Domestic Explosives Detection Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Domestic Explosives Detection Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Behavioral standards The term behavioral standards (2) Medical standards The term medical standards (3) Technical standards The term technical standards 3. Domestic capacity development (a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, shall establish a working group to determine ways to develop a decentralized domestic canine breeding network to produce high quality explosives detection canines and modernize canine training standards. (b) Working group composition The working group established under subsection (a) shall be comprised of representatives from the following: (1) The Transportation Security Administration. (2) The Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security. (3) National domestic canine associations with expertise in breeding and pedigree. (4) Universities with expertise related to explosives detection canines and canine breeding. (5) Domestic canine breeders and vendors. (c) Chairpersons The Administrator for the Transportation Security Administration shall approve of two individuals from among the representatives of the working group specified in subsection (b) to serve as the Chairpersons of the working group. One such Chairperson shall be from the entities specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of such subsection, and the other such Chairperson shall be from the entities specified in paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of such subsection. (d) Preliminary standards and recommendations Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the working group under subsection (a), such working group shall submit to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration preliminary behavioral standards, medical standards, and technical standards for the domestic canine breeding network and canine training described in such subsection, including recommendations on how the Transportation Security Administration can engage stakeholders to further the development of such network and training. (e) Strategy Not later than 180 days after submission of recommendations to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration under subsection (c), the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a strategy for expanding the domestic canine breeding network described in subsection (a), based on such recommendations. (f) Consultation In developing the strategy required under subsection (e), the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall consult with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security, the Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Director of the United States Secret Service, and the heads of other Department of Homeland Security components determined appropriate by the Administrator to incorporate, to the extent practicable, mission needs across the Department for an expanded domestic explosives detection canine breeding network that can be leveraged to help meet the Department’s operational needs. (g) Sunset The working group established under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is two years after the submission of the strategy required under subsection (e). 4. Acquiring baseline capacity (a) In general Not later than 270 days after the submission of recommendations to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration under section 3, the Administrator shall issue baseline behavioral standards, medical standards, and technical standards for explosives detection canines. (b) Standards The baseline behavioral standards, medical standards, and technical standards referred to in subsection (a) shall be incorporated, as appropriate, into all statements of work for the Transportation Security Administration explosives detection canine contracts and reflect the detection capabilities required to effectively mitigate terrorist threats. Such standards may be revised by the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, as necessary. 5. Nonapplicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the working group established under this Act. 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

Summary: Domestic Explosives Detection Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017 (Sec. 3) This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a working group to determine ways to develop a decentralized domestic canine breeding network to produce high quality explosives detection canines and modernize canine training standards. The working group shall be comprised of representatives from the TSA, the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), national domestic canine associations with expertise in breeding and pedigree, universities with expertise related to explosives detection canines and canine breeding, and domestic canine breeders and vendors. The working group shall submit to the TSA preliminary behavioral standards, medical standards, and technical standards for the domestic canine breeding network and canine training, including recommendations on how the TSA can engage stakeholders to further the development of such network and training. The TSA shall submit a strategy for expanding the network based on such recommendations. The TSA, in developing the strategy, must consult with other DHS officials to incorporate mission needs across DHS for an expanded domestic explosives detection canine breeding network that can be leveraged to help meet DHS's operational needs. The working group shall terminate two years after submitting the strategy. (Sec. 4) The TSA shall issue baseline behavioral standards, medical standards, and technical standards for explosives detection canines. Such standards shall be incorporated into all statements of work for the TSA explosives detection canine contracts and reflect the detection capabilities required to effectively mitigate terrorist threats. (Sec. 5) The requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the working group.