What does Preamble of BEST Facilitation Act do?

This bill proposes to pilot the use of image technician positions within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations.

What does SHORT TITLES. of BEST Facilitation Act do?

This bill is formally titled the Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade Facilitation Act of 2025.

What does OFFICE OF FIELD OPERATIONS IMAGE TECHNICIAN PILOT PROGRAM. of BEST Facilitation Act do?

This section amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an Image Technician Pilot Program within the Office of Field Operations. The program creates two positions: Image Technician 1 and Image Technician 2, to be filled by existing U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees and not by independent contractors. Image Technicians review non-intrusive inspection images to identify potential contraband, unlawful persons, or concealed merchandise. Image Technician 1 recommends release or further inspection of conveyances and containers based on image analysis. Image Technician 2 receives intelligence on tactics used by malign actors and reports new information to the National Targeting Center. Supervisory U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers supervise Image Technicians and retain final decision-making authority regarding release or further inspection. All Image Technicians and their supervisors receive training on privacy, civil rights, image analysis, and identifying contraband. The pilot program will establish five regional command centers at ports of entry. The program is subject to a sunset provision, ceasing to have effect five years after enactment. Upon termination, Image Technicians may transfer to comparable positions within U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the Department of Homeland Security.

What does REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. of BEST Facilitation Act do?

This section establishes reporting requirements for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding Image Technicians. The Commissioner of CBP, in consultation with the Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations, must submit semiannual reports to the Senate and House Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. These reports must identify the number of Image Technician 1 and 2 positions filled and currently employed, disaggregated by location and position. The reports must also detail the daily average number of images scanned by each technician, training methodologies, and assessment passage rates. A key focus is on assessing the impact of image technicians on interdiction rates, throughput, waiting times, and seizures at ports of entry and rail crossings. The reports must evaluate the effectiveness of image technicians compared to CBP officers performing similar duties. Progress in establishing command centers under a pilot program, associated infrastructure needs, and supported ports of entry are also required in the reports. The Executive Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Field Operations must provide biannual briefings to the relevant committees based on the submitted reports.

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BEST Facilitation Act

Last updated: 2/13/2025 · Introduced: 2/13/2025

Author: James Lankford (R-OK)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill establishes a pilot program within U.S. Customs and Border Protection to utilize Image Technicians who review inspection images to identify contraband and unlawful items.
The program creates two tiers of Image Technician positions, requiring existing CBP employees to fill these roles and mandating specific training in areas like privacy and image analysis.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection must submit regular reports to Congress detailing the program's performance, including interdiction rates, throughput, and the effectiveness of Image Technicians compared to CBP officers.

119th Congressin committeeHR. 1294(In Committee)Official page

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Includes provisions on preamble, short titles., and 2 more.

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