IB 

Union Calendar No. 362 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4577 

[Report No. 115–488] 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 6, 2017 

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. KATKO, Mr. 

BARLETTA, Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Mr. DONOVAN, and Mr. BACON) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security 

JANUARY 9, 2018 

Additional sponsors: Mr. KING of New York, Ms. JACKSON LEE, and Mrs. 

WATSON COLEMAN

JANUARY 9, 2018 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on December 6, 2017] 


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A BILL 

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. 


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•HR 4577 RH

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 ‘‘Domestic Explosives De5 tection Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS.—The term ‘‘behav9 ioral standards’’ means standards for the evaluation 

10 of explosives detection working canines for certain 

11 factors, including canine temperament, work drive, 

12 suitability for training, environmental factors used in 

13 evaluations, and canine familiarity with natural or 

14 man-made surfaces or working conditions relevant to 

15 the canine’s expected work area. 

16 (2) MEDICAL STANDARDS.—The term ‘‘medical 

17 standards’’ means standards for the evaluation of ex18 plosives detection working canines for certain factors, 

19 including canine health, management of heredity 

20 health conditions, breeding practices, genetics, pedi21 gree, and long-term health tracking. 

22 (3) TECHNICAL STANDARDS.—The term ‘‘tech23 nical standards’’ means standards for the evaluation 

24 of explosives detection working canines for certain 

25 factors, including canine search techniques, handlerVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:02 Jan 10, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4577.RH H4577

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1 canine communication, detection testing conditions 

2 and logistics, and learned explosive odor libraries. 

3 SEC. 3. DOMESTIC CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 

6 Security, acting through the Administrator of the Transpor7 tation Security Administration, shall establish a working 

8 group to determine ways to develop a decentralized domestic 

9 canine breeding network to produce high quality explosives 

10 detection canines and modernize canine training standards. 

11 (b) WORKING GROUP COMPOSITION.—The working 

12 group established under subsection (a) shall be comprised 

13 of representatives from the following: 

14 (1) The Transportation Security Administra15 tion. 

16 (2) The Science and Technology Directorate of 

17 the Department of Homeland Security. 

18 (3) National domestic canine associations with 

19 expertise in breeding and pedigree. 

20 (4) Universities with expertise related to explo21 sives detection canines and canine breeding. 

22 (5) Domestic canine breeders and vendors. 

23 (c) CHAIRPERSONS.—The Administrator for the 

24 Transportation Security Administration shall approve of 

25 two individuals from among the representatives of the workVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:02 Jan 10, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4577.RH H4577

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1 ing group specified in subsection (b) to serve as the Chair2 persons of the working group. One such Chairperson shall 

3 be from the entities specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 

4 such subsection, and the other such Chairperson shall be 

5 from the entities specified in paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) 

6 of such subsection. 

7 (d) PRELIMINARY STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDA8 TIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the establishment of 

9 the working group under subsection (a), such working group 

10 shall submit to the Administrator of the Transportation Se11 curity Administration preliminary behavioral standards, 

12 medical standards, and technical standards for the domestic 

13 canine breeding network and canine training described in 

14 such subsection, including recommendations on how the 

15 Transportation Security Administration can engage stake16 holders to further the development of such network and 

17 training. 

18 (e) STRATEGY.—Not later than 180 days after submis19 sion of recommendations to the Administrator of the Trans20 portation Security Administration under subsection (c), the 

21 Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 

22 Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

23 on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 

24 a strategy for expanding the domestic canine breeding netVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:02 Jan 10, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4577.RH H4577

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1 work described in subsection (a), based on such rec2 ommendations. 

3 (f) CONSULTATION.—In developing the strategy re4 quired under subsection (e), the Administrator of the Trans5 portation Security Administration shall consult with the 

6 Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Depart7 ment of Homeland Security, the Commissioner for U.S. 

8 Customs and Border Protection, the Director of the United 

9 States Secret Service, and the heads of other Department 

10 of Homeland Security components determined appropriate 

11 by the Administrator to incorporate, to the extent prac12 ticable, mission needs across the Department for an ex13 panded domestic explosives detection canine breeding net14 work that can be leveraged to help meet the Department’s 

15 operational needs. 

16 (g) SUNSET.—The working group established under 

17 subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is two years 

18 after the submission of the strategy required under sub19 section (e). 

20 SEC. 4. ACQUIRING BASELINE CAPACITY. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days after the 

22 submission of recommendations to the Administrator of the 

23 Transportation Security Administration under section 3, 

24 the Administrator shall issue baseline behavioral standards, 


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1 medical standards, and technical standards for explosives 

2 detection canines. 

3 (b) STANDARDS.—The baseline behavioral standards, 

4 medical standards, and technical standards referred to in 

5 subsection (a) shall be incorporated, as appropriate, into 

6 all statements of work for the Transportation Security Ad7 ministration explosives detection canine contracts and re8 flect the detection capabilities required to effectively miti9 gate terrorist threats. Such standards may be revised by 

10 the Administrator of the Transportation Security Adminis11 tration, as necessary. 

12 SEC. 5. NONAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM13 MITTEE ACT. 

14 The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 

15 shall not apply to the working group established under this 

16 Act. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 362 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4577 

[Report No. 115–488] 

A BILL 

To establish a working group to determine ways to 

and for other purposes. produce high quality explosives detection canines, develop a domestic canine breeding network to 

JANUARY 9, 2018 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS