the management of the Office.
    ``(d) Other Authorities.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director may establish such other 
        offices within the Office of Biometric Identity Management as 
        the Director determines necessary to carry out the missions, 
        duties, functions, and authorities of the Office.
            ``(2) Notification.--If the Director exercises the 
        authority provided by paragraph (1), the Director shall notify 
        the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
        Governmental Affairs of the Senate not later than 30 days 
        before exercising such authority.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 710 the following new item:

``Sec. 711. Office of Biometric Identity Management.''.
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