# 119-s-578: BEST Facilitation Act

119-s-578, BEST Facilitation Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK] (R-OK); status introduced (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-578
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-578
- Congress: 119
- Title: BEST Facilitation Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-13
- Sponsor: Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK] (R-OK)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Immigration
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Image technician pilot program** that would add two new non-law-enforcement image reviewer roles inside U.S. Customs and Border Protection to screen non-intrusive inspection images at ports of entry. It would set up five regional command centers, require specialized training and testing, and include a five-year sunset. - CBP employees: Creates two job classes, Image Technician 1 (IT-1) and Image Technician 2 (IT-2), to be filled by existing CBP staff and assigned to regional command centers. IT-1 focuses on image review and recommending release or further inspection; IT-2 also receives and reports intelligence on tactics used by malign actors. - Ports, travelers, and trade: Image technicians would review images of conveyances, containers, and crossings and make recommendations to Supervisory CBP Officers, who keep final decision authority. CBP must report every 180 days on effects such as throughput, waiting times, and seizures. - Privacy and oversight: Training must cover privacy rights and civil liberties, including First and Fourth Amendment protections, and technicians face annual assessments on accuracy, timeliness, and identifying tactics used at ports of entry.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-02-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX), 2025-02-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-03-25T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Customs image review pilot program: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would create a five-year pilot at U.S. Customs and Border Protection to centralize image review. It would create two federal jobs, Image Technician 1 and Image Technician 2, that must be filled by CBP employees and not contractors. Image technicians would review non-intrusive i…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-s-1816: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-s-1289: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act
- 119-s-1547: America the Beautiful Act

## Sources
- [119-s-578 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/578)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-s-1816: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1816)
- [119-s-1289: 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1289)
- [119-s-1547: America the Beautiful Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1547)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-578 (as of 2026-04-21).