At land ports of entry to the United States, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) uses scanning technology capable of producing an image of the contents of commercial and passenger vehicles as they pass through inspection areas. Those systems, known as large-scale nonintrusive inspection (LS NII) systems, allow for scanning of higher volumes of vehicles and cargo compared to physical inspection. In 2020, the Congress appropriated $59 million for CBP to procure and deploy such systems.
H.R. 5273 would require CBP to produce a plan to increase the use of LS NII systems to 100 percent at land ports of entry. The plan would include benchmarks for measuring scanning rates and estimates of costs to acquire, operate, and maintain those systems. The act would require CBP to report annually to the Congress on its progress in implementing the plan. H.R. 5273 also would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct research and development to enhance the effectiveness of LS NII systems.
