[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5273 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 317
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5273
[Report No. 116-394]
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
February 6, 2020
Additional sponsors: Ms. Slotkin, Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Amodei,
Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, Miss Rice of New York, Mr. Correa, Ms.
Spanberger, and Mrs. Lesko
February 6, 2020
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on
November 26, 2019]
_______________________________________________________________________
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 expeditious
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 or similar technology 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 or similar technology operated
by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at land ports of entry as of the
date of the enactment of this Act:
(1) An inventory of large-scale non-intrusive inspection
systems or similar technology in use at each land port of
entry.
(2) For each system or technology identified in the
inventory required under paragraph (1), the following
information:
(A) The scanning method of such system or
technology.
(B) The location of such system or technology at
each 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 or technology.
(D) Seizure data directly attributed to scanned
commercial and passenger vehicles.
(c) Elements.--The plan required under subsection (a) shall include
the following information:
(1) Benchmarks for achieving incremental progress towards
100 percent expeditious scanning of commercial and passenger
vehicles entering the United States at land ports of entry
along the border 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 expeditious percent scanning rate within the
timeframes specified in paragraph (1), including acquisition,
operations, and maintenance costs for large-scale non-intrusive
inspection systems or similar technology, as well as associated
costs for any necessary infrastructure enhancements or
configuration changes at each port of entry. To the extent
practicable, such acquisition plan shall promote opportunities
for entities that qualify as small business concerns (as such
term is described under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 632).
(3) Any projected 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 projected 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, acting
through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, shall conduct
research and development, in coordination with the Commissioner of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, to enhance large-scale non-intrusive
inspections systems or similar technology and refine the operational
use or configuration of such systems or technology in pre-primary,
primary, and secondary inspection areas of land ports of entry. Such
research and development shall include consideration of emerging large-
scale non-intrusive inspection systems or similar technology and
modeling the use of such systems or technology 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 expeditious 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 or similar
technology 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 or similar technology operated by U.S. Customs and
Border Protection at each land port of entry.
(2) For each system or technology identified in the
inventory required under paragraph (1), the following
information:
(A) The scanning method of such system or
technology.
(B) The location of such system or technology at
each 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 or technology.
(D) Seizure data directly attributed to scanned
commercial and passenger vehicles.
(3) The total number of commercial and passenger vehicles
entering at each land port of entry where each system or
technology 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 research and
development conducted pursuant to 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 producing an image of the contents of a commercial
or passenger vehicle in one pass of such vehicle.
(2) Scanning.--The term ``scanning'' means utilizing
technology to produce an image of the contents of a commercial
or passenger vehicle without engaging in a physical inspection
of such vehicle.
Union Calendar No. 317
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5273
[Report No. 116-394]
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 6, 2020
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed