Last week, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced the “Continuing High-Quality Evaluations of Concerning and Known Persons of Interest through National Training Updates (CHECKPOINT) Act” with the support of U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.
The bill “will require regular updates to the Checkpoint Program Management Office’s drug seizure data collection categories; require updates to training to best handle what the officers and agents see in the field, and require that the Checkpoint Program Management Office is consistently staffed” and “makes recommended changes to the procedures following reports from the Government Accountability Office.”
Scott weighed in on why he introduced the proposal.
“It’s heart-wrenching and terrifying that fentanyl continues to flow across our southern border and into U.S. communities where it takes more lives every single day. We cannot allow this drug to continue endangering American families. This commonsense legislation will make several updates to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection training and procedures of the Checkpoint Program Management Office to ensure we are doing everything possible to seize these drugs from dangerous criminals before they harm our communities. I’m glad to have bipartisan support for the Continuing High-quality Evaluations of Concerning and Known Persons of Interest through National Training Updates (CHECKPOINT) Act, and I’m hopeful for its quick passage,” said Scott.
“Our commonsense, bipartisan bill secures our border and strengthens our response to cross-border smuggling – allowing Border Patrol agents to do their jobs and keep dangerous individuals and drugs out of our communities,” said Sinema who leads the U.S. Senate Border Management Subcommittee.
The bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. House.
