BITMAP Authorization Act

Bill Number

H.R. 8253

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Immigration

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-04-14: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.

Last Updated

2026-05-16T08:07:29Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The legislation establishes the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify and screen foreign nationals posing national security, border security, or terrorist threats before they reach U.S. borders. It builds on existing information-sharing authorities to enhance early threat detection through international biometric (e.g., fingerprints, facial scans) and biographic (e.g., name, date of birth) data sharing.

Key Provisions

• Program Duties (led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director):
• Coordinate with foreign governments, State Department, Director of National Intelligence, and other agencies for voluntary data sharing.
• Provide partner countries with training, equipment, and capabilities to collect data and compare it against U.S. databases like IDENT, Terrorist Screening Database, Next Generation Identification, and DoD's ABIS.
• Offer guidance on enrolling individuals in BITMAP.
• Incorporate collected data into U.S. databases while complying with the Privacy Act of 1974 (a law protecting personal data privacy).
• Agreements and Oversight:
• Requires formal agreements with new partner countries, including program goals and operations.
• Notify Congress within 60 days of new agreements, detailing the country and goals.
• Expunge biometric/biographic data of U.S. citizens from databases unless needed for law enforcement or intelligence.
• Reporting and Accountability:
• DHS submits reports to Congress 180 days after establishment and annually for 5 years, covering goals, progress, budgets, enrollments, training, redress processes (ways to challenge errors), and effectiveness.
• Briefings on BITMAP enrollees apprehended at borders/interior or filing asylum claims.
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits effectiveness every 3 years (starting 6 months post-enactment).
• Duration: Program sunsets (ends) 6 years after enactment.
• Technical Update: Adds BITMAP as new Section 448 in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Amends Homeland Security Act of 2002 by adding Subtitle D, Section 448, creating BITMAP as a dedicated program in addition to current DHS immigration and information-sharing powers under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
• Introduces mandatory international partnerships, data integration protocols, U.S. citizen data protections, and structured congressional/GAO oversight not previously specified for such biometric efforts.
• Allows reimbursable/non-reimbursable agreements with other federal agencies for participation.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: Increases DHS (especially ICE) workload, resource allocation (personnel, equipment), and coordination with State, DNI, FBI, DoD; requires budgeting transparency.
• Citizens: Protects U.S. persons by requiring data expungement; potential indirect benefits via enhanced security.
• International Relations: Strengthens voluntary ties with partner countries through aid (training/equipment), potentially improving migration control but dependent on foreign cooperation.
• Border Security: Aims to interdict threats via "illicit pathways," reducing arrivals of high-risk individuals and supporting counterterrorism.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• DHS and ICE: Lead implementation, operations, and reporting.
• Partner Foreign Governments: Receive support; share data and enroll individuals.
• Congress (Homeland Security Committees): Receives notifications, reports, briefings.
• Other U.S. Agencies: State Department, DNI, FBI, DoD (data/databases); GAO (audits).
• Foreign Nationals/Migrants: Subject to screening/enrollment; affects travel/asylum.
• U.S. Citizens: Data protections apply if incidentally captured.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Privacy/Legal: Mandates Privacy Act compliance and data expungement for U.S. citizens, addressing potential Fourth Amendment concerns (protection against unreasonable searches); includes redress processes for errors.
• Oversight: Robust congressional reporting, briefings, and GAO audits ensure accountability, limiting executive discretion.
• Temporary Nature: 6-year sunset allows evaluation without permanent expansion.
• Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (McCaul, Cuellar); focuses on security without new border barriers, emphasizing international cooperation over domestic enforcement alone.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10]

Cosponsors (3)

Rep. Cuellar, Henry [D-TX-28], Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27], Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]

Recent Actions

• 2026-04-14: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
• 2026-04-13: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
• 2026-04-13: Introduced in House
• 2026-04-13: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program Authorization Act — issued 2026-04-13 — PDF (9 pages)