Producing Advanced Technologies for Homeland Security Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1692, the Producing Advanced Technologies for Homeland Security Act, which I am proud to have introduced along with Congressman Shri Thanedar.

The Department of Homeland Security has a constantly evolving mission. To meet those threats, the Department was previously granted the authority to enter into other transactional agreements, commonly known as OTAs.

These legally binding agreements allowed the Department to engage with nontraditional contractors that would not normally do business with the Federal Government. This includes small business innovators, public universities, and other cutting-edge technological incubators that help meet the research and development needs of the Department of Homeland Security.

These entities have produced technology that serves as a force multiplier to our Border Patrol agents and include technology that assists agents in cargo and vehicle screening that can detect illegal substances attempting to be smuggled into the United States.

The applicability and usefulness of this authority has been demonstrated recently in my home State of Mississippi, as the University of Southern Mississippi played a leading role in developing sensors for unmanned vehicles for use by both DHS and the United States Coast Guard. Unfortunately, this was allowed to expire on September 30, 2024.

My bill would reauthorize and extend the program's OTA authority by 3 years, to 2028, while also providing additional safeguards for the American taxpayer.

The bill would also require advanced notification to Congress should the authority be used in advancement of artificial intelligence technology. Given the rapid advancement in AI, it is critical that Congress remain informed and aware of how Federal agencies are utilizing AI to advance their mission.

To ensure greater transparency, the safeguards in this bill would require DHS to report on its website any contract in excess of $1 million, reducing the amount that was previously required to be reported from $4 million to $1 million.

As we look to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, this legislation has increased transparency requirements to ensure maximum accountability to the American people.

Again, I thank Mr. Thanedar for his work on this important legislation, and I appreciate Chairman Green and the committee staff for their work on this issue. I urge all Members to support H.R. 1692.

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