[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5273 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5273
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to
increase to 100 percent the rates of scanning of commercial and
passenger vehicles entering the United States at land ports of entry
along the border using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems to
enhance border security, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 26, 2019
Ms. Torres Small of New Mexico (for herself and Mr. Crenshaw)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Homeland Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to
increase to 100 percent the rates of scanning of commercial and
passenger vehicles entering the United States at land ports of entry
along the border using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems to
enhance border security, 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 ``Securing America's Ports Act''.
SEC. 2. LARGE-SCALE NON-INTRUSIVE INSPECTION SCANNING PLAN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit
to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the
Senate a plan to increase to 100 percent the rates of scanning of
commercial and passenger vehicles entering the United States at land
ports of entry along the border using large-scale non-intrusive
inspection systems to enhance border security.
(b) Baseline Information.--At a minimum, the plan required under
subsection (a) shall include the following information regarding large-
scale non-intrusive inspection systems operated by U.S. Customs and
Border Protection at land ports of entry in fiscal year 2019:
(1) An inventory of large-scale non-intrusive inspection
systems in use at land ports of entry.
(2) For each system identified in the inventory required
under paragraph (1), the following information:
(A) The scanning technology of such system.
(B) The location of such system at the land port of
entry that specifies whether in use in pre-primary,
primary, or secondary inspection area, or some
combination thereof.
(C) The percentage of commercial and passenger
vehicles scanned by such system.
(D) Seizure data related to scanned commercial and
passenger vehicles.
(3) The total number of commercial and passenger vehicles
entering at the land port of entry where each system is in use,
and information on average wait times at peak and non-peak
travel times, by lane type if applicable.
(c) Elements.--The plan required under subsection (a) shall include
the following information:
(1) Benchmarks for achieving incremental progress towards
100 percent scanning with corresponding projected incremental
improvements in scanning rates by fiscal year and rationales
for the specified timeframes for each land port of entry.
(2) Estimated costs, together with an acquisition plan, for
achieving the 100 percent scanning rate within the timeframes
specified in paragraph (1), including total acquisition,
operations, and maintenance costs for large-scale non-intrusive
inspection systems, as well as associated costs for any
necessary infrastructure enhancements or configuration changes
at each port of entry.
(3) Any anticipated impacts, as identified by the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, on the
total number of commercial and passenger vehicles entering at
land ports of entry where such systems are in use, and average
wait times at peak and non-peak travel times, by lane type if
applicable, as scanning rates are increased.
(4) Any anticipated impacts, as identified by the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, on land
ports of entry border security operations as a result of
implementation actions, including any changes to the number of
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers or their duties and
assignments.
(d) Research and Development.--In furtherance of the plan required
under subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall carry
out a one-year pilot program to research and develop technology
enhancements and refinements to the operational configuration of pre-
primary, primary, and secondary inspection areas of land ports of
entry. Such pilot program shall include consideration of large-scale
emerging non-intrusive inspection systems and modeling the use of such
systems that takes into account the variations in infrastructure,
configurations, and sizes of land ports of entry.
(e) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the submission of
the plan required under subsection (a) and annually thereafter until
such time as U.S. Customs and Border Protection has achieved 100
percent scanning of commercial and passenger vehicles entering the
United States at land ports of entry along the border using large-scale
non-intrusive inspection systems in accordance with such plan, the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall report to the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate on progress
implementing the plan. Each such report at a minimum shall include the
following information:
(1) An inventory of large-scale non-intrusive inspection
systems operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at land
ports of entry.
(2) For each system identified in the inventory required
under paragraph (1), the following information:
(A) The scanning technology of such system.
(B) The location of such system at the land port of
entry that specifies whether in use in pre-primary,
primary, or secondary inspection area, or some
combination thereof.
(C) The percentage of commercial and passenger
vehicles scanned by the system.
(D) Seizure data related to scanned commercial and
passenger vehicles.
(3) The total number of commercial and passenger vehicles
entering at the land port of entry where each system is in use,
and information on average wait times at peak and non-peak
travel times, by lane type if applicable.
(4) Progress with respect to the benchmarks specified in
subsection (c)(1), and an explanation if any of such benchmarks
are not achieved as planned.
(5) A comparison of actual costs (including information on
any awards of associated contracts) to estimated costs set
forth in subsection (c)(2).
(6) Any realized impacts, as identified by the Commissioner
of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, on land ports of entry
operations as a result of implementation actions, including any
changes to the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
officers or their duties and assignments.
(7) Any proposed changes to the plan and an explanation for
such changes, including changes made in response to any
Department of Homeland Security research and development
findings, including findings resulting from the pilot program
under subsection (d), or changes in terrorist or transnational
criminal organizations tactics, techniques, or procedures.
(8) Any challenges to implementing the plan or meeting the
benchmarks, and plans to mitigate any such challenges.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Large-scale non-intrusive inspection system.--The term
``large-scale non-intrusive inspection system'' means a
technology, including x-ray and gamma-ray imaging systems,
capable of scanning an entire commercial or passenger vehicle
in one pass to provide an image of the presence of any
contraband.
(2) Scanning.--The term ``scanning'' means a non-physical
inspection of a commercial or passenger vehicle by a U.S.
Customs and Border Protection officer in which images are
generated of the contents of the vehicle through a technology,
including x-ray and gamma-ray imaging systems, for analysis by
U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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