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H.R. 5273: Securing America's Ports Act

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H.R. 5273: Securing America's Ports Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-11-26 · Immigration · Latest: Became Public Law No: 116-299.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-11-26 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Torres Small, Xochitl [D-NM-2] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 116-299. (final step reached)
  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

Securing America's Ports Act

Plain summary

Securing America's Ports Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress a plan to perform high-throughput scanning of all commercial and passenger vehicles and freight rail traffic entering the United States at a land port of entry or rail-border crossing using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems, such as X-ray and gamma-ray imaging systems, or similar technology. The plan shall include elements such as (1) an inventory of such systems currently in use, (2) the estimated costs of achieving a 100% scanning rate, and (3) the anticipated impact that increasing the scanning rate will have on wait times at land ports of entry and rail-border crossings. DHS shall periodically report to Congress on the progress in implementing the plan.

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), 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

Securing America's Ports Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Torres Small, Xochitl [D-NM-2] · 9 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 5273, Securing America’s Ports Act (2020-08-18); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 5273, Securing America’s Ports Act (2020-08-18)

Cosponsors on this site

Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Josh Harder (D-CA), Mark E. Amodei (R-NV), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), J. Luis Correa (D-CA)

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 (2)
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).
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-cong116-hr5273 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116