[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 106 (Monday, June 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5632-H5633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 2000
OFFICE OF BIOMETRIC IDENTITY MANAGEMENT AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018
Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5206) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to
establish the Office of Biometric Identity Management, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5206
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 2018'' or the ``OBIM
Authorization Act of 2018''.
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. 710. 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 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
Policy, 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
adding after the item relating to section 709 the following
new item:
``Sec. 710. Office of Biometric Identity Management.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Arizona (Ms. McSally) and the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr.
Langevin) each will control 20 minutes.
[[Page H5633]]
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Arizona.
General Leave
Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Arizona?
There was no objection.
Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Terrorists, transnational criminal organizations, and others seeking
to do this Nation harm are constantly coming up with new ways to cross
our borders.
We used to rely on biographic information, such as names and
birthdays, to identify and prevent these threats from entering our
country. But the development of biometric identity-matching technology
allows us to more quickly and effectively confirm people that they are
who they say they are.
The use of biometric technology to positively identify individuals
who seek entry into the United States is a 21st century solution to
multiple homeland security problems. The technology enhances the
security of our citizens, facilitates legitimate travel and trade, and
bolsters the integrity of our immigration system.
My bill authorizes the Office of Biometric Identity Management, or
OBIM, the primary biometric repository for DHS and other Federal
agencies that are vital to our national security. OBIM operates a
database of more than 225 million unique identities that include
fingerprint-based biometrics, as well as face and iris holdings that
allow it to provide biometric matching, storing, and sharing services
across the U.S. Government.
It processes more than 300,000 daily biometric transactions,
reviewing more than 360 known or suspected terrorist records for
resolution on a daily basis.
OBIM also supports DHS's efforts to complete a biometric exit
program. Putting this biometric exit system in place is, as the 9/11
Commission noted, ``an essential investment in our national security.''
More than 15 years later, large numbers of foreign nationals continue
to overstay their visas or disappear into the United States, just as
four of the 9/11 hijackers did.
Congress has passed multiple laws since 2004 mandating the creation
of the biometric exit system, though we are still waiting for it to
come to fruition.
OBIM is responsible for a key element of our national security, but
has not been authorized by statute. This bill, the Office of Biometric
Identity Management Authorization Act of 2018, will finally codify this
into law.
In the current high-risk threat environment, it is vital that we
place greater emphasis on biometric identity technology as a
counterterrorism tool and provide OBIM with the resources necessary to
further protect the homeland in the face of an evolving threat.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join
me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5206, the OBIM Authorization
Act of 2018.
First, I want to begin by commending the gentlewoman from Arizona for
sponsoring this piece of legislation. It is very thoughtful and
certainly very timely.
Of course, I am not surprised that she would come up with such a
great idea, knowing that she originally hails from Rhode Island and
comes from great roots. So I am not surprised that she would come up
with a great idea like this.
Mr. Speaker, for the past decade, the Department of Homeland Security
has collected biometric data from foreign nationals and U.S. citizens
for a wide range of purposes, including counterterrorism, border
security, credentialing, national security, and public safety.
Over that time, the Office of Biometric Identity Management, or OBIM,
has become a repository for more than 240 million biometrics, such as
fingerprints and photographs collected by DHS. OBIM is charged with
analyzing biometric data, sending updates to critical terror watch
lists, and sharing information with trusted partners inside and outside
the Federal Government to support law enforcement, public safety,
national security, and homeland security.
Given the sensitivity of this type of biometric data and its
increasing integration into security programs, I am pleased that H.R.
5206 requires this office to comply with privacy policies and
procedures established by the DHS privacy officer.
This is a good bipartisan bill.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5206 authorizes the department's existing Office of
Biometric Identity Management, which is charged with collecting and
using biometric data to enhance DHS's counterterrorism, border
security, and national security operations.
Increasingly, Federal agencies see the value of adopting biometrics
as an additional security measure. As more and more Federal programs
make use of such personal data, it is absolutely vital that privacy be
baked in from the start. Importantly, H.R. 5206 requires a privacy-
forward approach to all that OBIM does.
For these reasons, I support this measure. This is a good, bipartisan
bill, and, again, I commend the gentlewoman from Rhode Island, who is
now from Arizona, for sponsoring this bill and getting it through
committee.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill as well, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Rhode Island's support on
this bill and our longstanding relationship that we had since we grew
up in a similar neighborhood before I fell in love with Arizona and
never wanted to see another winter again. But anyway, I digress.
Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support this bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5206, 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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