WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act to strengthen U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) ability to combat human and drug trafficking at the southern border using new, innovative technology. The bill makes Innovation Teams—the division within CBP created in 2018 to implement new technologies—permanent.
“President Trump secured the southern border in his first 30 days. Let’s secure the border forever by using new technology,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Let’s stop fentanyl from flowing into our country.”
Investments in border security technology will strengthen CBP’s detection and response time to cases of trafficking and illicit border crossings in remote areas.
The Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act will:
- Authorize the CBP Commissioner to maintain one or more CBP Innovation Teams to research and adapt commercial technologies to assist in border security operations and urgent mission needs;
- Require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit a plan to Congress that assesses the performance parameters and security impacts of potential technologies, as well as the deactivation of former CBP technology;
- Require CBP Innovation Teams to make standard operating procedures; and
- Require DHS to submit information to Congress that describes CBP Innovation Team activities and operating procedures.
Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in introducing the bill. A similar version of this legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-08) and Lou Correa (D-CA-46).
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