I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3586 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve border and mari-
time security coordination in the Department of Homeland Security, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2015 
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan (for herself and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, 
and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve 
border and maritime security coordination in the Depart-
ment 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, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border and Maritime 
Coordination Improvement Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. BORDER AND MARITIME SECURITY EFFICIENCIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle B of title IV of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sec-
tions: 
‘‘SEC. 420. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF BIOMETRIC 
IDENTITY MANAGEMENT. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the Department an agency to be known as the Office of 
Biometric Identity Management. 
‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There shall be at the head 
of the Office of Biometric Identity Management a 
Director of the Office of Biometric Identity Manage-
ment (in this section referred to as the ‘Director’). 
‘‘(2) QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES.—The Di-
rector shall— 
‘‘(A) have a minimum of five years profes-
sional management experience; 
‘‘(B) lead the Department’s biometric iden-
tity services to support anti-terrorism, counter- 
terrorism, border security, national security, 
and public safety and enable operational mis-
sions across the Department by matching, stor-
ing, sharing, and analyzing biometric data; 
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‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Chief Technology Officer 
shall— 
‘‘(A) ensure compliance with policies, proc-
esses, standards, guidelines, and procedures re-
lated to information technology systems man-
agement, enterprise architecture, and data 
management; 
‘‘(B) provide engineering and enterprise 
architecture guidance and direction to the Of-
fice of Biometric Identity Management; and 
‘‘(C) leverage emerging biometric tech-
nologies to recommend improvements to major 
enterprise applications, identify tools to opti-
mize information technology systems perform-
ance, and develop and promote joint technology 
solutions to improve services to enhance mission 
effectiveness. 
‘‘(e) PRIVACY OFFICER.—There shall be in the Office 
of Biometric Identity Management a Privacy Officer who 
shall ensure privacy protections and transparency in all 
Office activities, and conduct reviews of data sharing with 
external partners to ensure compliance with legal, policy, 
and privacy restrictions. 
‘‘(f) OTHER AUTHORITIES.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director may establish 
such other Division Directors, agents, officers, and 
other offices of the Office of Biometric Identity 
Management as the Director determines necessary 
to carry out the missions, duties, functions, and au-
thorities of the Office. 
‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION.—If the Director exercises 
the authority provided pursuant to paragraph (1), 
the Director shall notify the Committee on Home-
land Security of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate not later than 30 days 
before exercising such authority. 
‘‘SEC. 420A. BORDER SECURITY JOINT TASK FORCES. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary may establish 
and operate the following departmental Joint Task Forces 
(in this section referred to as ‘Joint Task Force’) to con-
duct joint operations using Department component and of-
fice personnel and capabilities to secure the international 
borders of the United States: 
‘‘(1) JOINT
TASK
FORCE–EAST.—Joint Task 
Force–East shall, at the direction of the Secretary 
and in coordination with Joint Task Force–West, 
create and execute a strategic plan to secure the 
land and maritime borders of the United States and 
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shall operate and be located in a place or region de-
termined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) JOINT
TASK
FORCE–WEST.—Joint Task 
Force–West shall, at the direction of the Secretary 
and in coordination with Joint Task Force–East, 
create and execute a strategic plan to secure the 
land and maritime borders of the United States and 
shall operate and be located in a place or region de-
termined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) JOINT
TASK
FORCE–INVESTIGATION.— 
Joint Task Force–Investigation shall, at the direc-
tion of the Secretary, be responsible for coordinating 
criminal 
investigations 
supporting 
Joint 
Task 
Force–West and Joint Task Force–East. 
‘‘(b) JOINT TASK FORCE DIRECTORS.—The Sec-
retary shall appoint a Director to head each Joint Task 
Force. Each Director shall be senior official selected from 
a relevant component or office of the Department, rotating 
between relevant components and offices every two years. 
The Secretary may extend the appointment of a Director 
for up to two additional years, if the Secretary determines 
that such an extension is in the best interest of the De-
partment. 
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‘‘(c) INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—The Secretary shall 
make the following appointments to the following Joint 
Task Forces: 
‘‘(1) The initial Director of Joint Task Force– 
East shall be a senior officer of the Coast Guard. 
‘‘(2) The initial Director of Joint Task Force– 
West shall be a senior official of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection. 
‘‘(3) The initial Director of Joint Task Force– 
Investigation shall be a senior official of U.S. Immi-
gration and Customs Enforcement. 
‘‘(d) JOINT TASK FORCE DEPUTY DIRECTORS.—The 
Secretary shall appoint two Deputy Directors for each 
Joint Task Force. The Deputy Directors of a Joint Task 
Force shall be officials of a different component or office 
than the Director of each Joint Task Force. 
‘‘(e) RESPONSIBILITIES.—Each Joint Task Force Di-
rector shall— 
‘‘(1) identify and prioritize border and maritime 
security threats to the homeland; 
‘‘(2) maintain situational awareness within 
their areas of responsibility, as determined by the 
Secretary; 
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‘‘(3) provide operational plans and requirements 
for standard operating procedures and contingency 
operations; 
‘‘(4) plan and execute Joint Task Force activi-
ties within their areas of responsibility, as deter-
mined by the Secretary; 
‘‘(5) set and accomplish strategic objectives 
through integrated operational planning and execu-
tion; 
‘‘(6) exercise operational direction over per-
sonnel and equipment from Department components 
and offices allocated to the respective Joint Task 
Force to accomplish task force objectives; 
‘‘(7) establish operational and investigative pri-
orities within the Director’s operating areas; 
‘‘(8) coordinate with foreign governments and 
other Federal, State, and local agencies, where ap-
propriate, to carry out the mission of the Director’s 
Joint Task Force; 
‘‘(9) identify and provide to the Secretary the 
joint mission requirements necessary to execute the 
strategic plan to secure the land and maritime bor-
ders of the United States referred to in subsection 
(a); and 
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‘‘(10) carry out other duties and powers the 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
‘‘(f) PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES OF JOINT TASK 
FORCES.—The heads of components and offices of the De-
partment shall, upon request of the Director of a Joint 
Task Force, provide personnel and equipment to the re-
questing Joint Task Force on a temporary basis, if doing 
so does not affect the capability of such component or of-
fice to conduct its primary missions. 
‘‘(g) COMPONENT RESOURCE AUTHORITY.—As di-
rected by the Secretary— 
‘‘(1) each Director of a Joint Task Force shall 
be provided sufficient resources from relevant com-
ponents and offices of the Department and the au-
thority necessary to carry out the missions and re-
sponsibilities required under this section; 
‘‘(2) the resources referred to in paragraph (1) 
shall be under the operational authority, direction, 
and control of the Director of the Joint Task Force 
to which such resources were assigned; and 
‘‘(3) the personnel and equipment of the Joint 
Task Forces shall remain under the administrative 
direction of its primary component or office. 
‘‘(h) JOINT TASK FORCE STAFF.—Each Joint Task 
Force shall have a staff to assist the Directors in carrying 
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