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Northern Border Security Review Act

Public Law 114-267 · S. 1808 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 14, 2016 · Emergency Management

Sponsor: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)

Cosponsors (7): Sen. Kelly Ayotte,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Northern Border Security Review Act

(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit to specified congressional committees a northern border threat analysis, which shall include analyses of:

• terrorism and criminal threats posed by individuals and organized groups seeking to enter the United States through the northern border or to exploit border vulnerabilities on such border;

• improvements needed at and between ports of entry along the northern border to prevent terrorists and instruments of terrorism from entering the United States and to reduce criminal activity, as measured by the total flow of illegal goods, illicit drugs, and smuggled and trafficked persons moved in either direction across such border;

• gaps in law, policy, cooperation between state, tribal, and local law enforcement, international agreements, or tribal agreements that hinder border security, counterterrorism, anti-human smuggling and trafficking efforts, and the flow of legitimate trade along the northern border; and

• whether additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance and preinspection operations at ports of entry along the northern border could help prevent terrorists and instruments of terror from entering the United States.

The Secretary, for such analysis, must consider and examine:

• technology needs and challenges;

• personnel needs and challenges;

• the role of state, tribal, and local law enforcement in general border security activities;

• the need for cooperation among federal, state, tribal, local, and Canadian law enforcement entities relating to border security;

• the terrain, population density, and climate along the northern border; and

• the needs and challenges of Department of Homeland Security facilities, including the physical approaches to such facilities.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 455Related bill

    Northern Border Security Review Act

  • H.R. 4482Related bill

    Southwest Border Security Threat Assessment Act of 2016

  • S. 2976Related bill

    DHS Accountability Act of 2016

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Dec 14, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-267.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 2, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 29, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  7. FloorFloor · Mr. King (NY) asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
  8. Nov 17, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  9. FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  10. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  11. Nov 16, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  12. FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
  13. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  14. Oct 19, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 269.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-155.
  16. Jul 29, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  17. Jul 21, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  18. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 5108SenateSen. Heidi HeitkampD-ND· offered Nov 16, 2016Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Nov 16, 2016: Amendment SA 5108 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.