I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7832 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to identify, 

integrate, and deploy new, innovative, disruptive, or other emerging or 

advanced technologies to enhance, or address capability gaps in, border 

security operations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2024 

Mr. CORREA (for himself and Mr. LUTTRELL) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop 

a plan to identify, integrate, and deploy new, innovative, 

disruptive, or other emerging or advanced technologies 

to enhance, or address capability gaps in, border security 

operations, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Emerging Innovative 

5 Border Technologies Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INNOVATIVE AND EMERGING BORDER TECH2 NOLOGY PLAN. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

4 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home5 land Security, acting through the Commissioner of U.S. 

6 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Under 

7 Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department 

8 of Homeland Security, shall submit to the Committee on 

9 Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 

10 the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

11 Affairs of the Senate a plan to identify, integrate, and de12 ploy new, innovative, disruptive, or other emerging or ad13 vanced technologies that may incorporate artificial intel14 ligence, machine-learning, automation, fiber-optic sensing 

15 technology, nanotechnology, optical and cognitive radar, 

16 modeling and simulation technology, hyperspectral and 

17 LIDAR sensors, imaging, identification, and categoriza18 tion systems, or other emerging or advanced technologies, 

19 to enhance, or address capability gaps in, border security 

20 operations. 

21 (b) CONTENTS.—The plan required under subsection 

22 (a) shall include the following: 

23 (1) Information regarding how CBP utilizes 

24 CBP Innovation Team authority under subsection 

25 (c) and other mechanisms to carry out the purposes 

26 specified in subsection (a). 


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1 (2) An assessment of the contributions directly 

2 attributable to such utilization. 

3 (3) Information regarding the composition of 

4 each CBP Innovation Team, and how each such 

5 Team coordinates and integrates efforts with the 

6 CBP acquisition program office and other partners 

7 within CBP and the Department of Homeland Secu8 rity. 

9 (4) Identification of technologies used by other 

10 Federal departments or agencies not in use by CBP 

11 that could assist in enhancing, or addressing capa12 bility gaps in, border security operations. 

13 (5) An analysis of authorities available to CBP 

14 to procure technologies referred to subsection (a), 

15 and an assessment as to whether additional or alter16 native authorities are needed to carry out the pur17 poses specified in such subsection. 

18 (6) An explanation of how CBP plans to scale 

19 existing programs related to emerging or advanced 

20 technologies into programs of record. 

21 (7) A description of each planned security-re22 lated technology program, including objectives, goals, 

23 and timelines for each such program. 


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1 (8) An assessment of the privacy and security 

2 impact on border communities of security-related 

3 technology. 

4 (9) An assessment of CBP legacy border tech5 nology programs that could be phased out and re6 placed by technologies referred to in subsection (a), 

7 and cost estimates relating to such phase out and 

8 replacement. 

9 (10) Information relating to how CBP is coordi10 nating with the Department of Homeland Security’s 

11 Science and Technology Directorate to— 

12 (A) research and develop new, innovative, 

13 disruptive, or other emerging or advanced tech14 nologies to carry out the purposes specified in 

15 subsection (a); 

16 (B) identify security-related technologies 

17 that are in development or deployed by the pri18 vate and public sectors that may satisfy the 

19 mission needs of CBP, with or without adapta20 tion; 

21 (C) incentivize the private sector to develop 

22 technologies that may help CBP meet mission 

23 needs to enhance, or address capability gaps in, 

24 border security operations; and 


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1 (D) identify and assess ways to increase 

2 opportunities for communication and collabora3 tion with the private sector, small and dis4 advantaged businesses, intra-governmental enti5 ties, university centers of excellence, and Fed6 eral laboratories to leverage emerging tech7 nology and research within the public and pri8 vate sectors. 

9 (11) Information on metrics and key perform10 ance parameters for evaluating the effectiveness of 

11 efforts to identify, integrate, and deploy new, inno12 vative, disruptive, or other emerging or advanced 

13 technologies to carry out the purposes specified in 

14 subsection (a). 

15 (12) An identification of recent technological 

16 advancements in the following: 

17 (A) Manned aircraft sensor, communica18 tion, and common operating picture technology. 

19 (B) Unmanned aerial systems and related 

20 technology, including counter-unmanned aerial 

21 system technology. 

22 (C) Surveillance technology, including the 

23 following: 

24 (i) Mobile surveillance vehicles. 


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1 (ii) Associated electronics, including 

2 cameras, sensor technology, and radar. 

3 (iii) Tower-based surveillance tech4 nology. 

5 (iv) Advanced unattended surveillance 

6 sensors. 

7 (v) Deployable, lighter-than-air, 

8 ground surveillance equipment. 

9 (D) Nonintrusive inspection technology, in10 cluding non-X-ray devices utilizing muon to11 mography and other advanced detection tech12 nology. 

13 (E) Tunnel detection technology. 

14 (F) Communications equipment, including 

15 the following: 

16 (i) Radios. 

17 (ii) Long-term evolution broadband. 

18 (iii) Miniature satellites. 

19 (13) Any other information the Secretary deter20 mines relevant. 

21 (c) CBP INNOVATION TEAM AUTHORITY.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of CBP 

23 is authorized to maintain one or more CBP Innova24 tion Teams to research and adapt commercial tech25 nologies that are new, innovative, disruptive, or othVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:34 Apr 05, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7832.IH H7832

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1 erwise emerging or advanced that may be used by 

2 CBP to enhance, or address capability gaps in bor3 der security operations and urgent mission needs, 

4 and assess potential outcomes, to include any nega5 tive consequences, of the introduction of emerging or 

6 advanced technologies with respect to which docu7 mented capability gaps in border security operations 

8 are yet to be determined. 

9 (2) OPERATING PROCEDURES, PLANNING, STRA10 TEGIC GOALS.—The Commissioner of CBP shall re11 quire each team maintained pursuant to paragraph 

12 (1) to establish the following: 

13 (A) Operating procedures that include 

14 specificity regarding roles and responsibilities 

15 within each such team and with respect to De16 partment of Homeland Security and non-Fed17 eral partners, and protocols for entering into 

18 agreements to rapidly transition such tech19 nologies to existing or new programs of record 

20 to carry out the purposes specified in subsection 

21 (a). 

22 (B) Planning and strategic goals for each 

23 such team that includes projected costs, time 

24 frames, metrics, and key performance param25 eters relating to the achievement of identified 


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1 strategic goals, including a metric to measure 

2 the rate at which technologies described in sub3 section (a) are transitioned to existing or new 

4 programs of record in accordance with subpara5 graph (A) 

6 (3) REPORTING.—Not later than 180 days after 

7 the date of the enactment of this Act and annually 

8 thereafter, the Commissioner of CBP shall submit to 

9 the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 

10 of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 

11 Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate in12 formation relating to the activities CBP Innovation 

13 Teams, including information regarding the fol14 lowing: 

15 (A) Copies of operating procedures and 

16 protocols under paragraph (2)(A) and planning 

17 and strategic goals required under paragraph 

18 (2)(B). 

19 (B) Descriptions of the technologies piloted 

20 by each such team over the immediately pre21 ceding fiscal year, including information regard22 ing which such technologies are determined suc23 cessful and an identification of documented ca24 pability gaps that are addressed. 


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1 (C) Information on the status of efforts to 

2 rapidly transition technologies determined suc3 cessful to existing or new programs of record. 

Æ 


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