WASHINGTON –Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s bipartisan Southwest Border Security Technology Improvement Act cleared the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today with bipartisan support. The committee also passed the bipartisan Telework for U.S. Innovation Act, Cybersecurity Advisory Committee Authorization Act, and Restore the Partnership Act—all cosponsored by Sinema. All four bills now advance to the full Senate.
“Our bipartisan bill improves border security technology to help strengthen security and keep Arizona safe,” said Sinema.
“Today’s bipartisan bills help cut red tape and protect Arizonans from cybercrimes, while encouraging continued innovation to grow Arizona’s economy,” Sinema added.
Sinema’s Southwest Border Security Technology Improvement Act of 2020, introduced with Republican Senator John Cornyn (Texas), requires DHS to assess technology gaps along the Southwest border and determine how it could address them. In developing this assessment, DHS would be required to consider and examine:
- Technology needs to meet criminal threats such as drug smugglers and human traffickers.
- Recent technological advances that have the potential to improve border security.
- Technology infrastructure needs to allow the department to better meet its mission.
- The impact of any ongoing public health emergencies on border security.
- Current migration trends, the needs of the DHS workforce, and how to improve cooperation between state, local, tribal and Mexican partners.
Sinema’s Southwest Border Security Technology Improvement Act is endorsed by the Border Trade Alliance, NTEU, and the Border Patrol Council.
Sinema’s bipartisan Cybersecurity Advisory Committee Authorization Act, introduced with Republican Senator David Perdue (GA), establishes an advisory committee of professionals from across a range of industries to provide the Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) guidance on cybersecurity policy.
Sinema’s bipartisan Restore the Partnership Act, introduced with Republican Senator Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), requires a commission to examine federal, state, local and tribal governmental rules and cut red tape in order to help Arizona businesses thrive.
Sinema’s bipartisan Telework for U.S. Innovation Act permanently authorizes a telework program at US Patent and Trade that has successfully been implemented across the nation for the past 10 years. The extension will support over 2,500 USPTO employees enrolled in this program, to include 38 Arizonans.