CATCH Fentanyl Act

The "Contraband Awareness Technology Catches Harmful Fentanyl Act," or CATCH Fentanyl Act , mandates the establishment of a five-year pilot program at land ports of entry. This program, to be implemented by the Secretary of Homeland Security through the CBP Innovation Team, will test and assess various technologies to improve the inspection of conveyances and cargo. The primary goal is to enhance the detection of contraband, illegal drugs, illegal weapons, and human smuggling in both inbound and outbound traffic, while also increasing inspection efficiencies and addressing long wait times. The pilot projects must test at least five types of nonintrusive inspection technology enhancements , including those utilizing artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing, or quantum information sciences. These technologies will be evaluated based on their ability to accurately detect threats, increase inspection efficiency, improve existing equipment, ensure safety, and integrate into current workflows, with a focus on cost-effectiveness . The Act requires reports to Congress on the technologies' effectiveness, recommendations for broader implementation, and a plan for utilizing successful technologies across all land ports of entry, including cost breakdowns and infrastructure needs. Importantly, the bill also mandates reports on potential and actual privacy, civil liberties, and civil rights impacts of these technologies, along with mitigation measures, and explicitly states that no new appropriations are authorized to carry out its provisions.