Title: Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program Authorization Act of 2019
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program Authorization Act of 2019
This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP). That program was established to address and reduce national security, border security, and terrorist threats before such threats reach the international border of the United States.
Before carrying out BITMAP operations in a foreign country, DHS must enter into an agreement with the government of such country that sets forth program goals for such country and must provide the congressional homeland security committees with a copy of the agreement.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3377 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3377

    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the 
     Department of Homeland Security the Biometric Identification 
     Transnational Migration Alert Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 20, 2019

 Mr. McCaul (for himself, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, and Mr. 
   Keating) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the 
     Department of Homeland Security the Biometric Identification 
     Transnational Migration Alert Program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Biometric Identification 
Transnational Migration Alert Program Authorization Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATION ALERT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title IV of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

``SEC. 447. BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION TRANSNATIONAL MIGRATION ALERT 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department a 
program to be known as the `Biometric Identification Transnational 
Migration Alert Program' (referred to in this section as `BITMAP') to 
address and reduce national security, border security, and terrorist 
threats before such threats reach the international border of the 
United States.
    ``(b) Duties.--In carrying out BITMAP operations, the Secretary, 
acting through the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement, shall--
            ``(1) coordinate, in consultation with the Secretary of 
        State, appropriate representatives of foreign governments, and 
        the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, to 
        facilitate the voluntary sharing of biometric and biographic 
        information collected from foreign nationals for the purpose of 
        identifying and screening such nationals to identify those 
        nationals who may pose a terrorist threat or a threat to 
        national security or border security;
            ``(2) provide capabilities, including training and 
        equipment, to partner countries to voluntarily collect 
        biometric and biographic identification data from individuals 
        to identify, prevent, detect, and interdict high risk 
        individuals identified as national security, border security, 
        or terrorist threats who may attempt to enter the United States 
        utilizing illicit pathways;
            ``(3) provide capabilities, including training and 
        equipment, to partner countries to compare foreign data against 
        appropriate United States national security, border security, 
        terrorist, immigration, and counter-terrorism data, including--
                    ``(A) the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 
                Terrorist Screening Database, or successor database;
                    ``(B) the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Next 
                Generation Identification database, or successor 
                database;
                    ``(C) the Department of Defense Automated Biometric 
                Identification System (commonly known as `ABIS'), or 
                successor database;
                    ``(D) the Department's Automated Biometric 
                Identification System (commonly known as `IDENT'), or 
                successor database; and
                    ``(E) any other database, notice, or means that the 
                Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other 
                Federal departments and agencies responsible for such 
                databases, notices, or means, designates;
            ``(4) provide partner countries with training, guidance, 
        and best practices recommendations regarding the enrollment of 
        individuals in BITMAP; and
            ``(5) ensure biometric and biographic identification data 
        collected pursuant to BITMAP are incorporated into appropriate 
        United States Government databases, in compliance with the 
        policies and procedures established by the Privacy Officer 
        appointed under section 222.
    ``(c) Collaboration.--The Secretary shall ensure that BITMAP 
operations include participation from relevant components of the 
Department, and request participation from other Federal agencies, as 
appropriate. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary 
may enter into agreements related to such participation on a 
reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis, as appropriate.
    ``(d) Agreements.--Before carrying out BITMAP operations in a 
foreign country that, as of the date of the enactment of this section, 
was not a partner country described in this section, the Secretary, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, shall enter into agreement or 
arrangement with the government of such country that sets forth program 
goals for such country, includes training, guidance, and best practices 
recommendations regarding the enrollment of individuals in BITMAP, and 
outlines such operations in such country, including related 
departmental operations. Such country shall be a partner country 
described in this section pursuant to and for purposes of such 
agreement or arrangement.
    ``(e) Notification to Congress.--Not later than 60 days before an 
agreement or arrangement with the government of a foreign country to 
carry out BITMAP operations in such foreign country enters into force, 
the Secretary shall provide the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate with a copy of such agreement or 
arrangement to establish such operations, including the following:
            ``(1) The identification of the foreign country with which 
        the Secretary intends to enter into such an agreement or 
        arrangement.
            ``(2) The location at which such operations will be 
        conducted.
            ``(3) Goals for BITMAP operations in the foreign country.
            ``(4) The terms and conditions for Department personnel 
        operating at such location.
    ``(f) Captured Information of United States Citizens.--The 
Secretary shall ensure that any biometric and biographic identification 
data of United States citizens that is captured by BITMAP operations is 
expunged from all databases to which such data was uploaded, unless 
such data is retained for specific law enforcement or intelligence 
purposes.''.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the 
Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) 
is established under section 447 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(as added by subsection (a) of this section) and annually thereafter 
for the following five years, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a report that--
            (1) outlines the strategic goals and operational plans for 
        BITMAP;
            (2) outlines key efforts and the progress made with each 
        partner country;
            (3) provides a description of the agreement or arrangement 
        with the government of each partner country, if practicable;
            (4) provides budget information related to expenditures in 
        support of BITMAP, including the source of funding and 
        anticipated expenditures;
            (5) sets forth Department of Homeland Security personnel, 
        equipment, and infrastructure support to be used by BITMAP, 
        broken down by country and number;
            (6) includes the number of individuals each partner country 
        enrolled into BITMAP during the reporting period, broken down 
        by key categories, as determined by U.S. Immigration and 
        Customs Enforcement;
            (7) includes the training, guidance, and best practices 
        recommendations provided pursuant to subsection (b)(4) of such 
        section 447;
            (8) includes a review of the redress process for BITMAP; 
        and
            (9) details the effectiveness of BITMAP operations in 
        enhancing national security, border security, and 
        counterterrorism operations.
    (c) Briefings.--Not later than 30 days after each report is 
submitted pursuant to subsection (b), the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall brief the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland 
Security of the House of Representatives regarding--
            (1) individuals enrolled in BITMAP who have been 
        apprehended at the United States border or in the interior of 
        the United States; and
            (2) asylum claims that were submitted by individuals who 
        are enrolled in BITMAP.
    (d) GAO Audit.--Not later than six months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and every three years thereafter, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall--
            (1) conduct an audit that analyzes the effectiveness of 
        BITMAP operations; and
            (2) submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
        Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a report 
        containing the results of such audit.
    (e) Sunset.--Section 447 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as 
added by subsection (a), shall be repealed on the date that is six 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (f) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 446 the following new item:

``Sec. 447. Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert 
                            Program.''.
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