CATCH Fentanyl Act

This bill creates a five-year pilot program to test new technology at land border crossings to speed up cargo and vehicle inspections while improving how well dangerous items are found. It directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection to try at least five types of upgrades—using tools like artificial intelligence, machine learning, high‑performance computing, and quantum sensing—alongside existing X‑ray, radiation, and chemical detection systems. The goal is to better catch contraband, illegal drugs (including fentanyl), weapons, human smuggling, and other threats, and to reduce long wait times. The pilot must start within a year of the bill becoming law.

The Department of Homeland Security must protect privacy by following relevant laws, using data anonymization when appropriate, and running regular audits. The program will work with existing CBP programs, may gather input from private companies, and must focus on options that give the best results for the cost. Reports are due three years after the law takes effect and again six months after the pilot ends; these must cover what worked, costs and plans to expand, performance measures like detection rates and throughput, and impacts on privacy and civil rights. No new funding is authorized.

Key points

• Who is affected: People and cargo moving through U.S. land ports of entry; CBP officers who run inspections.
• What changes: Testing advanced tech (e.g., AI and other emerging tools) to improve detection and speed; added privacy safeguards; focus on cost‑effective solutions.
• When: Pilot begins within 1 year of enactment, runs up to 5 years, with required reports during and after.