I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1353

To authorize the Port Passenger Accelerated Service System (PortPASS) 

as a permanent program for land border inspection under the Immigration and Nationality Act. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 19, 2003

Mrs. DAVIS of California (for herself, Mr. ISSA, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. REYES, 

Mr. FROST, Mr. FILNER, and Mr. CUNNINGHAM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL

To authorize the Port Passenger Accelerated Service System 

(PortPASS) as a permanent program for land border 

inspection under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Secure and Fast Entry 

5 at the Border Act of 2003’’ or the ‘‘SAFE Border Act 

6 of 2003’’ . 

7 SEC. 2. PORTPASS PROGRAM. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following 

9 findings: 
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1 (1) Port Passenger Accelerated Service System 

2 (PortPASS) is a group of pre-inspection technology 

3 programs used at ports of entry to facilitate the 

4 speedy passage of low-risk travelers. 

5 (2) Ports of entry constitute vital links in our 

6 nation’s economic and social life. 

7 (3) Southern and northern land border inspec8 tions combined comprise over 80 percent of the total 

9 inspections performed at all ports of entry. 

10 (4) PortPASS programs strengthen our borders 

11 without impeding legitimate traffic needed for our 

12 nation’s economic health. 

13 (5) The Secure Electronic Network for Trav14 elers’ Rapid Inspection (SENTRI), a PortPASS pro15 gram, incorporates an extensive screening process to 

16 move pre-screened, low-risk travelers quickly and 

17 safely through the inspection process while pre18 serving border security. There are currently over 

19 45,000 SENTRI participants. 

20 (6) PortPASS programs must expand their ex21 isting infrastructure to meet border management 

22 issues. The success and effectiveness of the pro23 grams demonstrate they are deserving of increased 

24 resource allocation to meet growth and security chal25 lenges. 
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1 (b) AMENDMENT TO IMMIGRATION AND NATION2 ALITY ACT.—Section 286(q)(1) of the Immigration and 

3 Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(q)(1)(B)) is amended by 

4 inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new sub5 paragraph: 

6 ‘‘(C) The Port Passenger Accelerated Serv7 ice System (PortPASS) is authorized as a per8 manent program for land border inspection 

9 under this Act.’’. 

10 (c) EXTENSION OF VALIDITY OF SENTRI APPROV11 ALS FOR PARTICIPATION.—Notwithstanding any other 

12 provision of law and beginning not later than 30 days after 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secure Elec14 tronic Network for Travelers’ Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) 

15 Program, authorized under section 286(q) of the Immigra16 tion and Nationality Act, shall issue approvals for partici17 pation for non-commercial vehicle border crossers that 

18 shall be valid for not less than 2 years. 

19 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the 

20 Congress that—

21 (1) the Department of Homeland Security must 

22 ensure the permanence of PortPASS programs in 

23 the transition from the Department of Justice to the 

24 new Department of Homeland Security; 
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1 (2) all land PortPASS programs should utilize 

2 interoperable technology to offer program enrollees 

3 increased access at all participating dedicated com4 muter lanes; 

5 (3) the Secretary of Homeland Security should 

6 appoint dedicated staff with appropriate training 

7 and instruction, increase staffing under the Secure 

8 Electronic Network for Travelers’ Rapid Inspection 

9 (SENTRI) Program for actual inspections and nec10 essary administrative tasks, and should allocate 

11 greater resources to the program to facilitate and 

12 expedite the processing of applications for SENTRI; 

13 and 

14 (4) the Secretary of Homeland Security should 

15 create a pre-inspection low-risk traveler dedicated 

16 commuter lane for pedestrian land border crossers.

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