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119-s-1871119th Congress

Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act

Sponsored By: Senator Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

Introduced

Summary

Directs Customs and Border Protection to identify, pilot, and scale emerging technologies to strengthen border security while evaluating privacy, civil rights, and safety effects. It would require a comprehensive plan, create CBP Innovation Teams, coordinate with DHS research and privacy offices, and set metrics and timelines for moving successful pilots into programs of record.

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  • Families and travelers: Individuals at or near borders would face expanded testing and possible adoption of new surveillance and inspection tools, with required assessments of privacy, civil rights, and safety risks.
  • Border agents and CBP operations: CBP would be authorized to maintain Innovation Teams to pilot commercial and advanced technologies and to create procedures, performance metrics, and transition plans for successful pilots.
  • Tech firms and small businesses: The bill would push coordination and incentives for private sector, small and disadvantaged businesses, universities, and federal labs to develop and adapt privacy-enhancing and other border technologies.
  • Oversight and transparency: CBP must deliver a detailed plan within 180 days and then annual reports to Congress describing piloted technologies, documented capability gaps, costs, and status of transitions to programs of record.
  • Procurement and risk checks: Before large-scale deployment the Secretary must weigh costs and benefits to ensure measurable improvements and require teams to follow DHS rules on procurement and responsible use of artificial intelligence.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Customs and Border Protection innovation teams

If enacted, this bill would allow Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to run one or more Innovation Teams to research and pilot new border technologies. Within 180 days, the Secretary of Homeland Security would have to give Congress a plan on how CBP will find, test, and deploy safe, advanced technologies at borders and ports of entry. The plan must include privacy, civil rights, AI coordination, procurement analysis, cost estimates to replace legacy systems, and metrics for success. Innovation Teams would write operating rules, set costs and timelines, and report annually on technologies tested and which ones will move into regular programs. Before any large-scale rollout, the Secretary would have to consider federal costs and benefits to ensure measurable improvements to border security.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]

NV • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]

    LA • R

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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