S. 956

119 S956 IS: Customs Facilitation Act of 2025
 U.S. Senate
 2025-03-11
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  S. 956  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   March 11 (legislative day, March 10), 2025   Mr. Cassidy  (for himself and  Ms. Cortez Masto ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the  Committee on Finance    A BILL
To facilitate the entry and processing of merchandise and trade enforcement, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title; table of contents
(a)
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Customs Facilitation Act of 2025  .
(b)
Table of contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I—One United States Government at the Border
Sec. 101. Border Interagency Executive Council.
Sec. 102. Establishment of single window import and export cargo processing release system.
Sec. 103. Continued modernization of the Automated Commercial Environment.
Sec. 104. Authorization of appropriations for uniform system for processing and release of cargo.
TITLE II—Modernizing Customs Processes
Sec. 201. Simplification of drawback procedures.
Sec. 202. Streamlined export processes.
Sec. 203. Treatment of clerical errors in submission of export data.
Sec. 204. Government Accountability Office report on fee schedule of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Sec. 205. Improvements to Centers of Excellence and Expertise.
TITLE III—Improving Customs Data and Transparency
Sec. 301. Requirements for regulations relating to data collection for trade enforcement and facilitation.
Sec. 302. Updates to U.S. Customs and Border Protection website and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Trade Compliance Handbook.
Sec. 303. Establishment of deadlines for agency responses to trade community requests.
Sec. 304. Accessibility of contact information of representatives of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Centers of Excellence and Expertise.
I
One United States Government at the Border
101.
Border Interagency Executive Council
(a)
Establishment
There is established an interagency working group, to be known as the Border Interagency Executive Council (in this section referred to as the  Council ), to serve as an interagency forum to facilitate the development of policies and processes to enhance coordination across customs, transport security, health and safety, sanitary, conservation, trade, and phytosanitary agencies with border management authorities—
(1)
to measurably improve supply chain processes and the identification of illicit shipments; and
(2)
to facilitate and expedite the flow of legitimate trade.
(b)
Oversight
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall oversee the Council.
(c)
Chairperson; vice chairperson
(1)
Chairperson
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection or a senior-level designee from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall serve as the chairperson of the Council.
(2)
Vice chairperson
There shall be a vice chairperson of the Council, who shall be selected every 2 years from among the members of the Council by a process determined by the members.
(d)
Membership
(1)
In general
In addition to the chairperson and vice chairperson, the Council shall include designated senior-level representatives who are full-time or permanent part-time employees of Federal agencies that provide approval before merchandise can be imported into or exported from the United States, or that otherwise have the authority to establish or enforce requirements relating to the importation or exportation of merchandise, including the following:
(A)
The Department of State.
(B)
The Department of the Treasury.
(C)
The Department of Defense.
(D)
The Department of the Interior.
(E)
The Department of Agriculture.
(F)
The Department of Commerce.
(G)
The Department of Health and Human Services.
(H)
The Department of Transportation.
(I)
The Department of Homeland Security.
(J)
The Environmental Protection Agency.
(K)
Such other Federal agencies, including independent regulatory and quasi-judicial agencies and commissions, as the chairperson and vice chairperson consider appropriate.
(2)
Representatives of Executive Office of President
The Council may also include appropriate representatives of the Executive Office of the President.
(3)
Waiver of participation
The Secretary of Homeland Security may waive the participation, in whole or in part, of representatives of any agency specified in paragraph (1) in the Council if the Secretary considers it appropriate.
(e)
Functions of Council
The Council shall—
(1)
facilitate the development of common risk management principles and methods to inform agency operations associated with the review and release of cargo at the border and to support compliance with applicable law;
(2)
facilitate the development of policies and processes to coordinate, improve, and accelerate agency review of electronic trade-related documentation or information transmitted, or otherwise made available, through relevant systems and provide coordinated and streamlined responses back to users to facilitate trade and support compliance with applicable law and international agreements;
(3)
identify opportunities to use documentation or information relating to the importation of merchandise, including documentation or information provided prior to the arrival of merchandise into the customs territory of the United States or the filing of an entry of merchandise with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to facilitate priority processing and the expedited release of such merchandise from the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and to reduce redundancies in the trade data that each party in a supply chain is required to provide;
(4)
identify opportunities to streamline Federal Government systems and reduce costs through the elimination of redundant capabilities and through enhanced utilization of the capabilities of the Automated Commercial Environment, or any successor system, as a means of improving supply chain management processes;
(5)
identify opportunities to enhance whole-of-Government trade processing capabilities, including capabilities relating to processing cargo manifests, collection of advance import and export data, uniform cargo admissibility and release processes, entry summaries, and cargo financial data, in the Automated Commercial Environment, or any successor system, that conform with the criteria for the admissibility of merchandise of all agencies represented on the Council;
(6)
enhance uniformity, consistency, and transparency, by facilitating the development, to the extent practicable and consistent with applicable law, of a standard nomenclature, including definitions of relevant terms, across and within the Federal agencies represented on the Council for—
(A)
any party in the supply chain; and
(B)
any event related to the importation or exportation of merchandise or any customs program;
(7)
engage with and consider input from the trade community and other relevant stakeholders regarding opportunities to improve supply chain processes and the processing of imported and exported merchandise, with the goal of promoting economic competitiveness through enhanced trade facilitation and enforcement;
(8)
encourage other countries to develop similar trade processing capabilities, including single window systems, to facilitate the sharing of relevant trade data, as appropriate, across governmental systems and with trading partners; and
(9)
assess opportunities to facilitate electronic payment of duties, taxes, fees, and charges imposed under Federal law upon entry of merchandise.
(f)
Report
(1)
In general
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than December 31 of every other year thereafter, the Council shall make available to the public a report that describes the progress that the Council has made toward carrying out the functions described under subsection (e).
(2)
Public comment
The Council shall provide an opportunity for public comment on the report required by paragraph (1).
(g)
Continuation of members
An individual serving as a member of the Border Interagency Executive Council established by Executive Order 13659 ( 19 U.S.C. 1411  note; relating to streamlining the export/import process for America’s businesses) on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act may continue to serve as a member of the Council established by subsection (a).
102.
Establishment of single window import and export cargo processing release system
(a)
In general
In order to advance the national economic security, trade enforcement, and trade facilitation missions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and partner government agencies of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that a scalable, uniform automated platform provides a system for the processing and release of cargo being imported into and exported from the United States.
(b)
Elements
The system required by subsection (a) shall include the following elements:
(1)
Incorporation of whole-of-Government trade processing capabilities, including capabilities relating to processing cargo manifests, collection of advance import and export data, uniform cargo admissibility and release processes, entry summaries, and cargo financial data, in the Automated Commercial Environment, or any successor system, to conform with the admissibility criteria of—
(A)
the Automated Commercial Environment, or any successor system; and
(B)
all agencies—
(i)
participating in the International Trade Data System established under section 411(d) of the Tariff Act of 1930 ( 19 U.S.C. 1411(d) ); and
(ii)
represented on the Border Interagency Executive Council, established in section 101.
(2)
Continued collaboration with the head of each agency participating in the International Trade Data System to make efforts to ensure that—
(A)
if data required by a partner government agency is already available in the Automated Commercial Environment, or any successor system, as a result of a requirement of U.S. Customs and Border Protection or another agency, the system will populate that data for the purpose of reporting the data to the partner government agency and the data will not need to be reported again through a separate submission, unless U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the partner government agency determines an additional submission is necessary to confirm the accuracy of data received from 2 or more sources;
(B)
the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system, provides a partner government agency with any data that is needed to facilitate the coordination and efficient execution of inspections conducted by that partner government agency;
(C)
a partner government agency interested in obtaining import and export data and conducting or directing its own inspections is able to do so through the manifest and entry functionality of the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system, and in real time when entries and manifests are submitted, rather than as a redelivery process when cargo may have already been delivered; and
(D)
a partner government agency interested in obtaining clearance data clearly indicates all headings and subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States that are subject to its jurisdiction, such that the agency is identified when any such heading or subheading of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule is submitted into the Automated Commercial Environment or a successor system.
(3)
Any other feature determined by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to be necessary to substantially advance the national economic security, trade enforcement, and trade facilitation missions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and partner government agencies.
(c)
Assessment
(1)
In general
Not later 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall complete an assessment of whether a technology solution that is capable of delivering the system required by subsection (a) is commercially available.
(2)
Report required
If the Commissioner decides not to acquire a commercially available technology to satisfy the system requirement of subsection (a), the Commissioner shall submit to Congress a report that includes a description of—
(A)
if applicable, the determination that—
(i)
developing the system required by subsection (a) is more cost effective than acquiring such system from a commercial source; and
(ii)
a system developed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection can more adequately address the needs of partner government agencies and the trade community than a system acquired from a commercial source; and
(B)
the manner by which the Commissioner will provide the system required by subsection (a) within the timeline and meeting the requirements set forth in subsection (d).
(d)
Implementation of the system
(1)
In general
Not later than 1 year after the date on which amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under section 104 are first made available to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Commissioner shall implement the system required by subsection (a).
(2)
Requirements
In implementing the system required by subsection (a), the Commissioner shall—
(A)
collaborate with the Trade Support Network and other members of the trade community as the Commissioner considers appropriate;
(B)
ensure that the system provides the same or greater functionality as any system being replaced by the system required by subsection (a), to include functionality with respect to the ability of partner government agencies and the trade community to conduct ordinary business;
(C)
ensure that the system provides the features envisioned in the 21st Century Customs Framework of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and
  (D)
if unable to timely provide a feature of the system required by this section, consult with the Trade Support Network and other members of the trade community, as the Commissioner considers appropriate, to provide a feature of equal importance.
(3)
Exemption from the Federal Advisory Committee Act
 Chapter 10  of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to this section or to other efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collaborate with members of the trade community with respect to the development of the system required by subsection (a).
(e)
Modifications To ensure operation of International Trade Data System
Section 411(d)(4)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930 ( 19 U.S.C. 1411(d)(4)(A) ) is amended—
(1)
in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking  and the Interagency Steering Committee  and inserting  , the Interagency Steering Committee, and the Border Interagency Executive Council (established by section 101 of the  Customs Facilitation Act of 2025 ), as appropriate, and in consultation with the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee, Trade Support Network, and other members of the trade community as the Secretary considers necessary, ;
(2)
in clause (i), by striking the semicolon and inserting  ; and ;
(3)
in clause (ii), by striking the semicolon and inserting a period; and
(4)
by striking clauses (iii) and (iv).
103.
Continued modernization of the Automated Commercial Environment
(a)
In general
In order to advance the national economic security, trade enforcement, and trade facilitation missions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and partner government agencies of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide for the continuous modernization of the Automated Commercial Environment or a successor system.
(b)
Requirements
(1)
Development priorities
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in consultation with the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (established under section 109 of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 ( 19 U.S.C. 4316 )), the Trade Support Network, and any other member of the trade community the Commissioner considers appropriate, shall determine the development priorities for the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system.
(2)
Collaboration with partner government agencies and industry
(A)
In general
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall collaborate with partner government agencies, the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee, the Trade Support Network, and any other member of the trade community the Commissioner considers appropriate, to ensure that any enhancement to the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system, is effectively delivered to Federal agencies and to the trade community.
(B)
Meetings
(i)
In general
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and as frequently as the Commissioner considers appropriate thereafter, but not less frequently than every 30 days, the Commissioner shall convene meetings to solicit feedback on enhancements to the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system.
(ii)
Attendees
For each meeting convened under clause (i), the Commissioner shall invite—
(I)
any representative from a partner government agency or member of the trade community who has a stake in the system feature being discussed at the meeting;
(II)
any contractor or technical expert that the Commissioner considers appropriate; and
(III)
any other stakeholder the Commissioner considers appropriate.
(iii)
Tasks
For each meeting convened under clause (i), the Commissioner shall—
(I)
solicit feedback on any enhancement to the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system, that is planned, in development, or newly implemented and is addressed at the meeting;
(II)
conduct user testing or research with respect to any enhancement to the Automated Commercial Environment that is planned, in development, or newly implemented;
(III)
maintain a summary of the feedback received with respect to each such enhancement; and
(IV)
incorporate, to the extent practicable and as aligned with the development priorities determined under paragraph (1), the results of any testing or research conducted under subclause (II) into the development of any such enhancement.
