Details of CBP's FY 2010 Budget Request for Cargo Screening, C-TPAT, Etc.

Highlights of CBP's FY 2010 Budget Request and Goals for Trade, Security Programs

The following are "highlights" of CBP's FY 2010 budget request and its FY 2010 goals for specified activities (see document for complete details):

SFI and ATS International Cargo Screening

CBP is requesting $165.4 million for its international cargo screening activities, an increase of $16.0 million from the amount enacted in FY 2009. This request includes increases for the Secure Freight base funding adjustment, pay annualization, and pay raises and the transfer of funding to the new Facilities Management Account¹.

Highlights of CBP's FY 2010 goals for international cargo screening include:

As permitted, expanding Secure Freight Initiative to an additional nine locations, focusing on high-risk trade corridors. (Future deployments of SFI at foreign seaports will focus on those trade corridors through which high-risk containerized cargo destined to the U.S. transits or originates. These deployments will provide additional data for risk targeting and strengthen the DHS layers, risk-based enforcement strategy in the maritime containerized cargo environment.)

Fully incorporating Secure Filing (102) data into the Automated Targeting System;

Continuing to monitor container traffic through CSI ports to ensure staffing needs are met, to include the possible reduction of officers deployed overseas in those areas that warrant such a reduction.

Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism

CBP is requesting $62.6 million for C-TPAT, which is a decrease of $1.9 million from the FY 2009 enacted budget. The request includes increases for pay annualization/pay inflation and a transfer of funds out to the new Facilities Management Account¹.

CBP lists of FY 2010 goals for C-TPAT include:

Ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Safe Port Act, such as reviewing and certifying security profiles within 90 days of submission and conducting validations within 1 year of certification and revalidations within 3-years of the initial validation.

Maintaining 90% or higher compliance rates for C-TPAT members in terms of the ratio of suspensions/removals to overall number of certified/validated partners.

Completing an additional mutual recognition agreement with a foreign Customs counterpart.

Import Safety and Trade Enforcement

CBP is requesting $9.3 million to hire 12 scientists, 1 paralegal, 34 international trade specialists, 32 auditors, 10 attorneys, 3 import specialists and 11 support personnel to implement the Action Plan on Import Safety developed in response to Executive Order 13439. This executive order establishes an interagency working group for Import Safety to increase staffing levels needed to carry out commercial operations and adequately staff priority trade areas as proposed in the Office of International Trade (OT) Resource Allocation Model (RAM). The increase of personnel will offer an optimal mix of trade activities and resources that allow CBP to meet the growing demand in trade volume, meet CBP's mission of enforcing trade laws and collecting revenue, achieve executive management goals and objectives for the trade mission, align activities with the appropriate skill levels, leverage efficient gains from technology process improvements, and combat risks inherent in priority trade areas.

National Targeting Center

CBP is requesting $26.4 million for the National Targeting Center (NTC), an increase of $1,900 over the amount enacted in FY 2009. The request includes increases for pay annualization/pay inflation and a program increase to analyze and employ information and intelligence and a transfer out of funds to the new proposed Facilities Management Account¹.

CBP's FY 2010 goals for the NTC include:

Continuing to foster relationships with the intelligence community both internal and external to DHS to insure current trends and threats are addressed by NTC-Passenger targeting.

Systems for Targeting

CBP is requesting $32.6 million for its targeting systems, an increase of $20,000 above the amount enacted in FY 2009. This request includes increases for pay annualization and pay inflation.

CBP's FY 2010 goals for its targeting systems include:

Deploy Targeting Framework at all CBP targeting units in the field locations.

Development of ATS-Land (ATS-L) targeting specific rules to interdict terrorist suspects, weapons of mass effect, contraband, human smuggling, agriculture, and currency violations.

Deploy ATS-L to the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints.

Expanded deployment of ATS-L PDAs (wireless technology) that includes document reader Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) capabilities.

Incorporation of other federal government agency data into the ATS Targeting Framework to ensure real time situational awareness.

Continue to expand the number and quality of Threshold Targeting lookouts generated from joint targeting opportunities with other federal, state, local, and foreign agencies.

Inspection and Detection Technology

CBP is requesting $143.6 million for inspection and detection technology. This is a decrease of $2,381,000 from the amount enacted in FY 2009. The request includes: $1.7 million in non-recurs for Project SeaHawk (i.e., the request for the service does not reoccur (terminates) for FY 2010) and a transfer of funding out to the new Facilities Management Account¹.

CBP's FY 2010 goals for inspection and detection technology include:

Purchasing 12 new large scale non-intrusive inspection (NII) systems to replace outdated technologies.

Purchasing 5 new (additional) large scale NII systems for 7 of the 52 new/expanded ports of entry.

Purchasing approximately 600 small scale NII and handheld technologies to replace outdated technologies and to reduce existing shortages.

WCO Framework, Best Practices, and High Risk Travelers

CBP is requesting $$11.2 million for certain other international programs. This is an increase of $197,000 over the amount enacted for FY 2009. This includes an increase for pay annualization and 2010 pay increases.

CBP's FY 2010 goals for its other international programs include:

Pursue international partnerships to share best practices, exchange information, and promote the facilitation of secure travel and trade.

Support implementation of the World Customs Organization Framework.

Implement initiatives in support of an international immigration strategy to identify and interdict high risk travelers.

Combating Southbound Firearms and Currency Smuggling

CBP requests $10 million to expand CBP's License Plate Reader (LPR) Program to 58 outbound lanes on the southern border at the ports of entry (POE). An additional $16.1 million is requested to hire 65 CBP officers, 44 Border Patrol agents and 16 support staff for this initiative that will also be dedicated to the outbound program and be deployed at and between the ports of entry.

Trusted Traveler Program

CBP is requesting $11.3 million for its trusted traveler programs (formally referred to as FAST/NEXUS/Sentri programs). This amount is unchanged from the amount enacted in FY 2009.

CBP lists the following as its trusted traveler program (TTP) goals for FY 2010:

Fully integrating FAST and the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)

Implementing bi-lateral international air trusted traveler programs with additional countries.

Ensuring that all lanes at the 39 busiest southern land border ports of entry be GEN2 RFID enabled so that the lanes can be considered flex lanes, which will allow them to be designated as TTP lanes as needs warrant.

¹According to CBP, the CBP Facilities Management account provides the facilities and associated infrastructure required to obtain and maintain operational control of the border, a primary factor of CBP's mission to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the U.S., and to ensure the efficient flow of legitimate trade and travel across the border. This account addresses facilities related to requirements for new, modernized, expanded, and sustained facilities, including housing quarters.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 05/13/09 news, 09051315, for BP summary on DHS' budget request for CBP. See ITT's Online Archives or 05/14/09 news, 09051420, for BP summary of CBP's budget request for automation modernization note the $49 million less for FY 2010 for non-recurs (i.e., the request for the service does not reoccur (terminates) for FY 2010).

DHS' budget justification available at http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/dhs_congressional_budget_justification_fy2010.pdf.