H.R. 5990: Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act of 2023

118th Congress · introduced 2023-10-19 · Immigration · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2023-10-19 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security. 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

Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act of 2023

Plain summary

Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act of 2023 This bill establishes positions within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to review inspection images of vehicles and cargo entering or exiting the United States. Specifically, the bill establishes the position of image technician within the CBP Office of Field Operations. An image technician must (1) review nonintrusive inspection images of vehicles and cargo entering or exiting the United States; (2) assess whether there are indications that such vehicles and cargo contain contraband, illicitly concealed merchandise (e.g., drugs and weapons), or persons seeking to unlawfully enter the United States; and (3) recommend suspicious vehicles and cargo for further inspection by a CBP officer. The bill also establishes the position of supervisory image technician with additional responsibilities, including receiving and reporting intelligence to the National Targeting Center about techniques used by malign actors to transport contraband, illicitly concealed merchandise, and persons seeking to unlawfully enter the United States. A CBP officer shall retain the discretion and final decision-making authority on whether to release a vehicle or cargo or refer the vehicle or cargo for further inspection. The bill establishes annual training requirements for both image technician and supervisory image technician positions, including training on privacy and civil liberties and how to analyze inspection images. Within a year of this bill's enactment, CBP must develop a workforce staffing model for these positions. The Government Accountability Office must validate the model within six months of the model's completion.

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

Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act of 2023

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. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Donald G. Davis (D-NC), Susie Lee (D-NV)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6] reported raising $7.6 million (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.

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

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-118hr5990.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/118/hr>

Record fed-us-cong118-hr5990 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong118 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong118