House Passes Luttrell, Correa Bipartisan Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act to Enhance National Security

Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) and Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA), members of the House Committee on Homeland Security, announced that their bill, the Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act, passed the House with strong bipartisan support.

This bipartisan bill strengthens border security by requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit a plan to Congress on integrating cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and nanotechnology at the border. It passed the House last year with unanimous, bipartisan support.

The bill introduction followed DHS’ announcement of its “Artificial Intelligence Roadmap” last year. The roadmap details DHS’s 2024 plans, including to test uses of the technologies that deliver meaningful benefits to the American public and advance homeland security, while ensuring that individuals’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties are protected.

"Securing our border requires more than just manpower -- it requires cutting-edge technology that gives our agents the tools they need to stay ahead of the threats we face. This bill passing the House with strong bipartisan support shows that securing our border isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a national security priority,” said Congressman Luttrell. “I’m proud to work alongside Congressman Correa to find solutions to enhance the safety of Americans. Now, it’s time for the Senate to take this up and send it on to President Trump to be signed into law.”

“Border security means keeping drugs and other negative elements away from our communities, as well as utilizing cutting-edge technology that is already available to maintain trade and commerce and give our hard-working officers the tools they need to keep us safe,” Congressman Correa said. “With this bipartisan effort, Congress will better-understand how our officers can use new technology to stop the fentanyl trade. I look forward to seeing this legislation pass the United States Senate and make its way to President Trump’s desk.”

Specifically, the Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act would: 

• Require the Secretary of Homeland Security, within 180 days, to submit a comprehensive plan to Congress to identify, integrate, and deploy new, innovative, disruptive, or other emerging technologies into border security operations. 
• Authorize one or more Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Innovation Teams to research and adapt commercial technologies that are new, innovative, or disruptive into border security operations to address both capability gaps and urgent mission needs and assess their potential outcomes.
• Require each CBP Innovation Team to have both operating procedures that clarify roles and responsibilities within such team with respect to DHS and non-Federal partners as well as protocols for entering agreements to rapidly transition technologies into new or existing programs of record.