116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5273 
AN ACT 
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’’. 
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 expeditious 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 or similar technology to enhance 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 or similar technology operated by U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection at land ports of entry as 
of the date of the enactment of this Act:
(1) An inventory of large-scale non-intrusive in-
spection systems or similar technology in use at each 
land port of entry. 
(2) For each system or technology identified in 
the inventory required under paragraph (1), the fol-
lowing information: 
(A) The scanning method of such system 
or technology. 
(B) The location of such system or tech-
nology at each land port of entry that specifies 
whether in use in pre-primary, primary, or sec-
ondary inspection area, or some combination 
thereof. 
(C) The percentage of commercial and pas-
senger vehicles scanned by such system or tech-
nology. 
(D) Seizure data directly attributed to 
scanned commercial and passenger vehicles. 
(c) ELEMENTS.—The plan required under subsection 
(a) shall include the following information: 
(1) Benchmarks for achieving incremental 
progress towards 100 percent expeditious scanning 
of commercial and passenger vehicles entering the 
United States at land ports of entry along the bor-
der with corresponding projected incremental im-
provements in scanning rates by fiscal year and ra-
tionales for the specified timeframes for each land 
port of entry. 
(2) Estimated costs, together with an acquisi-
tion plan, for achieving the 100 expeditious percent 
scanning rate within the timeframes specified in 
paragraph (1), including acquisition, operations, and 
maintenance costs for large-scale non-intrusive in-
spection systems or similar technology, as well as as-
sociated costs for any necessary infrastructure en-
hancements or configuration changes at each port of 
entry. To the extent practicable, such acquisition 
plan shall promote opportunities for entities that 
qualify as small business concerns (as such term is 
described under section 3 of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 632). 
(3) Any projected impacts, as identified by the 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion, 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 projected impacts, as identified by the 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion, 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, acting through the Under Sec-
retary for Science and Technology, shall conduct research 
and development, in coordination with the Commissioner 
of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to enhance large- 
scale non-intrusive inspections systems or similar tech-
nology and refine the operational use or configuration of 
such systems or technology in pre-primary, primary, and 
secondary inspection areas of land ports of entry. Such 
research and development shall include consideration of 
emerging large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems or 
similar technology and modeling the use of such systems 
or technology that takes into account the variations in in-
frastructure, configurations, and sizes of land ports of 
entry. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 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 expedi-
(C) The percentage of commercial and pas-
senger vehicles scanned by such system or tech-
nology. 
(D) Seizure data directly attributed to 
scanned commercial and passenger vehicles. 
(3) The total number of commercial and pas-
senger vehicles entering at each land port of entry 
where each system or technology is in use, and infor-
mation on average 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. 
(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 research and develop-
ment conducted pursuant to subsection (d), or 
changes in terrorist or transnational criminal organi-
zations tactics, techniques, 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 pro-
ducing an image of the contents of a commercial or 
passenger vehicle in one pass of such vehicle. 
(2) SCANNING.—The term ‘‘scanning’’ means 
utilizing technology to produce an image of the con-
tents of a commercial or passenger vehicle without 
engaging in a physical inspection of such vehicle. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 10, 
2020. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5273 
AN ACT 
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.