(3)
Management of communication
The Commissioner shall establish, through the use of a ticketing system or such other means as the Commissioner considers appropriate, a mechanism to manage communication relating to the Automated Commercial Environment, or a successor system, under which users of the Automated Commercial Environment, or such successor system, may report feedback, including with respect to bugs or any other issue, and the appropriate contractor or agency may review and respond to such feedback.
(c)
Report
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner shall submit to Congress and make available to the public a report that describes the development progress of the Automated Commercial Environment, or any successor system.
104.
Authorization of appropriations for uniform system for processing and release of cargo
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2026, and each fiscal year thereafter, such sums as may be necessary to carry out improvements in a scalable, uniform automated platform that provides a system for the processing and release of cargo being imported into and exported from the United States, including improvements to and integration of the Automated Commercial Environment, or any successor system, as described in section 102.
II
Modernizing Customs Processes
201.
Simplification of drawback procedures
(a)
In general
Section 313 of the Tariff Act of 1930 ( 19 U.S.C. 1313 ) is amended by inserting after subsection (s) the following:
(t)
Simplification of drawback procedures
(1)
Accelerated payment
(A)
In general
A person that meets the requirements of paragraph (3) and files a claim for drawback under this section shall be paid all estimated duties, taxes, and fees covered by the claim while the liquidation of the claim is pending.
(B)
Estimated payment exceeds liquidated amount
If the amount of estimated duties, taxes, and fees paid by U.S. Customs and Border Protection under subparagraph (A) for a drawback claim exceeds an amount that is $20 more than the final liquidated amount for that claim, the person that filed the claim shall refund to U.S. Customs and Border Protection the amount by which the amount of estimated duties, taxes, and fees paid by U.S. Customs and Border Protection exceeds the final liquidated amount.
(C)
Liquidated amount exceeds estimated payment
If the final liquidated amount for a drawback claim exceeds an amount that is $20 more than the amount of estimated duties, taxes, and fees paid by U.S. Customs and Border Protection under subparagraph (A) for the claim, U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall provide to the person that filed the claim an additional refund in the amount by which the final liquidated amount exceeds the amount of estimated duties, taxes, and fees paid by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
(2)
Prior notice of export not required
A person that meets the requirements of paragraph (3) shall not be required to provide notice to U.S. Customs and Border Protection of an export of merchandise to be used in a claim for drawback under this section before exporting the merchandise.
(3)
Requirements for claimants
A person meets the requirements of this paragraph if the person has completed the following:
(A)
Submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection information and supporting documentation kept by the person in the normal course of business that evidences the ability of the person to file for and claim drawback under this section, which submission shall—
(i)
be deemed complete when submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection by the person; and
(ii)
apply to all claims for drawback filed by the person under this section after the completion of the submission.
(B)
Obtained a properly executed bond securing, pending liquidation of a drawback claim, repayment of 100 percent of the estimated duties, taxes, and fees covered by the claim.
(4)
Electronic filings for drawback claims
A person making a claim for drawback under this section shall be allowed to file an amendment to, or perfection of, a drawback claim through electronic means.
 .
(b)
Prior approval not required for substitution drawback
Section 313(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 ( 19 U.S.C. 1313(b) ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(5)
Advance approval of claims not required
A person filing a claim for drawback under paragraph (1) shall not be required to obtain any ruling or approval authorizing drawback under that paragraph from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection before filing the claim, but shall exercise reasonable care in determining whether to obtain such a ruling in advance of the filing.
 .
(c)
Regulations
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall prescribe regulations specifying the information required to be included in submissions made under subsection (t) of section 313 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as added by subsection (a).
202.
Streamlined export processes
Section 304 of title 13, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(d)
Regulations relating to advance information
(1)
In general
The Secretary of Commerce shall prescribe regulations to account for advance documentation or information and reports described in subsection (a) made available with respect to cargo before the exportation or transportation of the cargo.
