OBIM Authorization Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5206) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Office of Biometric Identity Management, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Terrorists, transnational criminal organizations, and others seeking to do this Nation harm are constantly coming up with new ways to cross our borders.

We used to rely on biographic information, such as names and birthdays, to identify and prevent these threats from entering our country. But the development of biometric identity-matching technology allows us to more quickly and effectively confirm people that they are who they say they are.

The use of biometric technology to positively identify individuals who seek entry into the United States is a 21st century solution to multiple homeland security problems. The technology enhances the security of our citizens, facilitates legitimate travel and trade, and bolsters the integrity of our immigration system.

My bill authorizes the Office of Biometric Identity Management, or OBIM, the primary biometric repository for DHS and other Federal agencies that are vital to our national security. OBIM operates a database of more than 225 million unique identities that include fingerprint-based biometrics, as well as face and iris holdings that allow it to provide biometric matching, storing, and sharing services across the U.S. Government.

It processes more than 300,000 daily biometric transactions, reviewing more than 360 known or suspected terrorist records for resolution on a daily basis.

OBIM also supports DHS's efforts to complete a biometric exit program. Putting this biometric exit system in place is, as the 9/11 Commission noted, ``an essential investment in our national security.'' More than 15 years later, large numbers of foreign nationals continue to overstay their visas or disappear into the United States, just as four of the 9/11 hijackers did.

Congress has passed multiple laws since 2004 mandating the creation of the biometric exit system, though we are still waiting for it to come to fruition.

OBIM is responsible for a key element of our national security, but has not been authorized by statute. This bill, the Office of Biometric Identity Management Authorization Act of 2018, will finally codify this into law.

In the current high-risk threat environment, it is vital that we place greater emphasis on biometric identity technology as a counterterrorism tool and provide OBIM with the resources necessary to further protect the homeland in the face of an evolving threat.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Rhode Island's support on this bill and our longstanding relationship that we had since we grew up in a similar neighborhood before I fell in love with Arizona and never wanted to see another winter again. But anyway, I digress.

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5206, the OBIM Authorization Act of 2018.

First, I want to begin by commending the gentlewoman from Arizona for sponsoring this piece of legislation. It is very thoughtful and certainly very timely.

Of course, I am not surprised that she would come up with such a great idea, knowing that she originally hails from Rhode Island and comes from great roots. So I am not surprised that she would come up with a great idea like this.

Mr. Speaker, for the past decade, the Department of Homeland Security has collected biometric data from foreign nationals and U.S. citizens for a wide range of purposes, including counterterrorism, border security, credentialing, national security, and public safety.

Over that time, the Office of Biometric Identity Management, or OBIM, has become a repository for more than 240 million biometrics, such as fingerprints and photographs collected by DHS. OBIM is charged with analyzing biometric data, sending updates to critical terror watch lists, and sharing information with trusted partners inside and outside the Federal Government to support law enforcement, public safety, national security, and homeland security.

Given the sensitivity of this type of biometric data and its increasing integration into security programs, I am pleased that H.R. 5206 requires this office to comply with privacy policies and procedures established by the DHS privacy officer.

This is a good bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5206 authorizes the department's existing Office of Biometric Identity Management, which is charged with collecting and using biometric data to enhance DHS's counterterrorism, border security, and national security operations.

Increasingly, Federal agencies see the value of adopting biometrics as an additional security measure. As more and more Federal programs make use of such personal data, it is absolutely vital that privacy be baked in from the start. Importantly, H.R. 5206 requires a privacy- forward approach to all that OBIM does.

For these reasons, I support this measure. This is a good, bipartisan bill, and, again, I commend the gentlewoman from Rhode Island, who is now from Arizona, for sponsoring this bill and getting it through committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill as well, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 5206, the Office of Biometric Identity Management Authorization Act of 2018; and the cost estimate for H.R. 5207, the Immigration Advisory Program Authorization Act of 2018, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office were not made available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative reports.

U.S. Congress,

Congressional Budget Office,

Washington, DC, June 28, 2018.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

reviewed the following bills that were reported by the House

Committee on Homeland Security on June 21, 2018:

H.R. 5206, the Office of Biometric Identity Management

Authorization Act of 2018; and

H.R. 5207, the Immigration Advisory Program Authorization

Act of 2018.

Both H.R. 5206, and H.R. 5207 would codify programs that

currently exist at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

CBO estimates that enacting the bills would not significantly

affect DHS spending. Because they would not affect direct

spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.

CBO estimates that enacting the bills would not increase

net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four

consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.

Neither of the bills contain intergovernmental or private-

sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform

Act.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark

Grabowicz.

Sincerely,

Keith Hall, Director.