Maritime Border Security Technology Improvement Act

Bill: 117-hr-8056
Sponsor: full_name: Resident Commissioner González-Colón, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large]
Introduced: 2022-06-14
Policy area: Immigration
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigration

Congressional oversight

Department of Homeland Security

Drug trafficking and controlled substances

Emergency medical services and trauma care

First responders and emergency personnel

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government studies and investigations

Human trafficking

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Intergovernmental relations

International organizations and cooperation

Marine and inland water transportation

Natural disasters

Smuggling and trafficking

Technology assessment

Terrorism

Worker safety and health
Latest action: action_date: 2022-06-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-06-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Maritime Border Security Technology Improvement Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to periodically report to Congress a needs analysis for operational and border security technology along the maritime borders of the United States.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8056 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 14, 2022 Miss González-Colón (for herself, Mrs. Murphy of Florida , Mr. Palazzo , and Mr. Waltz ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security A BILL To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to assess technology needs along the maritime border and develop a strategy for bridging such gaps, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Maritime Border Security Technology Improvement Act . 2. Maritime border security technology needs analysis and updates (a) Technology needs analysis Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a technology needs analysis for operational and border security technology along the maritime border. (b) Contents The analysis required under subsection (a) shall include an assessment of— (1) the operational and border security technology needs and gaps along the maritime border— (A) to prevent terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the United States; (B) to combat and reduce criminal activity related to the maritime border, including— (i) the transport of illegal goods, such as illicit drugs; and (ii) human smuggling and human trafficking; (C) to enhance maritime domain awareness; (D) to enhance maritime detection and interdiction capabilities; (E) to enhance presence in the maritime domain; and (F) to facilitate the flow of legal trade across the maritime border; (2) recent technological advancements in— (A) manned aircraft sensor, communication, and common operating picture technology; (B) unmanned aerial systems, sensors, and related technology with maritime surveillance capability, including counter-unmanned aerial system technology; (C) unmanned maritime vessels with surface and subsurface surveillance, detection, and tracking capabilities over a wide area; (D) maritime surveillance and detection sensing capabilities for both emitting and non-emitting threat vessels; (E) coastal radar surveillance systems; (F) nonintrusive inspection technology, including non-X-ray devices and other advanced detection technology; (G) maritime signals intelligence capabilities; and (H) voice and data communications, command and control capabilities, and information management and sharing capabilities; (3) any other technological advancements that the Secretary determines to be critical to the Department’s mission along the maritime border; (4) whether the use of the technological advances described in paragraphs (2) and (3) will— (A) improve maritime border security; (B) improve the capability of the Department to accomplish its mission along the maritime border; (C) reduce operational and security gaps along the maritime border; and (D) enhance the safety of any officer or agent of the Department or any other Federal agency; (5) the Department’s ongoing maritime border security technology development efforts, including efforts by— (A) the U.S. Coast Guard; (B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection; (C) the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department; and (D) the technology assessment office of any other operational component of the Department; (6) any other technological needs or factors, including maritime border security and shoreside infrastructure, that the Secretary determines should be considered; and (7) currently deployed technology or new technology that would improve the Department’s ability— (A) to reasonably achieve operational control and situational awareness along the maritime border; and (B) to collect metrics for securing the maritime border, as required under subsection (d) of section 1092 of division A of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 ( 6 U.S.C. 223 ). (c) Updates (1) In general Not later than two years after the submission of the analysis required under subsection (a) and biannually thereafter for the following four years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an update to such analysis. (2) Contents Each update required under paragraph (1) shall include a plan for utilizing the resources of the Department to satisfy operational and border security technology needs and gaps identified pursuant to subsection (b), including developing or acquiring technologies not currently in use by the Department that would allow the Department to bridge existing operational and border security gaps along the maritime border. (d) Items To be considered In compiling the operational and border security technology needs analysis and updates required under this section, the Secretary shall consider and examine— (1) technology that is deployed and is sufficient for the Department’s use along the maritime border; (2) technology that is deployed, but is insufficient for the Department’s use along the maritime border; (3) technology that is not deployed, but is necessary for the Department’s use along the maritime border; (4) current formal departmental requirements examining maritime border security threats and challenges faced by any component of the Department; (5) trends and forecasts regarding migration and the transport of illegal goods, such as illicit drugs, across the maritime border; (6) the impact on projected staffing and deployment needs for the Department, including staffing needs that may be fulfilled through the use of technology; (7) the needs and challenges faced by employees of the Department who are deployed along the maritime border; (8) the needs to improve cooperation among Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, local, and appropriate international law enforcement entities to enhance security along the maritime border; (9) the impact of any natural disaster or ongoing public health emergency that impacts Department operations along the maritime border; and (10) the ability of, and the needs for, the Department to assist with search and rescue efforts for individuals or groups that may be in physical danger or in need of medical assistance along the maritime border. (e) Classified form To the extent possible, the Secretary shall submit the technology needs analysis and updates required under this section in unclassified form, but may submit such documents, or portions of such documents, in classified form if the Secretary determines such is appropriate. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; (B) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; (C) the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate; and (D) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. (2) Department The term Department means the Department of Homeland Security. (3) Maritime border The term maritime border means— (A) the Great Lakes and the coastal areas of the Southeastern and Southwestern United States, including California, Florida, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Gulf Coast; (B) the maritime approaches to the areas described in subparagraph (A), including, if applicable, the waters extending from the United States territorial sea baseline to the outer edge of the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone; (C) the ports of entry along the areas described in subparagraph (A); and (D) the transit zone. (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Homeland Security. (5) Transit zone The term transit zone has the meaning given such term in section 1092(a)(8) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 ( 6 U.S.C. 223(a)(8) ).