S. 1864

Department of Homeland Security Border Security Metrics Act of 2015

(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and annually implement specified metrics to measure the effectiveness of: (1) security between ports of entry; (2) security at ports of entry; (3) security in the maritime environment; and (4) aviation assets and operations of the Office of Air and Marine of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including in detecting and apprehending subjects and in seizing illicit drugs. Such metrics shall be informed by situational awareness, which is defined as knowledge and unified understanding of current unlawful cross-border activity.

(Sec. 7) DHS shall: (1) make data related to apprehensions, inadmissible aliens, drug seizures, and other enforcement actions available to the public, academic research, and law enforcement communities in accordance with applicable privacy laws; (2) provide DHS's Office of Immigration Statistics with unfettered access to the data; (3) submit an annual report containing such metrics and the data and methodology used to develop such metrics to specified congressional committees and the Comptroller General; and (4) after submitting its final report, evaluate and update such metrics to ensure that they meet DHS's performance management needs and are suitable to measure the effectiveness of border security.

(Sec. 8) The Comptroller General shall submit a biennial report that analyzes the suitability and statistical validity of the data and methodology contained in such DHS reports and that includes recommendations on: (1) the feasibility of other suitable metrics for measuring the effectiveness of border security, and (2) improvements that need to be made to the metrics being used to measure such effectiveness.

After the end of each fiscal year through FY2025, DHS must submit a "State of the Border" reportthat includes: (1) trends for each metric under this Act for the last 10 years, and (2) selected analysis into related aspects of illegal flow rates.