I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5273 
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to increase 
to 100 percent the rates of scanning of commercial and passenger vehi-
cles entering the United States at land ports of entry along the border 
using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems to enhance border secu-
rity, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 26, 2019 
Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico (for herself and Mr. CRENSHAW) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Home-
land Security 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop 
a plan to increase to 100 percent the rates of scanning 
of commercial and passenger vehicles entering the United 
States at land ports of entry along the border using 
large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems to enhance 
border security, 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 ‘‘Securing America’s 
Ports Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. LARGE-SCALE NON-INTRUSIVE INSPECTION SCAN-
NING PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home-
land Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 
Security of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate a plan to increase to 100 percent the rates 
of scanning of commercial and passenger vehicles entering 
the United States at land ports of entry along the border 
using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems to en-
hance border security. 
(b) BASELINE INFORMATION.—At a minimum, the 
plan required under subsection (a) shall include the fol-
lowing information regarding large-scale non-intrusive in-
spection systems operated by U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection at land ports of entry in fiscal year 2019: 
(1) An inventory of large-scale non-intrusive in-
spection systems in use at land ports of entry. 
(2) For each system identified in the inventory 
required under paragraph (1), the following informa-
tion: 
(A) The scanning technology of such sys-
tem. 
(B) The location of such system at the 
land port of entry that specifies whether in use 
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in pre-primary, primary, or secondary inspec-
tion area, or some combination thereof. 
(C) The percentage of commercial and pas-
senger vehicles scanned by such system. 
(D) Seizure data related to scanned com-
mercial and passenger vehicles. 
(3) The total number of commercial and pas-
senger vehicles entering at the land port of entry 
where each system is in use, and information on av-
erage wait times at peak and non-peak travel times, 
by lane type if applicable. 
(c) ELEMENTS.—The plan required under subsection 
(a) shall include the following information: 
(1) Benchmarks for achieving incremental 
progress towards 100 percent scanning with cor-
responding projected incremental improvements in 
scanning rates by fiscal year and rationales for the 
specified timeframes for each land port of entry. 
(2) Estimated costs, together with an acquisi-
tion plan, for achieving the 100 percent scanning 
rate within the timeframes specified in paragraph 
(1), including total acquisition, operations, and 
maintenance costs for large-scale non-intrusive in-
spection systems, as well as associated costs for any 
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necessary infrastructure enhancements or configura-
tion changes at each port of entry. 
(3) Any anticipated impacts, as identified by 
the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Pro-
tection, on the total number of commercial and pas-
senger vehicles entering at land ports of entry where 
such systems are in use, and average wait times at 
peak and non-peak travel times, by lane type if ap-
plicable, as scanning rates are increased. 
(4) Any anticipated impacts, as identified by 
the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Pro-
tection, on land ports of entry border security oper-
ations as a result of implementation actions, includ-
ing any changes to the number of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection officers or their duties and as-
signments. 
(d) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—In furtherance 
of the plan required under subsection (a), the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall carry out a one-year pilot pro-
gram to research and develop technology enhancements 
and refinements to the operational configuration of pre- 
primary, primary, and secondary inspection areas of land 
ports of entry. Such pilot program shall include consider-
ation of large-scale emerging non-intrusive inspection sys-
tems and modeling the use of such systems that takes into 
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account the variations in infrastructure, configurations, 
and sizes of land ports of entry. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than one year after 
the submission of the plan required under subsection (a) 
and annually thereafter until such time as U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection has achieved 100 percent scanning 
of commercial and passenger vehicles entering the United 
States at land ports of entry along the border using large- 
scale non-intrusive inspection systems in accordance with 
such plan, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall re-
port to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate on progress 
implementing the plan. Each such report at a minimum 
shall include the following information: 
(1) An inventory of large-scale non-intrusive in-
spection systems operated by U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection at land ports of entry. 
(2) For each system identified in the inventory 
required under paragraph (1), the following informa-
tion: 
(A) The scanning technology of such sys-
tem. 
(B) The location of such system at the 
land port of entry that specifies whether in use 
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in pre-primary, primary, or secondary inspec-
tion area, or some combination thereof. 
(C) The percentage of commercial and pas-
senger vehicles scanned by the system. 
(D) Seizure data related to scanned com-
mercial and passenger vehicles. 
(3) The total number of commercial and pas-
senger vehicles entering at the land port of entry 
where each system is in use, and information on av-
erage wait times at peak and non-peak travel times, 
by lane type if applicable. 
(4) Progress with respect to the benchmarks 
specified in subsection (c)(1), and an explanation if 
any of such benchmarks are not achieved as 
planned. 
(5) A comparison of actual costs (including in-
formation on any awards of associated contracts) to 
estimated costs set forth in subsection (c)(2). 
(6) Any realized impacts, as identified by the 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion, on land ports of entry operations as a result of 
implementation actions, including any changes to the 
number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection offi-
cers or their duties and assignments. 
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(7) Any proposed changes to the plan and an 
explanation for such changes, including changes 
made in response to any Department of Homeland 
Security research and development findings, includ-
ing findings resulting from the pilot program under 
subsection 
(d), 
or 
changes 
in 
terrorist 
or 
transnational criminal organizations tactics, tech-
niques, or procedures. 
(8) Any challenges to implementing the plan or 
meeting the benchmarks, and plans to mitigate any 
such challenges. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) LARGE-SCALE NON-INTRUSIVE INSPECTION 
SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘large-scale non-intrusive in-
spection system’’ means a technology, including x- 
ray and gamma-ray imaging systems, capable of 
scanning an entire commercial or passenger vehicle 
in one pass to provide an image of the presence of 
any contraband. 
(2) SCANNING.—The term ‘‘scanning’’ means a 
non-physical inspection of a commercial or passenger 
vehicle by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection of-
ficer in which images are generated of the contents 
of the vehicle through a technology, including x-ray 
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and gamma-ray imaging systems, for analysis by 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 
Æ 
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