[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8275 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8275
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a public
blockchain-based system to securely store and share data related to
border security, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 7, 2024
Ms. Mace (for herself and Mr. Donalds) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a public
blockchain-based system to securely store and share data related to
border security, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Border Security and Blockchain
Technology Act''.
SEC. 2. BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY FOR BORDER APPREHENSIONS.
(a) Implementation.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection shall select a public blockchain platform
that meets the agency's needs and requirements, as set forth in
the agency's budgets for fiscal year 2017-2021.
(2) Smart contracts.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection may develop smart contracts that may be used
to securely store and share data related to border security.
(3) Integration.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection shall integrate existing systems, such as
biometric data and travel documents, with the public blockchain
platform selected under paragraph (1).
(4) Data verification and integrity.--The Commissioner of
U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall utilize blockchain
technology to ensure the integrity and immutability of data
related to border security operations, including biometric
data, visa information, and customs documentation.
(5) Enhanced interoperability.--The Commissioner of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection shall facilitate secure and
efficient data exchange and interoperability between various
Federal and international border control and immigration
agencies, leveraging blockchain's decentralized nature to
enhance collaboration without compromising data security.
(6) Data input.--The platform shall be designed to input
data in real-time from all relevant Federal Government
agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
(7) Applications.--The public blockchain platform shall be
utilized for the following applications to enhance border
security operations:
(A) Documentation verification.--The platform shall
be utilized to securely verify the authenticity of
travel and identity documents in real time, reducing
fraud and streamlining the entry process.
(B) Supply chain security.--The platform shall be
utilized to improve the tracking and management of
goods through customs, enhancing transparency and
efficiency in trade and commerce.
(C) Personnel management.--The platform shall be
utilized to manage border control personnel deployment
and operations securely and efficiently.
(D) Real-time data sharing.--The platform shall be
utilized to enable secure and instant data sharing
among border control agencies, law enforcement, and
other relevant government entities to enhance
situational awareness and response times.
(8) Objectives.--The implementation of the public
blockchain platform aims to achieve the following objectives:
(A) Enhanced security.--The platform shall
trengthen the security of border operations by
leveraging blockchain's immutable and encrypted record-
keeping capabilities.
(B) Improved efficiency.--The platform shall
streamline border control processes through faster
verification procedures and reduced manual data entry.
(C) Increased transparency.--The platform shall
provide a transparent and tamper-proof system for the
management and oversight of border security operations.
(D) Interagency collaboration.--The platform shall
facilitate a higher degree of collaboration and data
sharing among Federal agencies involved in border
security.
(b) Oversight and Evaluation.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection shall establish a system for oversight and evaluation
of the implementation of public blockchain technology in border
security, including the appointment of a project manager, regular
reports to the relevant authorities and an independent evaluation of
the project.
(c) Security.--The platform shall be designed to ensure the
security and confidentiality of sensitive information.
(d) Report to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than six months after the
selection of a public blockchain platform under subsection
(a)(1), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to
Congress a report on the implementation of the platform,
including a description of the platform's capabilities and any
challenges encountered during implementation.
(2) Annual report.--Not later than one year after the
submission of the report required under paragraph (1) and
annually thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
submit to Congress a report on the ongoing operation and
maintenance of the platform.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Blockchain.--The term ``blockchain'' means a
distributed ledger technology that uses cryptography to secure
and validate transactions and data.
(2) Border apprehensions.--The term ``border
apprehensions'' means the arrest and detainment of individuals
by Federal law enforcement officials for immigration violations
at or near the United States border.
(3) Border control agencies.--The term ``border control
agencies'' means U.S. Customs and Border Protection and any
other Government agencies the Secretary of Homeland Security
determines is involved in border security.
(4) Smart contract.--The term ``smart contract'' means a
self-executing contract with the terms of the agreement written
into lines of code.
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