(2)
Consideration of timelines for submission
In prescribing regulations under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
(A)
consider how the different business models of persons submitting advance documentation or information under subsection (a) impact the availability of the documentation or information; and
(B)
adjust the timelines required for the submission of that documentation or information as appropriate.
(3)
Avoidance of redundancy
If information relating to the exportation or transportation of cargo provided under this section or section 431 of the Tariff Act of 1930 ( 19 U.S.C. 1431 ) is redundant with information required to be provided under any other provision of law, the Secretary shall, pursuant to the regulations prescribed under paragraph (1), work jointly with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure that the provision of the information under this section or such section 431 satisfies the requirement to provide the information under such other provision of law, to the extent practicable.
 .
203.
Treatment of clerical errors in submission of export data
Section 305(b) of title 13, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
by striking  The Secretary  and inserting the following:
(1)
In general
The Secretary
 ; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following:
(2)
Treatment of clerical errors
For purposes of paragraph (1), clerical errors or mistakes of fact are not violations unless they are part of a pattern of violative conduct. The mere nonintentional repetition by an electronic system of an initial clerical error does not constitute a pattern of violative conduct.
 .
204.
Government Accountability Office report on fee schedule of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the fee schedule of U.S. Customs and Border Protection that includes—
(1)
an assessment of—
(A)
how that schedule might be restructured; and
(B)
ways—
(i)
to reduce costs for the entities in the trade community that are the most compliant with the customs and trade laws of the United States (as defined in section 2 of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 ( 19 U.S.C. 4301 )); and
(ii)
to ensure that all entities that benefit from customs services provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection pay for those services; and
(2)
recommendations for Congress.
205.
Improvements to Centers of Excellence and Expertise
Section 110(a) of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 ( 19 U.S.C. 4317(a) ) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (8), by striking  ; and  and inserting a semicolon;
(2)
in paragraph (9), by striking the period and inserting a semicolon; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:
(10)
develop procedures, informed compliance publications, or other guidance with respect to the entry of merchandise in compliance with the law; and
(11)
provide guidance to importers on the post-entry and clearance procedures for imported merchandise impacted by admissibility issues including alleged violations of section 307 of the Trade Act of 1930 ( 19 U.S.C. 1307 ).
 .
III
Improving Customs Data and Transparency
301.
Requirements for regulations relating to data collection for trade enforcement and facilitation
(a)
Requirements for new regulations
In developing and imposing regulations requiring the collection of additional information for the purposes of trade enforcement and facilitation, each official described in subsection (b) shall adhere to the following:
(1)
The official shall solicit comments from and consult with a broad range of parties likely to be affected by the regulations, including importers, exporters, carriers, customs brokers, platforms, and freight forwarders, and other interested parties.
(2)
In general, the requirement to provide particular information shall be imposed on parties with direct knowledge of that information, as appropriate. Where requiring information from a party with direct knowledge of that information is not practicable, the regulations shall take into account how, under ordinary and reasonable commercial practices, information is acquired by a party on which the requirement is imposed, and whether and how such party is reasonably able to verify the information. Where information is not reasonably verifiable by a party on which a requirement is imposed, the regulations shall permit that party to transmit information on the basis of what the party reasonably believes to be true based on commercially reasonable practices.
(3)
The official shall take into account the existence of competitive relationships among the parties on which requirements to provide particular information are imposed.
(4)
Where the regulations impose requirements on carriers of cargo, the regulations shall take into account differences among different modes of transportation, including differences in commercial practices, operational characteristics, and technological capacity to collect and transmit information electronically.
(5)
The regulations shall take into account the extent to which the technology necessary for parties to transmit and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to receive and analyze data in a timely fashion is available. To the extent the official determines that the necessary technology will not be widely available to particular modes of transportation or other affected parties until after promulgation of the regulations, the regulations shall—
(A)
provide interim requirements appropriate for the technology that is available at the time of promulgation; or
(B)
other accommodations.
(6)
In determining the timing for transmittal of any information, the official shall balance likely impact on flow of commerce with impact on trade enforcement. With respect to requirements that may be imposed on carriers of cargo, the timing for transmittal of information shall take into account differences among different modes of transportation, as described in paragraph (4).
