IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4577 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JANUARY 10, 2018 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
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 pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Domestic Explosives 
Detection Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS.—The term ‘‘be-
havioral standards’’ means standards for the evalua-
tion of explosives detection working canines for cer-
tain factors, including canine temperament, work 
drive, suitability for training, environmental factors 
used in evaluations, and canine familiarity with nat-
ural or man-made surfaces or working conditions 
relevant to the canine’s expected work area. 
(2) MEDICAL STANDARDS.—The term ‘‘medical 
standards’’ means standards for the evaluation of 
explosives detection working canines for certain fac-
tors, including canine health, management of hered-
ity health conditions, breeding practices, genetics, 
pedigree, and long-term health tracking. 
(3) TECHNICAL STANDARDS.—The term ‘‘tech-
nical standards’’ means standards for the evaluation 
of explosives detection working canines for certain 
factors, including canine search techniques, handler- 
canine communication, detection testing conditions 
and logistics, and learned explosive odor libraries. 
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SEC. 3. DOMESTIC CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home-
land Security, acting through the Administrator of the 
Transportation Security Administration, shall establish a 
working group to determine ways to develop a decentral-
ized 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 Administra-
tion. 
(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 explo-
sives 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 
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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 RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.—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 Transpor-
tation 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 sub-
mission 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. 
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(f) CONSULTATION.—In developing the strategy re-
quired 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 De-
partment of Homeland Security components determined 
appropriate by the Administrator to incorporate, to the ex-
tent practicable, mission needs across the Department for 
an expanded domestic explosives detection canine breeding 
network that can be leveraged to help meet the Depart-
ment’s operational needs. 
(g) SUNSET.—The working group established under 
subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 2 years 
after the submission of the strategy required under sub-
section (e). 
SEC. 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 stand-
ards, medical standards, and technical standards for ex-
plosives detection canines. 
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(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 Ad-
ministration explosives detection canine contracts and re-
flect the detection capabilities required to effectively miti-
gate terrorist threats. Such standards may be revised by 
the Administrator of the Transportation Security Admin-
istration, as necessary. 
SEC. 5. NONAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT. 
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 
shall not apply to the working group established under this 
Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives January 9, 
2018. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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