The CATCH Fentanyl Act establishes a time-limited pilot program to test and evaluate new technologies at land border ports of entry to speed inspections and improve detection of contraband, including illegal drugs like fentanyl, weapons, human smuggling, and other threats. Working through the CBP Innovation Team in coordination with the DHS Science and Technology Directorate, the program requires testing at least five nonintrusive inspection (NII) technology enhancements—drawing from categories such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing, quantum information sciences (including quantum sensing), and other emerging technologies. The goal is to identify effective enhancements that improve detection, increase inspection efficiency, and reduce wait times, while integrating with existing systems and maintaining safety and privacy standards. The act explicitly limits consideration to technologies that can be integrated into current workflows and emphasizes cost-effectiveness and scalability. The program runs for up to five years and includes mandatory reporting to Congress on effectiveness, scalability, costs, existing technologies, and privacy implications, with pre- and post-implementation privacy assessments. No new federal funds are authorized by this Act.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of pilot projects within one year to test multiple technology enhancements at border land ports of entry, focusing on detecting contraband and threats using imaging, radiation monitors, and chemical detectors, plus AI/ML/quantum and other emerging tech.
- 2Evaluative criteria for selecting effective enhancements, including detection accuracy, inspection efficiency, impact on wait times, compatibility with aging infrastructure, safety (ALARA), integration with existing systems, automatic threat recognition, mobility, and overall cost-effectiveness.
- 3Private sector input allowed; emphasis on open architectures and standard formats to ease integration.
- 4Privacy and civil liberties protections required: data privacy measures, anonymization where applicable, audits, and prior/after-implementation analyses of potential impacts on individuals crossing the border.
- 5Termination after five years; comprehensive congressional reporting at 3 years and again 180 days after termination, detailing effectiveness, plans for broader deployment, cost estimates, existing technology inventories, interoperability, obstacles, and performance metrics.
- 6Areas of analysis include detection probability, false alarm rates, throughput, officer time, and cost-benefit considerations for each technology tested.
- 7Pre-implementation privacy impact assessment and post-termination findings with mitigation recommendations; no new appropriations authorized.