H.R. 878: United States Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-02-11 · Emergency Management · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-02-11 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Miller, Candice S. [R-MI-10] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

United States Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act

Plain summary

United States Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish formally, in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (formerly the U.S. Customs Service), headed by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Establishes in the CBP: a Deputy Commissioner; the U.S. Border Patrol; an Office of Air and Marine Operations; an Office of Field Operations, including a National Targeting Center; an Office of Intelligence and Investigative Liaison; an Office of International Affairs; and an Office of Internal Affairs. Requires the CBP Commissioner to establish, and update triennially, certain standard operating procedures for CBP personnel. Directs the CBP Commissioner to require all CBP agents and officers to participate in a specified amount of continuing education to maintain an understanding of federal legal rulings, court decisions, and departmental policies, procedures, and guidelines. Requires the CBP Commissioner to ensure that: adequate access to food and water is provided as soon as possible to individuals apprehended and detained between a U.S. port of entry, and detainee rights are provided at CBP processing centers. Directs the CBP Commissioner to publish wait times at the 20 U.S. airports with the highest volume of international travel and make this information available to the public on the CBP website. Declares that the Transportation Security Administration shall be maintained as a distinct entity within DHS. Removes the Office for Domestic Preparedness from within the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security and establishes it simply within DHS. Transfers all functions of the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security to the DHS Secretary. Authorizes the DHS Secretary (currently, the Under Secretary) to impose disciplinary action on any employee of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CBP who willfully deceives Congress or agency leadership on any matter. Directs the CBP Commissioner to report to Congress on: the CBP Business Transformation Initiative, and supervisor-approved personal searches conducted in the previous year by CBP personnel. Requires the CBP Commissioner to assess CBP's physical infrastructure and technology needs at the 20 busiest land ports of entry. Prohibits the DHS Secretary from entering into or renewing an agreement with a foreign country government for a CBP administered trusted traveler program unless that government certifies that it: routinely submits information about lost and stolen passports of its citizens and nationals to INTERPOL's Stolen and Lost Travel Document database, or makes such information available to the United States through another comparable means of reporting. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Foreign Language Award Program (FLAP) incentivizes CBP officers and agents to attain and maintain competency in a foreign language. Declares that no additional appropriations are authorized to carry out this Act. Requires this Act to be carried out using amounts otherwise available.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

United States Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Miller, Candice S. [R-MI-10] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael T. McCaul (R-TX)

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.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr878.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr878 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114