This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security, through U.S. Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center, to establish a pilot program within 18 months that uses big data analytics to detect when ships disable or manipulate their Automatic Identification System tracking signals, which can indicate attempts to evade U.S. sanctions or export controls. The program would analyze data such as cargo type, vessel destination, ownership details, and patterns of signal manipulation, sharing actionable intelligence with agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Coast Guard, other federal law enforcement, and select foreign partner agencies. DHS must coordinate with the Departments of Commerce and the Director of National Intelligence in running the program, which will automatically end four years after enactment. At that point, DHS must report to Congress on the program's effectiveness, including details on interdicted vessels, penalties imposed, and recommendations on whether to continue using this kind of data analytics going forward. The bill specifies that no new funding is authorized for this effort and that it does not permit any new data collection beyond what current law already allows.
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