I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5256 
To enhance the overseas operations of the Department of Homeland Security 
aimed at preventing terrorist threats from reaching the United States, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2016 
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi (for himself, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of Cali-
fornia, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. KEATING, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. WATSON 
COLEMAN, and Ms. CLARKE of New York) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addi-
tion to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Agri-
culture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To enhance the overseas operations of the Department of 
Homeland Security aimed at preventing terrorist threats 
from reaching the United States, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Expanding DHS Over-
seas Passenger Security Screening and Vetting Operations 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTA-
TION PLAN FOR DHS OPERATIONS ABROAD. 
(a) STRATEGY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
comprehensive five-year strategy for existing and fu-
ture international programs. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The strategy required under 
paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Specific Department of Homeland Se-
curity strategic risk-based priorities for imple-
menting international programs. 
(B) A risk-based method for determining 
whether to establish new international programs 
or expand existing international programs to 
new locations, given resource constraints. 
(C) A mechanism to ensure alignment of 
resource allocations on international programs 
with the highest Department-wide and Govern-
ment-wide strategic priorities. 
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(D) A common reporting framework for 
the submission of reliable, comparable cost data 
by components of the Department on overseas 
expenditures attributable to international pro-
grams. 
(3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the strat-
egy required under paragraph (1), the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall consider, at a minimum, 
the following: 
(A) Existing operations of international 
programs, together with specific information on 
the locations in which each such program oper-
ates. 
(B) The number of Department personnel 
deployed to each location at which an inter-
national program referred to in subparagraph 
(A) is in operation during the current and pre-
ceding fiscal year. 
(C) Analysis of the impacts of each inter-
national program on domestic operations of 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection or U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as the 
case may be, including staffing levels and the 
availability of resources. 
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(D) Analysis of opportunities and barriers 
to a regional approach and coordination with 
partner governments on international law en-
forcement efforts abroad in line with Depart-
ment-wide and United States Government-wide 
priorities. 
(E) Analysis of barriers to international 
program expansion. 
(F) Relevant Department strategy docu-
ments, including the Quadrennial Homeland Se-
curity Review and component strategies. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION PLANS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall submit to the Committee on Home-
land Security of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate, on an annual basis, an 
implementation plan based on the strategy required 
under subsection (a) for the following fiscal year. 
Each such plan shall be submitted with the Presi-
dent’s budget request for the next fiscal year 
through fiscal year 2022, except that the first such 
plan may be submitted together with the President’s 
budget request for the next fiscal year or 180 days 
after submission of the strategy, whichever is later. 
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(2) CONTENTS.—Each implementation plan re-
quired under paragraph (1) shall include, at a min-
imum, the following: 
(A) Information, specified on a location-by- 
location basis, on each international program, 
including an explanation of program goals and 
requirements. 
(B) Information on planned deployments 
of Department personnel for each international 
program referred to in subparagraph (A), speci-
fied on a location-by-location basis, together 
with an accounting of resource and personnel 
allocation required per program per location. 
(C) A plan to ensure Department per-
sonnel deployed at locations outside the United 
States have appropriate oversight and support 
to ensure performance in support of program 
and departmental goals. 
(D) Mechanisms for cross-component oper-
ations, 
coordination, 
and 
communication 
abroad. 
(3) FORMAT.—The implementation plan re-
quired under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in 
unclassified form but may contain a classified annex 
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if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines 
that such is appropriate. 
SEC. 3. U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION STAFF-
ING EXPANSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection shall— 
(1) by not later than September 30, 2017, in-
crease by 1,000 the number of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection officers and 300 the number of 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture 
Specialists over the number of such officers and 
Specialists, respectively, for fiscal year 2016; and 
(2) by not later than September 30, 2018, in-
crease by 1,000 the number of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection officers and 300 the number of 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture 
Specialists over the number of such officers and 
Specialists, respectively, for fiscal year 2017. 
(b) PERIODIC REPORTING.—The Secretary of Home-
land Security, acting through the Commissioner of U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection, shall provide to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security of the House of Representa-
tives or the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate, upon request by either of 
such committees, information on the status of efforts to 
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implement the requirements of subsection (a), including 
information on any impediments to such implementation. 
SEC. 4. VISA SECURITY PROGRAM EXPANSION. 
