I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5206 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Office of 
Biometric Identity Management, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 7, 2018 
Ms. MCSALLY (for herself, Mr. BACON, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. HIGGINS of 
Louisiana, and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish 
the Office of Biometric Identity Management, 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 ‘‘Office of Biometric 
Identity Management Authorization Act of 2018’’ or the 
‘‘OBIM Authorization Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF BIOMETRIC 
IDENTITY MANAGEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VII of the Homeland Secu-
rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 341 et. seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 710. OFFICE OF BIOMETRIC IDENTITY MANAGEMENT. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Office of Biometric 
Identity Management is established within the Depart-
ment. 
‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Office of Biometric 
Identity Management shall be administered by the 
Director of the Office of Biometric Identity Manage-
ment (in this section referred to as the ‘Director’) 
who shall report to the Secretary, or to another offi-
cial of the Department, as the Secretary may direct. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES.—The Di-
rector shall— 
‘‘(A) have significant professional manage-
ment experience, as well as experience in the 
field of biometrics and identity management; 
‘‘(B) lead the Department’s biometric iden-
tity services to support anti-terrorism, counter- 
terrorism, border security, credentialing, na-
tional security, and public safety; 
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‘‘(H) in collaboration with the Under Sec-
retary for Science and Technology, establish a 
Department-wide research and development 
program to support efforts in assessment, devel-
opment, and exploration of biometric advance-
ments and emerging technologies; 
‘‘(I) oversee Department-wide standards 
for biometric conformity, and work to make 
such standards Government-wide; 
‘‘(J) in coordination with the Department’s 
Office of Policy, and in consultation with rel-
evant component offices and headquarters of-
fices, enter into data sharing agreements with 
appropriate Federal agencies to support immi-
gration, law enforcement, national security, and 
public safety missions; 
‘‘(K) maximize interoperability with other 
Federal, State, local, and international biomet-
ric systems, as appropriate; and 
‘‘(L) carry out the duties and powers pre-
scribed by law or delegated by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) DEPUTY DIRECTOR.—There shall be in the Of-
fice of Biometric Identity Management a Deputy Director, 
who shall assist the Director in the management of the 
Office. 
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‘‘(d) OTHER AUTHORITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director may establish 
such other offices within the Office of Biometric 
Identity Management as the Director determines 
necessary to carry out the missions, duties, func-
tions, and authorities of the Office. 
‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION.—If the Director exercises 
the authority provided by paragraph (1), the Direc-
tor shall notify the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs of the Senate not later than 30 days before ex-
ercising such authority.’’. 
(b) TRANSFER
LIMITATION.—The Secretary of 
Homeland Security may not transfer the location or re-
porting structure of the Office of Biometric Identity Man-
agement (established pursuant to section 710 of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection 
(a) of this section) to any component of the Department 
of Homeland Security. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 
amended by adding after the item relating to section 709 
the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 710. Office of Biometric Identity Management.’’. 
Æ 
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