Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 255.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Oct 8, 2015

Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and annually implement specified metrics to measure the effectiveness of: (1) security between ports of entry; (2) security at ports of entry; (3) security in the maritime environment; and (4) aviation assets and operations of the Office of Air and Marine of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including in detecting and apprehending subjects and in seizing illicit drugs. Such metrics shall be informed by situational awareness, which is defined as knowledge and unified understanding of current unlawful cross-border activity.

(Sec. 7) DHS shall: (1) make data related to apprehensions, inadmissible aliens, drug seizures, and other enforcement actions available to the public, academic research, and law enforcement communities in accordance with applicable privacy laws; (2) provide DHS's Office of Immigration Statistics with unfettered access to the data; (3) submit an annual report containing such metrics and the data and methodology used to develop such metrics to specified congressional committees and the Comptroller General; and (4) after submitting its final report, evaluate and update such metrics to ensure that they meet DHS's performance management needs and are suitable to measure the effectiveness of border security.

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(Sec. 8) The Comptroller General shall submit a biennial report that analyzes the suitability and statistical validity of the data and methodology contained in such DHS reports and that includes recommendations on: (1) the feasibility of other suitable metrics for measuring the effectiveness of border security, and (2) improvements that need to be made to the metrics being used to measure such effectiveness.

After the end of each fiscal year through FY2025, DHS must submit a "State of the Border" reportthat includes: (1) trends for each metric under this Act for the last 10 years, and (2) selected analysis into related aspects of illegal flow rates.

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People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] · R–WI

Committees

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

2 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Oct 8, 2015
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 255.
Oct 8, 2015
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 114-152.
Oct 8, 2015
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 114-152.
Jul 29, 2015
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Jul 27, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Jul 27, 2015
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Reported to Senate · Oct 8, 2015 Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Introduced in Senate · Jul 27, 2015 Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Discuss S.1864, 114th Congress: Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1864

Text version to examine: Reported to Senate · 2015-10-08.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1864/BILLS-114s1864rs.htm

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Discuss S.1864, 114th Congress: Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1864

Text version to examine: Reported to Senate · 2015-10-08.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1864/BILLS-114s1864rs.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-07T14:55:19Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

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Discuss S.1864, 114th Congress: Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1864

Text version to examine: Reported to Senate · 2015-10-08.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1864/BILLS-114s1864rs.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-07T14:55:19Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

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Discuss S.1864, 114th Congress: Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1864

Text version to examine: Reported to Senate · 2015-10-08.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1864/BILLS-114s1864rs.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2025-04-07T14:55:19Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1864 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.