FASTER Act

The bill, titled the FASTER Act (Furthering American Security by Tempering Environmental Regulations Act), would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a biennial survey of tactical infrastructure along the U.S.-Mexico southern border. The first survey would be completed within 180 days of enactment, with subsequent surveys every two years. Each survey must measure how many miles of the border lack tactical infrastructure, identify deficiencies in the existing infrastructure and in technology, and then require DHS to submit an unclassified report (with a potential classified annex) to Congress within 90 days of the survey. If a deficiency is found, the Secretary would have authority to take expedited actions to fix it, including using provisions from the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to waive all legal requirements necessary to correct the deficiency. A deficiency is defined as infrastructure or technology that is non-operational or unable to serve its intended function due to damage, deterioration, or lack of maintenance. In short, the act aims to systematically identify gaps in border tactical infrastructure and empower accelerated remedies, potentially bypassing normal regulatory approvals in order to “expedite” fixes.