[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H32-H34]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   DOMESTIC EXPLOSIVES DETECTION CANINE CAPACITY BUILDING ACT OF 2017

  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (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, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4577

       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) Chairpersons.--The Administrator for the Transportation 
     Security Administration shall approve of two individuals from 
     among the representatives of the working group specified in 
     subsection (b) to serve as the Chairpersons of the working 
     group. One such Chairperson shall be from the entities 
     specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of such subsection, and 
     the other such Chairperson shall be from the entities 
     specified in paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of such subsection.
       (d) 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.
       (e) 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

[[Page H33]]

     subsection (a), based on such recommendations.
       (f) Consultation.--In developing the strategy required 
     under subsection (e), the Administrator of the Transportation 
     Security Administration shall consult with the Under 
     Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department of 
     Homeland Security, the Commissioner for U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection, the Director of the United States Secret 
     Service, and the heads of other Department of Homeland 
     Security components determined appropriate by the 
     Administrator to incorporate, to the extent practicable, 
     mission needs across the Department for an expanded domestic 
     explosives detection canine breeding network that can be 
     leveraged to help meet the Department's operational needs.
       (g) Sunset.--The working group established under subsection 
     (a) shall terminate on the date that is two years after the 
     submission of the strategy required under subsection (e).

     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, 
     medical standards, and technical standards for explosives 
     detection canines.
       (b) Standards.--The baseline behavioral standards, medical 
     standards, and technical standards referred to in subsection 
     (a) shall be incorporated, as appropriate, into all 
     statements of work for the Transportation Security 
     Administration explosives 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Rogers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vela) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and to include any extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alabama?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of passage of my bill, H.R. 
4577, the Domestic Explosives Detection Canine Capacity Building Act of 
2017.
  This legislation creates a working group on behavioral, medical, and 
technical standards for explosives detection working dog breeding and 
training programs.
  This group will consist of the Transportation Security 
Administration, the Office of Science and Technology, private sector 
canine vendors and breeders, industry associations, leading 
veterinarians, and academics with firsthand knowledge of the subject 
matter.
  The group's final report on standards should reflect the latest in 
canine science and will be presented to the TSA Administrator for 
further breeding development as well as canine procurement.
  This bill is common sense. Canines are far more efficient than any 
machine and much more cost effective. The use of detection canines by 
the TSA is critical in keeping passengers over American skies safe.
  With this in mind, why then, Madam Speaker, does the TSA procure the 
majority of its canines from European vendors in conjunction with the 
Department of Defense?
  American canine breeders produce exceptional working dog lines, but 
the TSA's arcane procurement rules and training requirements create 
barriers to entry for American breeders and especially private sector 
vendors.
  With the passage of H.R. 4577, the TSA will be required to 
incorporate findings and standards from the working group into its 
procurement process to create greater consistency and transparency for 
private sector vendors.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
commonsense bill and pass H.R. 4577, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 4577, the Domestic Explosives Detection 
Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017.
  In recent years, the volume of air travel has steadily risen, with 42 
million people traveling domestically in the last days of 2017 alone. 
Last year, the worldwide number of people flying rose to a historic 
high of 4 billion passengers.
  The high visibility of the aviation sector makes it a persistent 
target for terrorists who wish to carry out attacks and inflict harm 
upon U.S. citizens. As such, the TSA must continue to collaborate with 
stakeholders and better incorporate proven security tools into security 
operations. One of the tools that we know to be effective is canine 
detection teams, particularly in detecting and protecting against 
explosive threats.
  In a May 2017 hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security last 
year, the Director of the Threat Assessment Division within the 
Transportation Security Administration attested to the value of 
aviation screening canine teams, saying: ``Canines are incredibly 
effective. They can do things we can't even measure with machines.''
  The legislation before us today, H.R. 4577, would require the TSA to 
establish a working group of stakeholders to determine ways to develop 
a domestic canine breeding network to produce explosives detection 
canines and modernize canine training standards.
  Today, the demand for trained and certified dogs is huge, with more 
and more security stakeholders coming to appreciate the explosive 
detection capabilities of our four-legged friends. This heightened 
demand has led to a shortage, presenting challenges for the U.S. 
Government in the procurement of suitable canines.
  In testimony before the committee, the TSA and various stakeholders 
have cited these challenges and expressed concern regarding how to best 
address this shortage. That is why this legislation is so important.
  The working group mandated in this legislation draws from authorities 
on explosives detection canines and homeland security missions, 
including the Transportation Security Administration, the Department of 
Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, national 
domestic canine associations, academic experts, and domestic canine 
breeders and vendors.
  The knowledge and expertise offered by this diverse group of 
representatives will ensure that the DHS can implement an effective and 
impactful strategy to further the development of explosives detection 
canine teams.
  For these reasons, Madam Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to 
support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), who is the chairman of the 
Transportation and Protective Security Subcommittee of the Committee on 
Homeland Security.
  Mr. KATKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my 
colleague's bill, H.R. 4477, the Domestic Explosives Detection Canine 
Capacity Building Act of 2017.
  This bill will help develop a domestic program through which the DHS 
and the TSA can acquire high-quality explosives detection canines from 
the United States. Currently, too much money is spent on too few 
canines because we are forced to compete for dogs from other countries 
in this high-demand threat environment.
  Mr. Rogers' bill will help mitigate threats to aviation security by 
working to build our capacity here at home while proliferating the use 
of highly capable explosives detection canines. In a time when threats 
to homeland security are rapidly evolving, these dogs represent one of 
our greatest security tools in detecting explosives in surface and 
aviation transportation systems.

  Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Rogers for his leadership on this issue, 
and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself 
the balance of my time.
  H.R. 4577 will jump-start conversations on how to increase the supply 
of canines and better integrate them in the TSA's layered security at 
airports

[[Page H34]]

and surface transportation hubs. Canines have become an invaluable 
asset to the DHS in fulfilling its many important missions and goals.
  Even prior to the inception of the Department, canines were utilized 
by law enforcement and first responder agencies for decades, proving to 
be one of the most effective and versatile tools in detecting threats 
and protecting the homeland.
  Terrorists are working hard to exploit vulnerabilities in our 
transportation system, and the U.S. must utilize all of our available 
resources to combat these threats. Canines are undoubtedly one such 
resource, providing a robust and reliable layer of security and giving 
Americans peace of mind.
  If enacted, H.R. 4577 would better position the TSA to achieve and 
maintain a reliable supply of canines to deploy to not only airport 
terminals, but also to cargo operations and mass transit systems.
  As such, Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 
4577, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, this is an area that we have 
spent a lot of time on in the Committee on Homeland Security over 
several years, and I can state without equivocation that there is no 
technology that is more effective at detecting explosives in our 
transportation systems than these canines.
  It is a shame that we have allowed ourselves to become so heavily 
dependent on European providers for this very essential asset. This 
bill will go a long way in helping our country establish its own 
production of these essential assets for our use in keeping our country 
safe and secure.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4577, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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