IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 505 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
FEBRUARY 1, 2017 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs 
AN ACT 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to strengthen 
accountability for deployment of border security tech-
nology at the Department of Homeland 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, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Security Tech-
nology Accountability Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 
2. 
BORDER 
SECURITY 
TECHNOLOGY 
ACCOUNT-
ABILITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of title IV of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 434. BORDER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM 
MANAGEMENT. 
‘‘(a) PLANNING DOCUMENTATION.—For each border 
security technology acquisition program of the Depart-
ment that is determined to be a major acquisition pro-
gram, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) ensure that each such program has a writ-
ten acquisition program baseline approved by the 
relevant acquisition decision authority; 
‘‘(2) document that each such program is meet-
ing cost, schedule, and performance thresholds as 
specified in such baseline, in compliance with rel-
evant departmental acquisition policies and the Fed-
eral Acquisition Regulation; and 
‘‘(3) have a plan for meeting program imple-
mentation objectives by managing contractor per-
formance. 
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‘‘(b) ADHERENCE TO STANDARDS.—The Secretary, 
acting through the Under Secretary for Management and 
the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
shall ensure border security technology acquisition pro-
gram managers who are responsible for carrying out this 
section adhere to relevant internal control standards iden-
tified by the Comptroller General of the United States. 
The Commissioner shall provide information, as needed, 
to assist the Under Secretary in monitoring proper pro-
gram management of border security technology acquisi-
tion programs under this section. 
‘‘(c) PLAN.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with 
the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and the 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of 
independent verification and validation resources, for bor-
der security technology so that new border security tech-
nologies are evaluated through a series of assessments, 
processes, and audits to ensure compliance with relevant 
departmental acquisition policies and the Federal Acquisi-
tion Regulation, as well as the effectiveness of taxpayer 
dollars. 
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‘‘(d) MAJOR ACQUISITION PROGRAM DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘major acquisition program’ means 
a Department acquisition program that is estimated by 
the Secretary to require an eventual total expenditure of 
at least $300,000,000 (based on fiscal year 2017 constant 
dollars) over its life cycle cost.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by in-
serting after the item relating to section 433 the following 
new item: 
‘‘Sec. 434. Border security technology program management.’’. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF 
APPROPRIATIONS. 
No additional funds are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act and the amendments made 
by this Act. This Act and such amendments shall be car-
ried out using amounts otherwise authorized for such pur-
poses. 
Passed the House of Representatives January 31, 
2017. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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