I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4577 

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 

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. 

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 

5 Detection Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 


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1 (1) BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS.—The term ‘‘be2 havioral standards’’ means standards for the evalua3 tion of explosives detection working canines for cer4 tain factors, including canine temperament, work 

5 drive, suitability for training, environmental factors 

6 used in evaluations, and canine familiarity with nat7 ural or man-made surfaces or working conditions 

8 relevant to the canine’s expected work area. 

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

10 standards’’ means standards for the evaluation of 

11 explosives detection working canines for certain fac12 tors, including canine health, management of hered13 ity health conditions, breeding practices, genetics, 

14 pedigree, and long-term health tracking. 

15 (3) TECHNICAL STANDARDS.—The term ‘‘tech16 nical standards’’ means standards for the evaluation 

17 of explosives detection working canines for certain 

18 factors, including canine search techniques, handler19 canine communication, detection testing conditions 

20 and logistics, and learned explosive odor libraries. 

21 SEC. 3. DOMESTIC CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT. 

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

23 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home24 land Security, acting through the Administrator of the 

25 Transportation Security Administration, shall establish a 


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1 working group to determine ways to develop a decentral2 ized domestic canine breeding network to produce high 

3 quality explosives detection canines and modernize canine 

4 training standards. 

5 (b) WORKING GROUP COMPOSITION.—The working 

6 group established under subsection (a) shall be comprised 

7 of representatives from the following: 

8 (1) The Transportation Security Administra9 tion. 

10 (2) The Science and Technology Directorate of 

11 the Department of Homeland Security. 

12 (3) National domestic canine associations with 

13 expertise in breeding and pedigree. 

14 (4) Universities with expertise related to explo15 sives detection canines and canine breeding. 

16 (5) Domestic canine breeders and vendors. 

17 (c) PRELIMINARY STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDA18 TIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the establishment 

19 of the working group under subsection (a), such working 

20 group shall submit to the Administrator of the Transpor21 tation Security Administration preliminary behavioral 

22 standards, medical standards, and technical standards for 

23 the domestic canine breeding network and canine training 

24 described in such subsection, including recommendations 

25 on how the Transportation Security Administration can 


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1 engage stakeholders to further the development of such 

2 network and training. 

3 (d) STRATEGY.—Not later than 180 days after sub4 mission of recommendations to the Administrator of the 

5 Transportation Security Administration under subsection 

6 (c), the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on 

7 Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 

8 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

9 of the Senate a strategy for expanding the domestic canine 

10 breeding network described in subsection (a), based on 

11 such recommendations. 

12 SEC. 4. ACQUIRING BASELINE CAPACITY. 

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

14 submission of recommendations to the Administrator of 

15 the Transportation Security Administration under section 

16 3, the Administrator shall issue baseline behavioral stand17 ards for explosives detection canines. 

18 (b) STANDARDS.—The baseline behavioral standards 

19 issued pursuant to subsection (a), and the preliminary 

20 medical standards and technical standards issued pursu21 ant to section 3, shall be incorporated into all statements 

22 of work for the Transportation Security Administration 

23 explosive detection canine contracts and reflect the detec24 tion capabilities required to effectively mitigate terrorist 

25 threats. Such standards may be revised by the AdminisVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:49 Dec 12, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4577.IH H4577

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1 trator of the Transportation Security Administration, as 

2 necessary. 

3 SEC. 5. NONAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM4 MITTEE ACT. 

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

6 shall not apply to the working group established under this 

7 Act. 

Æ 


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