PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

S. 1864: Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

Before you vote › Federal bills

S. 1864: Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-07-27 · Immigration · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 255.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2015-07-27 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 255. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

Plain summary

Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015 (Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and annually implement specified metrics to measure the effectiveness of: (1) security between ports of entry; (2) security at ports of entry; (3) security in the maritime environment; and (4) aviation assets and operations of the Office of Air and Marine of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including in detecting and apprehending subjects and in seizing illicit drugs. Such metrics shall be informed by situational awareness, which is defined as knowledge and unified understanding of current unlawful cross-border activity. (Sec. 7) DHS shall: (1) make data related to apprehensions, inadmissible aliens, drug seizures, and other enforcement actions available to the public, academic research, and law enforcement communities in accordance with applicable privacy laws; (2) provide DHS's Office of Immigration Statistics with unfettered access to the data; (3) submit an annual report containing such metrics and the data and methodology used to develop such metrics to specified congressional committees and the Comptroller General; and (4) after submitting its final report, evaluate and update such metrics to ensure that they meet DHS's performance management needs and are suitable to measure the effectiveness of border security. (Sec. 8) The Comptroller General shall submit a biennial report that analyzes the suitability and statistical validity of the data and methodology contained in such DHS reports and that includes recommendations on: (1) the feasibility of other suitable metrics for measuring the effectiveness of border security, and (2) improvements that need to be made to the metrics being used to measure such effectiveness. After the end of each fiscal year through FY2025, DHS must submit a "State of the Border" reportthat includes: (1) trends for each metric under this Act for the last 10 years, and (2) selected analysis into related aspects of illegal flow rates.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s)), 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

Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 1864, Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015 (2015-08-25)

Cosponsors on this site

John Cornyn (R-TX)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] reported raising $1.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Agencies named in this bill

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

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 (3)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year
The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-s1864 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114