Amendments to the Border Security for America Act that include provisions to conduct thorough threat assessments, equip front-line agents with the latest technology and ensure accountability from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were recently passed by the House Homeland Security Committee.
The additions were part of three separate bills authored by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) that were ultimately incorporated into the committee’s final border security act, which was passed last week.
One bill, the Border Security Technology Accountability Act, aims to improve the management and accountability of new border technology projects and increase transparency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Specifically, the act requires DHS to implement Acquisition Program Baselines prior to moving to the next phase of the acquisition cycle and to submit a testing and evaluation plan for new border security technologies.
Originally introduced in July 2017, McSally’s Southwest Border Security Threat Assessment Act requires DHS to conduct a full assessment of the threats coming across the southern U.S. border.
The last bill seeks to address critical staffing shortages along the border by giving CBP the discretionary ability to expedite their hiring process for well-qualified applicants who have already taken a polygraph examination within the last three years.
A number of border-related amendments were also included in the final committee bill, including one to provide front-line agents with new technology and training needed to succeed in the field and another that clarifies that CBP is not exempt from requests through the Freedom of Information Act.
“As one of only nine members of Congress who represent communities along our southern border, I have witnessed first-hand the security threats we face from transnational criminal organizations,” McSally said. “Southern Arizonans want smart solutions to border security that make the best use of their tax dollars. That’s what this bill does.”