[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2065 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2065
To improve border security through regular assessments and evaluations
of the Checkpoint Program Management Office and effective training of
U.S. Border Patrol agents regarding drug seizures.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 12, 2025
Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself and Mr. Gallego) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve border security through regular assessments and evaluations
of the Checkpoint Program Management Office and effective training of
U.S. Border Patrol agents regarding drug seizures.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLES.
This Act may be cited as the ``Continuing High-quality Evaluations
of Concerning and Known Persons Of Interest through National Training
Updates Act'' or the ``CHECKPOINT Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives.
(2) Assistant chief.--The term ``Assistant Chief'' means
the Assistant Chief selected to manage the CPMO pursuant to
section 3(a)(2).
(3) Checkpoint.--The term ``checkpoint'' means a permanent
or temporary checkpoint operated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
(4) Chief.--The term ``Chief'' means the Chief of the U.S.
Border Patrol.
(5) CPMO.--The term ``CPMO'' means the Checkpoint Program
Management Office established pursuant to section 3.
SEC. 3. IMPROVING BORDER SECURITY.
(a) Checkpoint Program Management Office.--
(1) Establishment.--The Commissioner for U.S. Customs and
Border Protection shall establish and operate, within the U.S.
Border Patrol, the Checkpoint Program Management Office, which
shall provide oversight over checkpoint operations nationwide.
(2) Assistant chief.--The Chief shall select an Assistant
Chief to manage the CPMO for a term of at least 2 years.
(3) Authorities, roles, and responsibilities.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Chief shall--
(A) issue a memorandum, or update relevant existing
memoranda, outlining the authority, roles, and
responsibilities of the CPMO; and
(B) provide copies of such new or updated memoranda
to the field points of contact designated pursuant to
section 4(b).
(b) CPMO Administration.--The Chief, working through the Assistant
Chief, shall--
(1) establish and maintain policies and standard operating
procedures that detail the authority, roles, and
responsibilities of the CPMO;
(2) provide oversight of checkpoint data quality and
accuracy to U.S. Border Patrol sectors that have checkpoints;
(3) provide regular training regarding policies, standard
operating procedures, data entry, and data quality and accuracy
to--
(A) employees of U.S. Border Patrol sectors with
checkpoints; and
(B) employees stationed where checkpoints have been
approved to operate;
(4) conduct regular reviews of checkpoint staffing and
resources;
(5) serve as the liaison with U.S. Border Patrol sector
officials with respect to any ongoing checkpoint issues,
including the field points of contact designated pursuant to
section 4(b); and
(6) coordinate regular reviews of checkpoint operations,
including covert testing by U.S. Customs and Border
Protection's Operational Field Testing Division.
SEC. 4. COORDINATION OF CHECKPOINT ACTIVITIES.
(a) Headquarters Coordination.--The Commissioner for U.S. Customs
and Border Protection shall require the CPMO to regularly coordinate
with offices of U.S. Customs and Border Protection that support
checkpoint operations, including--
(1) the U.S. Customs and Border Protection National Canine
Program;
(2) the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Operational
Field Testing Division;
(3) the U.S. Border Patrol Mission Support Directorate;
(4) the U.S. Border Patrol Strategic Planning and Analysis
Directorate; and
(5) the Office of Field Operations Non-Intrusive Inspection
Program Office.
(b) Field Points of Contact.--The Chief shall require, in each U.S.
Border Patrol sector with checkpoints, a designated checkpoints point
of contact, who shall--
(1) serve as the liaison between U.S. Border Patrol sector
officials and the CPMO regarding checkpoint policies and
procedures;
(2) maintain responsibility for any communication related
to checkpoint policy updates and checkpoint training;
(3) coordinate with the sector-level data integrity team to
ensure sector checkpoint data reliability and accuracy; and
(4) meet on a regular basis with CPMO staff to discuss
policy updates, operational issues, and leading practices.
(c) Establishment of Standard Operating Procedures.--Not later than
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief shall
approve standard operating procedures for the CPMO, which shall govern
its checkpoint oversight activities, including--
(1) oversight of checkpoint data quality;
(2) reviews of checkpoint resources; and
(3) other activities identified by the Assistant Chief.
SEC. 5. DATA COLLECTION.
(a) In General.--The Chief, in cooperation with the Assistant
Chief, shall require the regular collection of data, including data
relating to--
(1) apprehensions and seizures occurring at checkpoints;
(2) technology and assets used to carry out such
enforcement actions;
(3) people involved in such enforcement actions;
(4) apprehensions of smuggled people;
(5) canine assists with drug seizures;
(6) seizures of trace amounts of marijuana;
(7) non-drug property seizures; and
(8) attempted checkpoint circumventions.
(b) Secondary Inspections.--The Chief, in cooperation with the
Assistant Chief, shall require the regular collection of data on
secondary inspections that occur at checkpoints using--
(1) the Border Enforcement Secondary Tool; and
(2) any additional tools developed to document information
about secondary inspections at checkpoints.
(c) Data Collection Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Chief shall develop a plan that
includes goals and milestones--
(1) for improving checkpoint data collection;
(2) for improving checkpoint data reliability and accuracy;
and
(3) for addressing the checkpoint data collection issues
identified in recommendations 1 through 3 of the Government
Accountability Office's report entitled ``Border Patrol:
Actions Needed to Improve Checkpoint Oversight and Data'' (GAO-
22-104568), published on June 6, 2022.
SEC. 6. REPORTS.
(a) Annual Data Collection Report.--The Chief, in collaboration
with the Assistant Chief, shall submit an annual report to the
appropriate congressional committees that describes--
(1) the data collected pursuant to subsections (a) and (b)
of section 5;
(2) the steps taken to implement the plan developed
pursuant to section 5(c); and
(3) the actions taken to ensure oversight of the CPMO and
the operations of checkpoints.
(b) GAO Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that
analyzes the effectiveness of the Checkpoint Program Management Office
established pursuant to section 3(a).
(c) Annual Surveillance Technology Purchase and Use Report.--The
Secretary of Homeland Security, in collaboration with the Commissioner
for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall submit an unredacted
annual report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding the
purchase and use by U.S. Customs and Border Protection of surveillance
technology, which shall include--
(1) a comprehensive inventory of each surveillance
technology owned, operated, developed, or maintained by, or on
behalf of, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and
(2) with respect to each surveillance technology referred
to in paragraph (1)--
(A) the source of such surveillance technology;
(B) a description of the use of such surveillance
technology;
(C) a description of--
(i) the databases in which data derived
from such surveillance technology is stored;
and
(ii) the records management statutes,
regulations, guidelines, and procedures for the
storage, archiving, and deletion of such data;
and
(D) the annual recurring costs for the use of such
surveillance technology and the storage and archival of
the data described in subparagraph (C);
(3) with respect to the privacy issues relating to the use
of the surveillance technology referred to in paragraph (1)--
(A) the privacy impact assessments;
(B) whether such assessments were modified or
rescinded during the 1-year period immediately
preceding the date of on which the report is submitted;
and
(C) if a modification or rescission described in
subparagraph (A) was made, a description of the basis
for, and an identification of the individual who
directed, such modification or rescission; and
(4) the number and types of criminal investigations that
used data acquired through the surveillance technology referred
to in paragraph (1) and the results of such investigations.
SEC. 7. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated for the
purpose of carrying out this Act.
SEC. 8. SUNSET.
This Act shall cease to have any force or effect beginning on the
date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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