I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6794 

To require the Department of Homeland Security to develop a comprehensive 

plan to identify, deploy, and integrate emerging technologies to achieve 

greater situational awareness along the northern and southern borders 

of the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 18, 2022 

Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. GARBARINO, Mr. TONY

GONZALES of Texas, Ms. STEFANIK, and Mr. TAYLOR) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To require the Department of Homeland Security to develop 

a comprehensive plan to identify, deploy, and integrate 

emerging technologies to achieve greater situational 

awareness along the northern and southern borders of 

the United States. 

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 ‘‘Integrating New Tech5 nologies to Empower Law Enforcement at Our Borders 

6 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Our border security is directly tied to our 

4 national security. 

5 (2) U.S. Customs and Border Protection faces 

6 a daunting challenge in maintaining situational 

7 awareness along the United States northern and 

8 southern borders. 

9 (3) The United States northern border is the 

10 longest common non-militarized border between two 

11 countries. 

12 (4) The United States southern border is nearly 

13 2,000 miles long, stretching across rugged and var14 ied terrain. 

15 (5) Emerging technologies present an oppor16 tunity to reduce current strains on manpower while 

17 improving situational awareness along the northern 

18 and southern borders. 

19 (6) U.S. Customs and Border Protection is cur20 rently testing a number of emerging technology pro21 grams that will help improve situational awareness 

22 along the northern and southern borders. 

23 (7) Successfully integrating these technologies 

24 into a layered border defense requires a strategic 

25 plan for transitioning new programs from the testing 


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1 and development stage to wide-scale implementation 

2 along both the northern and southern borders. 

3 SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ACHIEVE GREATER SIT4 UATIONAL AWARENESS ALONG THE NORTH5 ERN AND SOUTHERN BORDERS OF THE 

6 UNITED STATES. 

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

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home9 land Security shall develop and submit to the Committee 

10 on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives 

11 and the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern12 mental Affairs of the Senate a plan to identify, deploy, 

13 and integrate emerging and advanced technologies, such 

14 as artificial intelligence, machine-learning, automation, 

15 fiber-optic sensing technology, nanotechnology, optical and 

16 cognitive radar, modeling and simulation technology, 

17 hyperspectral and LIDAR sensors, imaging, identification, 

18 and categorization systems, and other similar emerging 

19 and advanced technologies, to achieve greater situational 

20 awareness along the northern and southern borders of the 

21 United States between ports of entry. 

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

23 (a) shall include the following: 

24 (1) An assessment of how U.S. Customs and 

25 Border Protection (CBP) is currently utilizing 


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1 emerging and advanced technologies referred to in 

2 such subsection to achieve situational awareness 

3 along the northern and southern borders of the 

4 United States. 

5 (2) An assessment of how border security capa6 bility gaps can be addressed through the integration 

7 and deployment of such technologies. 

8 (3) Cost estimates for the acquisition and main9 tenance, as the case may be, of technologies referred 

10 to in such subsection. 

11 (4) Metrics to measure how technologies re12 ferred to in such subsection will assist in supporting 

13 CBP’s mission. 

14 (5) An assessment of how metrics referred to in 

15 paragraph (4) can be used to facilitate improve16 ments in situational awareness at the northern and 

17 southern borders of the United States. 

18 (6) An assessment of how the integration of 

19 such technologies will support the improvement of 

20 multi-domain awareness capabilities. 

21 (7) An analysis of technologies used by other 

22 Federal departments and agencies not in use by 

23 CBP that could assist in improving situational 

24 awareness, and how such technologies would be uti25 lized. 


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1 (8) An analysis of authorities CBP can use to 

2 procure technologies referred to in such subsection, 

3 and whether additional or alternative authorities are 

4 needed. 

5 (9) An explanation of how CBP plans to scale 

6 existing programs related to emerging and advanced 

7 technologies and efficiently transition new tech8 nology systems into programs of record. 

9 (10) An assessment of CBP legacy technology 

10 programs that could be phased out and replaced by 

11 technologies referred to in such subsection and cost 

12 estimates relating to phasing out and replacing such 

13 programs. 

14 (11) Information relating to how CBP is coordi15 nating with the Department of Homeland Security’s 

16 Science and Technology Directorate to— 

17 (A) research and develop new technologies 

18 to meet mission needs and address gaps in situ19 ational awareness; and 

20 (B) incentivize the private sector to de21 velop technologies that will help meet mission 

22 needs to address gaps in situational awareness. 

23 (c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘situa24 tional awareness’’ has the meaning given such term in sec25 tion 1092(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act 


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1 for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 6 U.S.C. 

2 223). 

Æ 


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