Southwest Border Security Technology Improvement Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress an analysis of border security technology along the Southwest border.
The report shall address the technology DHS needs to (1) prevent terrorists from entering the United States, (2) reduce cross-border criminal activity such as drug smuggling, and (3) facilitate legal trade flow. The report shall also address recent technological advancements and assess whether such advancements can help achieve these goals.
DHS shall submit the report within a year of this bill's enactment and provide periodic updates for six more years.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7944 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7944
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to assess technology
needs along the Southern border and develop a strategy for bridging
such gaps.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 4, 2020
Ms. Torres Small of New Mexico (for herself, Mr. McCaul, Ms. Slotkin,
and Mr. Cloud) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to assess technology
needs along the Southern border and develop a strategy for bridging
such gaps.
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 ``Southwest Border Security Technology
Improvement Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives.
(2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Homeland Security.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
(4) Southwest border.--The term ``Southwest border'' means
the international land border between the United States and
Mexico, including the ports of entry along such border.
SEC. 3. SOUTHERN BORDER TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ANALYSIS AND UPDATES.
(a) Technology Needs Analysis.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit, to the
appropriate congressional committees, a technology needs analysis for
border security technology along the Southwest border.
(b) Contents.--The analysis required under subsection (a) shall
include an assessment of--
(1) the technology needs and gaps along the Southwest
border--
(A) to prevent terrorists and instruments of terror
from entering the United States;
(B) to combat and reduce cross-border criminal
activity, including, but not limited to--
(i) the transport of illegal goods, such as
illicit drugs; and
(ii) human smuggling and human trafficking;
and
(C) to facilitate the flow of legal trade across
the Southwest border;
(2) recent technological advancements in--
(A) manned aircraft sensor, communication, and
common operating picture technology;
(B) unmanned aerial systems and related technology,
including counter-unmanned aerial system technology;
(C) surveillance technology, including--
(i) mobile surveillance vehicles;
(ii) associated electronics, including
cameras, sensor technology, and radar;
(iii) tower-based surveillance technology;
(iv) advanced unattended surveillance
sensors; and
(v) deployable, lighter-than-air, ground
surveillance equipment;
(D) nonintrusive inspection technology, including
non-X-ray devices utilizing muon tomography and other
advanced detection technology;
(E) tunnel detection technology; and
(F) communications equipment, including--
(i) radios;
(ii) long-term evolution broadband; and
(iii) miniature satellites;
(3) any other technological advancements that the Secretary
determines to be critical to the Department's mission along the
Southwest border;
(4) whether the use of the technological advances described
in paragraphs (2) and (3) will--
(A) improve border security;
(B) improve the capability of the Department to
accomplish its mission along the Southwest border;
(C) reduce technology gaps along the Southwest
border; and
(D) enhance the safety of any officer or agent of
the Department or any other Federal agency;
(5) the Department's ongoing border security technology
development efforts, including efforts by--
(A) U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
(B) the Science and Technology Directorate; and
(C) the technology assessment office of any other
operational component;
(6) the technology needs for improving border security,
such as--
(A) information technology or other computer or
computing systems data capture;
(B) biometrics;
(C) cloud storage; and
(D) intelligence data sharing capabilities among
agencies within the Department;
(7) any other technological needs or factors, including
border security infrastructure, such as physical barriers or
dual-purpose infrastructure, that the Secretary determines
should be considered; and
(8) currently deployed technology or new technology that
would improve the Department's ability--
(A) to reasonably achieve operational control and
situational awareness along the Southwest border; and
(B) to collect metrics for securing the border at
and between ports of entry, as required under
subsections (b) and (c) of section 1092 of division A
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2017 (6 U.S.C. 223).
(c) Updates.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the
submission of the analysis required under subsection (a), and
biannually thereafter for the following 4 years, the Secretary
shall submit an update to such analysis to the appropriate
congressional committees.
(2) Contents.--Each update required under paragraph (1)
shall include a plan for utilizing the resources of the
Department to meet the border security technology needs and
gaps identified pursuant to subsection (b), including
developing or acquiring technologies not currently in use by
the Department that would allow the Department to bridge
existing border technology gaps along the Southwest border.
(d) Items To Be Considered.--In compiling the technology needs
analysis and updates required under this section, the Secretary shall
consider and examine--
(1) technology that is deployed and is sufficient for the
Department's use along the Southwest border;
(2) technology that is deployed, but is insufficient for
the Department's use along the Southwest border;
(3) technology that is not deployed, but is necessary for
the Department's use along the Southwest border;
(4) current formal departmental requirements documentation
examining current border security threats and challenges faced
by any component of the Department;
(5) trends and forecasts regarding migration across the
Southwest border;
(6) the impact on projected staffing and deployment needs
for the Department, including staffing needs that may be
fulfilled through the use of technology;
(7) the needs and challenges faced by employees of the
Department who are deployed along the Southwest border;
(8) the need to improve cooperation among Federal, State,
Tribal, local, and Mexican law enforcement entities to enhance
security along the Southwest border;
(9) the privacy implications of existing technology and the
acquisition and deployment of new technologies and supporting
infrastructure, with an emphasis on how privacy risks might be
mitigated through the use of technology, training, and policy;
(10) the impact of any ongoing public health emergency that
impacts Department operations along the Southwest border; and
(11) the ability of, and the needs for, the Department to
assist with search and rescue efforts for individuals or groups
that may be in physical danger or in need of medical
assistance.
(e) Classified Form.--To the extent possible, the Secretary shall
submit the technology needs analysis and updates required under this
section in unclassified form, but may submit such documents, or
portions of such documents, in classified form if the Secretary
determines that such action is appropriate.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations.
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