H.R. 5346: To enhance homeland security in the ports and waterways of the United States, and for other purposes.

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H.R. 5346: To enhance homeland security in the ports and waterways of the United States, and for other purposes.

111th Congress · introduced 2010-05-19 · Emergency Management · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism.

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Official title

To enhance homeland security in the ports and waterways of the United States, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

America's Waterway Watch Act - Establishes within the Coast Guard the America's Waterway Watch Program to promote voluntary reporting of activities indicating a threat or act of terrorism against a vessel, facility, port, or waterway. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) report to specified congressional committees and to the Comptroller General on the pilot program to test the business processes, technology, and operational impacts required to deploy transportation security card readers at secure areas of the marine transportation system; (2) report to specified congressional committees on the establishment of Interagency Operational Centers for Port Security and on the threat, vulnerability, and consequence of a terrorist attack on gasoline and chemical cargo shipments in port activity areas; (3) establish no less than two maritime security response teams to act as the Coast Guard's counterterrorism and law enforcement response units; (4) increase the number of detection canine teams certified by the Coast Guard for maritime-related security; (5) conduct a program for the mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals, including terrorists, to enhance border security; (6) establish a pilot program to test and deploy preventive radiological or nuclear detection equipment on Coast Guard vessels to enhance border security; (7) establish procedures for fingerprinting applicants for transportation security cards and prepare an assessment of the enrollment sites for such cards; and (8) initiate a national study to identify measures for improving the security of maritime transportation of certain dangerous cargo and coordinate an evaluation of the waterside security of vessels carrying, and waterfront facilities handling, certain dangerous cargo. Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) study the effects that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) has on companies that employ seasonal employees; (2) study methods to conduct a background security investigation of an individual who possesses a biometric identification card that complies with International Labor Convention number 185; and (3) report to specified congressional committees regarding background checks and forms of identification required under state and local transportation security programs. Requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard to promote maritime security and ensure appropriate coverage of maritime security missions within the workforce. Authorizes the Commandant to establish and operate one or more centers of expertise for maritime security.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] reported raising $928,245 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111hr5346.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hr>

Record fed-us-cong111-hr5346 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111