(a) DEPLOYMENT PLAN.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a plan for expanding, by not later 
than five years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Visa Security Program in a risk-based manner to not 
fewer than 50 United States diplomatic and consular posts 
that issue visas. Such a plan shall include a prioritized 
list of such visa issuing posts based on the following: 
(1) Risk and volume. 
(2) The number of personnel necessary to oper-
ate each such post. 
(3) The expected costs of establishing and oper-
ating each such post. 
(4) Any potential security concerns regarding 
each such post. 
(b) PERIODIC REPORTING.—The Secretary of Home-
land Security shall provide to the Committee on Homeland 
Security of the House of Representatives or the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
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of the Senate, upon request by either of such committees, 
information on the status of efforts to implement the re-
quirements of subsection (a), including information on any 
impediments to such implementation. 
SEC. 5. PRE-ADJUDICATED THREAT RECOGNITION AND IN-
TELLIGENCE OPERATIONS TEAM (PATRIOT) 
PROGRAM EXPANSION. 
(a) DEPLOYMENT PLAN.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a plan for deploying the Department 
of Homeland Security’s Pre-Adjudicated Threat Recogni-
tion and Intelligence Operations Team (PATRIOT) pro-
gram to not fewer than 50 United States diplomatic and 
consular posts that issue visas, based on risk and volume, 
the minimum number of personnel necessary to operate 
each such post, the estimated costs of establishing and op-
erating each such post, any potential security concerns for 
each such post, and anticipated timelines for deployment. 
Such plan shall include, at a minimum, the locations of 
visa issuing posts to be covered, an accounting of the tech-
nology, infrastructure, and personnel necessary to carry 
out deployment and operation of the PATRIOT program 
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at such posts, and the estimated costs to deploy and oper-
ate such program. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall implement the plan required under sub-
section (a) to ensure the PATRIOT program referred to 
in such subsection is being utilized to vet all visa applica-
tions, to the maximum extent practicable, at each United 
States diplomatic and consular post that issues visas to 
which such program has been expanded. 
(c) PERIODIC REPORTING.—The Secretary of Home-
land Security shall provide to the Committee on Homeland 
Security of the House of Representatives or the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate, upon request by either of such committees, 
information on the status of efforts to implement the re-
quirements of this section, including information on any 
impediments to such implementation. 
SEC. 6. IMMIGRATION COOPERATION PROGRAM AUTHOR-
IZATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle B of title IV of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting 
after section 415 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 416. IMMIGRATION COOPERATION PROGRAM. 
‘‘There is established within U.S. Customs and Bor-
der Protection a program to be known as the ‘Immigration 
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Cooperation Program’. Under such Program, U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection Officers, pursuant to an ar-
rangement with a foreign country, may cooperate with for-
eign authorities, air carriers, and security employees at 
foreign airports to identify persons who may be inadmis-
sible to the United States or otherwise pose a risk to the 
security of the United States.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
415 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 416. Immigration Cooperation Program.’’. 
SEC. 7. INTERNATIONAL TRUSTED TRAVELER PROGRAMS 
MODERNIZATION. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Home-
land Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
plan for expanding participation in trusted traveler pro-
grams administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion. Such plan shall include the following: 
(1) A strategy for increasing outreach to and 
awareness among the members of the traveling pub-
lic regarding trusted traveler programs, require-
ments, and benefits. 
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(2) An analysis of any barriers to expansion of 
trusted traveler programs. 
(3) An assessment of possible impacts on U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection staffing and re-
source requirements as a result of increased partici-
pation in trusted traveler programs. 
(4) An assessment of measures utilized to ad-
dress potential risks or vulnerabilities of trusted 
traveler programs, including resulting from in-
creased enrollment. 
(5) An analysis of the facilitation and security 
benefits from increased participation in trusted trav-
eler programs. 
SEC. 8. SECURITY VETTING FOR NONIMMIGRANT VISAS 
EVALUATION. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a review and submit to the Committee 
on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate a report on the adequacy and 
appropriateness of the security screening process for each 
United States nonimmigrant visa category. Such review 
shall include the processes for determining visa eligibility, 
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including security screening and background checks, and 
coordination among relevant agencies. 
SEC. 9. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘international program’’ means 
an international program or operation of U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection or U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement targeted at vetting and screening persons 
seeking to enter the United States in which Department 
of Homeland Security personnel and resources are de-
ployed abroad. 
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDING. 
There is authorized to be appropriated $250,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2017 and 2018 to carry out this 
Act and the amendment made by this Act. 
Æ 
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