H.R. 3557 · 117th Congress

Homeland Security Improvement Act

Introduced on May 28, 2021 by Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16). 10 cosponsors, all from the sponsor's party. Latest action (Nov 1, 2022): Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Stage
Introduced
Introduced
May 28, 2021
Cosponsors
10
0 from the other party
Policy area
Immigration
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Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. 2Reported by committee
  3. 3Passed one chamber
  4. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

To increase transparency, accountability, and community engagement within the Department of Homeland Security, provide independent oversight of border security activities, improve training for agents and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Administrative law and regulatory procedures
  • Border security and unlawful immigration
  • Child safety and welfare
  • Congressional oversight
  • Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
  • Criminal justice information and records
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Employee performance
  • Employment and training programs
  • Evidence and witnesses
  • Executive agency funding and structure
  • Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
  • Government information and archives
  • Government studies and investigations
  • Immigrant health and welfare
  • Immigration status and procedures
  • Law enforcement administration and funding
  • Law enforcement officers
  • Photography and imaging
  • Specialized courts
  • Technology assessment

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Introduced in House, May 28, 2021). Public domain.

Homeland Security Improvement Act

This bill establishes various bodies and policies related to border security operations. It also limits when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may separate a child from a parent or legal guardian.

The bill establishes the independent DHS Border Oversight Commission. The commission's duties shall include recommending policies to protect civil rights and improve the safety of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

The bill establishes the Office of the Ombudsman for Border and Immigration Related Concerns. The office shall independently receive and resolve complaints and requests for assistance regarding border security and immigration activities. The office shall have the power to provide redress, including immigration relief and monetary damages.

The bill establishes the Border Community Liaison Office. The office's duties include consulting with communities in sectors on the northern and southern borders when developing policies and programs.

DHS must ensure CBP officers receive continual education and training each year on topics including interaction with vulnerable populations and professional conduct standards.

The bill imposes data collection requirements on law enforcement officials conducting border and immigration-related stops and searches.

A child may not be removed from a parent or legal guardian at or near a port of entry or within 100 miles of the border except in certain instances, such as when a court determines that removal of the child is in the child's best interests.

The bill requires various reports, including a Government Accountability Office report on the use of force by CBP and ICE.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Veronica EscobarD-TX-16Sponsor

Democrats · 10

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

No recorded roll call on this measure: it moved by voice vote or unanimous consent, or has not reached the floor.

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. May 28, 2021Introduced in House
  2. May 28, 2021Introduced in House
  3. May 28, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  4. May 28, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  5. May 28, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  6. May 31, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations.
  7. Nov 1, 2022 · HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE ASSOCIATION2 reports
    Federal contractor: WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE ASSOCIATIONAI match · 100%

Reports filed in 2023.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.