,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dbbd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #bj1 #bjbj,ms4 ,sinema 7for herself and ,mr4 ,cornyn7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security to assess technology needs along the ,southern border and develop a strategy for bridging such gaps4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,southwest ,border ,security ,technology ,improvement ,act of #bjbj4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,department ,the term ,department means the ,department of ,homeland ,security4 7#c7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security4 7#d7 ,southwest border ,the term ,southwest border means the international land border between the ,united ,states and ,mexico1 including the ports of entry along such border4 #c4 ,southern border technology needs analysis and updates 7a7 ,technology needs analysis ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit1 to the appropriate congressional committees1 a technology needs analysis for border security technology along the ,southwest border4 7b7 ,contents ,the analysis required under subsection 7a7 shall include an assessment of-- 7#a7 the technology needs and gaps along the ,southwest border-- 7,a7 to prevent terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the ,united ,states2 7,b7 to combat and reduce cross-border criminal activity1 including1 but not limited to-- 7i7 the transport of illegal goods1 such as illicit drugs2 and 7ii7 human smuggling and human trafficking2 and 7,c7 to facilitate the flow of legal trade across the ,southwest border2 7#b7 recent technological advancements in-- 7,a7 manned aircraft sensor1 communication1 and common operating picture technology2 7,b7 unmanned aerial systems and related technology1 including counter-unmanned aerial system technology2 7,c7 surveillance technology1 including-- 7i7 mobile surveillance vehicles2 7ii7 associated electronics1 including cameras1 sensor technology1 and radar2 7iii7 tower-based surveillance technology2 7iv7 advanced unattended surveillance sensors2 and 7v7 deployable1 lighter-than-air1 ground surveillance equipment2 7,d7 nonintrusive inspection technology1 including non-,x-ray devices utilizing muon tomography and other advanced detection technology2 7,e7 tunnel detection technology2 and 7,f7 communications equipment1 including-- 7i7 radios2 7ii7 long-term evolution broadband2 and 7iii7 miniature satellites2 7#c7 any other technological advancements that the ,secretary determines to be critical to the ,department's mission along the ,southwest border2 7#d7 whether the use of the technological advances described in paragraphs 7#b7 and 7#c7 will-- 7,a7 improve border security2 7,b7 improve the capability of the ,department to accomplish its mission along the ,southwest border2 7,c7 reduce technology gaps along the ,southwest border2 and 7,d7 enhance the safety of any officer or agent of the ,department or any other ,federal agency2 7#e7 the ,department's ongoing border security technology development efforts1 including efforts by-- 7,a7 ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection2 7,b7 the ,science and ,technology ,directorate2 and 7,c7 the technology assessment office of any other operational component2 7#f7 the technology needs for improving border security1 such as-- 7,a7 information technology or other computer or computing systems data capture2 7,b7 biometrics2 7,c7 cloud storage2 and 7,d7 intelligence data sharing capabilities among agencies within the ,department2 7#g7 any other technological needs or factors1 including border security infrastructure1 such as physical barriers or dual-purpose infrastructure1 that the ,secretary determines should be considered2 and 7#h7 currently deployed technology or new technology that would improve the ,department's ability-- 7,a7 to reasonably achieve operational control and situational awareness along the ,southwest border2 and 7,b7 to collect metrics for securing the border at and between ports of entry1 as required under subsections 7b7 and 7c7 of section #ajib of division ,a of the ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjag 7#f ,u4,s4,c4 #bbc74 7c7 ,updates 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the submission of the analysis required under subsection 7a71 and annually for the following #d years1 the ,secretary shall submit an update to such analysis to the appropriate congressional committees4 7#b7 ,contents ,each update required under paragraph 7#a7 shall include a plan for utilizing the resources of the ,department to meet the border security technology needs and gaps identified pursuant to subsection 7b71 including developing or acquiring technologies not currently in use by the ,department that would allow the ,department to bridge existing border technology gaps along the ,southwest border4 7d7 ,items ,to be considered ,in compiling the technology needs analysis and updates required under this section1 the ,secretary shall consider and examine-- 7#a7 technology that is deployed and is sufficient for the ,department's use along the ,southwest border2 7#b7 technology that is deployed1 but is insufficient for the ,department's use along the ,southwest border2 and 7#c7 technology that is not deployed1 but is necessary for the ,department's use along the ,southwest border2 7#d7 current formal departmental requirements documentation examining current border security threats and challenges faced by any component of the ,department2 7#e7 trends and forecasts regarding migration across the ,southwest border2 7#f7 the impact on projected staffing and deployment needs for the ,department1 including staffing needs that may be fulfilled through the use of technology2 7#g7 the needs and challenges faced by employees of the ,department who are deployed along the ,southwest border2 7#h7 the need to improve cooperation among ,federal1 ,state1 tribal1 local1 and ,mexican law enforcement entities to enhance security along the ,southwest border2 7#i7 the privacy implications of existing technology and the acquisition and deployment of new technologies and supporting infrastructure1 with an emphasis on how privacy risks might be mitigated through the use of technology1 training1 and policy2 7#aj7 the impact of any ongoing public health emergency that impacts the ,southwest border2 and 7#aa7 the ability of1 and the needs for1 the ,department to assist with search and rescue efforts for individuals or groups that may be in physical danger or in need of medical assistance4 7e7 ,classified form ,to the extent possible1 the ,secretary shall submit the technology needs analysis and updates required under this section in unclassified form1 but may submit such documents1 or portions of such documents1 in classified form if the ,secretary determines that such action is appropriate4