This bill would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit within 180 days a plan to identify, integrate, and deploy new, emerging technologies that are safe and secure to enhance U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s capabilities along international borders and at ports of entry. The plan would be developed with major DHS partners, including CBP, the Office of Science and Technology, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Office, and other relevant components, to ensure coordinated action.
The plan must spell out how CBP will identify, acquire, test, scale, and deploy technologies, assess existing authorities and what additional authorities may be needed, and consider privacy, civil rights, and safety impacts. It also requires coordination with DHS’s ongoing technology initiatives, private-sector engagement, and mechanisms to transition successful pilots into programs of record.
The bill further authorizes CBP to maintain one or more Innovation Teams to pilot and assess technologies and to report annually on activities, pilots, and status of transition efforts. Before large-scale deployment, a cost-benefit analysis by the Secretary is required to quantify potential improvements in border security.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill requires a DHS-led plan (within 180 days) to identify, integrate, and deploy emerging technologies for CBP, along with a framework for procurement, privacy safeguards, and scaling to programs of record.
Who It Affects
CBP and DHS leadership, the DHS S&T Directorate, Privacy Officer, CIO, and procurement offices, plus private-sector technology vendors, university researchers, and federal labs involved in border tech development.
Why It Matters
Establishes a formal, auditable pathway to evaluate and field advanced border technologies while embedding privacy rights and civil liberties protections and delineating the roles of DHS components and partners.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act would create a formal mandate for DHS to map out and execute a plan to supplement CBP with cutting-edge, safe, and secure technologies for border security and port-of-entry operations. The plan must be completed within 180 days and developed in coordination with CBP and cross-DHS offices, including the S&T Directorate, the Privacy Office, the Chief Information Officer, and the Chief Procurement Officer, among others.
The overarching goal is to identify technologies that can address mission needs and to establish a clear road map for testing, procurement, and scaling into full programs of record.
The plan’s contents are extensive. It requires assessing current CBP technology use and identifying gaps, cataloging technologies used by other federal agencies that could be adopted, analyzing legal authorities for procurement, and determining whether new authorities are needed.
It also calls for a plan to scale existing pilots, describe each technology program’s objectives and timelines, and include privacy, civil rights, and safety impact assessments with corresponding mitigations. Importantly, the bill directs DHS to coordinate with the S&T Directorate to research and develop innovative technologies, consider private-sector and university partnerships, and explore ways to improve collaboration with non-Federal entities.
To operationalize the plan, the bill authorizes one or more CBP Innovation Teams tasked with researching and adapting innovative technologies for border use. These teams must align with DHS procurement policies and AI risk policies, and must address civil rights and privacy considerations.
The bill also requires an annual report detailing operating procedures, pilot descriptions, success determinations, and progress in transitioning technologies to program-of-record status. A cost-benefit review must precede large-scale deployment to ensure measurable gains in border security.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill authorizes CBP to maintain one or more CBP Innovation Teams to research and adapt emerging technologies for border operations.
It requires the plan to identify technologies used by other federal agencies that could be adopted by CBP.
It mandates an assessment of whether CBP needs additional or alternative authorities to procure the technologies.
It calls for planning on scaling successful pilots into programs of record, with cost estimates and timelines.
It requires an annual CBP Innovation Team report detailing pilots, outcomes, and transition status to programs of record.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Short Title
This Act may be cited as the Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act.
Innovative and Emerging Border Technology Plan
Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through CBP and DHS S&T, shall submit a plan for identifying, integrating, and deploying innovative or emerging technologies that are safe and secure to enhance CBP capabilities at borders and ports of entry. The plan must cover the general approach, involved offices, and mechanisms to carry out the purposes described in subsection (a).
CBP Innovation Team Authority
The Commissioner for CBP may maintain one or more CBP Innovation Teams to research and adapt new technologies that are emerging or advanced and may enhance CBP’s mission. Each team must operate under DHS procurement policies, AI risk policies, and must consult with the Privacy Officer and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Office to ensure integrated treatment of privacy and civil liberties concerns.
Cost-Benefit
Before large-scale deployment of any new technology identified in the plan, the Secretary shall conduct a cost-benefit analysis to ensure that deployment will yield quantifiable improvements in border security.
Annual Reporting
Not later than 180 days after enactment and annually thereafter, the CBP Commissioner shall report on the activities of the CBP Innovation Teams, including operating procedures, pilot descriptions, outcomes, and progress toward transitioning successful technologies to programs of record.
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Explore Technology in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- CBP personnel and field operators who gain access to evaluated pilots and improved capabilities
- DHS Science and Technology Directorate benefits from a structured pipeline for research, development, and transition of technologies into programs of record
- Private-sector technology vendors gain access to DHS pilot opportunities and potential scale-up pathways
- Universities and federal laboratories engage through collaboration and sponsorship of research and development
- Border communities benefit indirectly through improved security operations and efficiency
Who Bears the Cost
- Federal budgetary resources required to fund pilots, evaluations, and transition activities
- CBP and DHS procurement and compliance costs associated with new technologies
- Private-sector vendors must invest in procurement readiness, security clearances, and integration
- Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties offices incur oversight costs to assess and mitigate impacts
- Technology developers may bear ongoing costs if pilots fail or require significant adaptation to meet program requirements
Key Issues
The Core Tension
Balancing rapid introduction of cutting-edge border technologies with robust privacy protections and statutory procurement controls; ensuring pilots translate into secure, scaled programs without creating unintended risks or overstepping authority.
The bill creates a structured mechanism for introducing advanced border technologies, but it also raises tensions between rapid innovation and responsible governance. The need to test and scale new tech quickly could pressure CBP to accelerate pilots and deployments.
At the same time, the plan requires careful consideration of privacy, civil rights, and safety impacts, as well as a formal assessment of current authorities and potential new authorities to procure and deploy technologies. Implementation will hinge on effective cross-agency coordination, clear operating procedures for Innovation Teams, and robust metrics to demonstrate tangible security gains.
Unresolved questions include the sufficiency of existing authorities, the specifics of transition pathways to programs of record, and how privacy safeguards will be consistently enforced across pilots.
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