H.R. 1569

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To establish a pilot program to assess the use of technology to speed up and enhance the cargo inspection process at land ports of entry along the border.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · February 25, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Higgins of Louisiana · Committee: Committee on Homeland Security

Table of contents

• H.R. 1569
  • SEC. 1. Short titles
  • SEC. 2. Definitions
  • SEC. 3. Pilot projects allowing additional technology providers to participate in inspecting cars, trucks, and cargo containers at certain ports of entry

SEC. 1. Short titles

• This Act may be cited as the or the .

SEC. 2. Definitions

• In this Act:
  • The term appropriate congressional committees means—
  • The terms and have the meaning given the term in section 238(g) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (; note). artificial intelligence artificial intelligence,AI Public Law 115–232; 10 U.S.C. 4061
  • The term CBP Innovation Team means the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Innovation Team within the Office of the Commissioner.
  • The terms and means technical equipment and machines, such as X-ray or gamma-ray imaging equipment, that allow cargo inspections without the need to open the means of transport and unload the cargo. nonintrusive inspection technology,NII technology
  • The term pilot projects means the projects required under section 3(a) for testing and assessing the use of technologies to improve the inspection process at land ports of entry.

SEC. 3. Pilot projects allowing additional technology providers to participate in inspecting cars, trucks, and cargo containers at certain ports of entry

• (a) Establishment
  • (1) In general
    • Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through CBP Innovation Team, and in coordination with the Office of Field Operations and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, shall begin the implementation of pilot projects for testing and assessing the use of technologies or technology enhancements to improve the process for inspecting, including by increasing efficiencies of such inspections, any conveyance or mode of transportation at land ports of entry along the borders of the United States. The technologies or technology enhancements tested and assessed under the pilot projects shall be for the purpose of assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to detect contraband, illegal drugs, illegal weapons, human smuggling, and threats on inbound and outbound traffic, in conjunction with the use of imaging equipment, radiation portal monitors, and chemical detectors.
  • (2) Requirements
    • (A) In general
      • In implementing the pilot projects at ports of entry, the CBP Innovation Team, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, shall test and collect data regarding not fewer than 5 types of nonintrusive inspection technology enhancements that can be deployed at land ports of entry. The CBP Innovation Team shall test technology enhancements from not fewer than 1 of the following categories:
        • (i) Artificial intelligence.
        • (ii) Machine learning.
        • (iii) High-performance computing.
        • (iv) Quantum information sciences, including quantum sensing.
        • (v) Other emerging technologies.
    • (B) Identification of effective enhancements
      • The pilot projects shall identify the most effective types of technology enhancements to improve the capabilities of nonintrusive inspection systems and other inspection systems used at land ports of entry based on—
        • (i) the technology enhancement's ability to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection accurately detect contraband, illegal drugs, illegal weapons, human smuggling, or threats in inbound and outbound traffic;
        • (ii) the technology enhancement's ability to increase efficiencies of inspections to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection address long wait times;
        • (iii) the technology enhancement's ability to improve capabilities of aging detection equipment and infrastructure at land ports of entry;
        • (iv) the technology enhancement’s safety relative to As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) standard practices;
        • (v) the ability to integrate the new technology into the existing workflow and infrastructure;
        • (vi) the technology enhancement’s ability to incorporate automatic threat recognition technology using standard formats and open architecture;