(7)
Where practicable, the regulations shall avoid imposing requirements that are redundant with one another or that are redundant with requirements in other provisions of law.
(8)
The official shall determine whether it is appropriate to provide transition periods between promulgation of the regulations and the effective date of the regulations and shall prescribe such transition periods in the regulations, as appropriate, taking into account different business models.
(9)
The official shall, in collaboration with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Postmaster General, prescribe regulations requiring the United States Postal Service to transmit the information described in this subsection to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for international mail shipments by the Postal Service (including shipments to the Postal Service from foreign postal operators that are transported by private carrier).
(b)
Officials described
The officials described in this subsection are—
(1)
the Secretary of the Treasury;
(2)
the Secretary of Homeland Security; and
(3)
the head of each agency represented on the Border Interagency Executive Council established by section 101.
302.
Updates to U.S. Customs and Border Protection website and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Trade Compliance Handbook
(a)
Notification of changes
(1)
In general
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall consult with and notify members of the trade community if content related to minimum security criteria is added to or removed from the publicly accessible website of U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the Trade Compliance Handbook for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.
(2)
Content of notifications
A notification required by paragraph (1) shall include a summary and explanation of the reasons for the addition or removal of the content.
(3)
Model
The Commissioner shall use the process of the United States International Trade Commission for disclosing modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States as a model for the notification required by paragraph (1).
(b)
Additions to Trade Compliance Handbook
In addition to providing the notification required by subsection (a)(1), the Commissioner shall consult with members of the trade community with respect to any new requirements that may be added to the Trade Compliance Handbook of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.
(c)
Revisions to Trade Compliance Handbook
The Commissioner shall revise the Trade Compliance Handbook of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism to include constructive and detailed context for best practices for mitigating the risk of importing merchandise produced using forced labor.
(d)
Consultations with Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force
In revising the Trade Compliance Handbook of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism under this section, the Commissioner shall consult with the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to ensure consistent messaging and streamlining of resources.
303.
Establishment of deadlines for agency responses to trade community requests
(a)
In general
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection—
(1)
shall review any regulations governing deadlines for rulings and decisions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including with respect to petitions, protests, and requests for advice, and customs rulings; and
(2)
may, in consultation with members of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee, revise such regulations.
(b)
Updates to existing deadlines
In a case in which a deadline is already established for a response described in subsection (a), the Commissioner shall—
(1)
review the deadline; and
(2)
if appropriate, revise the deadline to be more expeditious.
(c)
Report required
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress and make available to the public a report on rulings and decisions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection that includes—
(1)
an assessment of—
(A)
the average annual number of rulings and decisions described in subsection (a) considered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including such rulings and decisions that are not subject to a statutory or regulatory deadline;
(B)
the average response time of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to petitions, protests, and requests for advice, including the total amount of responses made before and after the applicable statutory or regulatory deadline;
(C)
the average time for issuance of customs rulings by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including the total amount of rulings issued before and after the applicable statutory or regulatory deadline;
(D)
for deadlines not met, the average time it took for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to respond or issue a ruling;
(E)
reasons provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection explaining why the deadlines were not met; and
(F)
in the case of rulings and decisions not subject to a statutory or regulatory deadline, reasons for the length of time for issuing such rulings and making such decisions;
(2)
a description of the petition and protest process, including timelines that apply under statutes or regulations as of the date of the report; and
(3)
recommendations for Congress on improving the time taken by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to respond to petitions, protests, and requests for advice and to issue rulings.
304.
Accessibility of contact information of representatives of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Centers of Excellence and Expertise
The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall develop a system to assist members of the trade community in quickly and easily identifying up-to-date contact information for—
(1)
personnel within the headquarters of U.S. Customs and Border Protection that interact with members of the trade community;
(2)
personnel of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and partner government agencies at ports of entry that interact with members of the trade community; and
(3)
personnel of the Centers of Excellence and Expertise established under section 110 of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 ( 19 U.S.C. 4317 ) that interact with members of the trade community.